Author: Chatinian Lara

Le Devoir
Orhan Pamuk, Prix Nobel de littérature et embarras pour la Turquie
Jean-François Nadeau
Édition du vendredi 13 octobre 2006
Mots clés : Turquie (pays), Livre, orhan pamuk, prix nobel,
littérature
L’écrivain Orhan Pamuk, 54 ans, est le lauréat du prix Nobel de
littérature 2006. Cible politique du régime turc pour sa défense
des causes arménienne et kurde, il est plus que jamais source de
fierté littéraire mais aussi d’embarras pour son pays. Un procès
pour ses affirmations au sujet du génocide arménien lui a été
intenté cette année dans son propre pays, ce qui lui a valu l’appui
de la communauté intellectuelle internationale, comme l’expliquaient
Georges Leroux et Christian Nadeau dans les pages littéraires du
Devoir en janvier dernier.
L’écrivain Orhan Pamuk, Prix Nobel de littérature 2006
Pamuk a été qualifié de renégat par ses détracteurs en
Turquie pour ses déclarations sur des sujets longtemps restés
tabous. «Un million d’Arméniens et 30 000 Kurdes ont été
tués sur ces terres, mais personne d’autre que moi n’ose le dire»,
avait-il affirmé en février 2005 dans un hebdomadaire suisse.
La justice turque le tient à l’oeil depuis un moment sous prétexte
d’«insulte ouverte à la nation turque», un crime passible de six
mois à trois ans de prison. Mais les poursuites formelles ont été
abandonnées début 2006.
Pamuk a reçu plusieurs menaces de mort. Dans une province de l’ouest
de la Turquie, le préfet d’Isparta a même donné l’ordre de
brûler ses livres. L’injonction a ensuite été retirée sous la
pression du gouvernement, plus que jamais désireux de ne pas ternir
son image avant le lancement de négociations d’adhésion à l’Union
européenne.
«Je soutiens la candidature de la Turquie à l’adhésion à l’Union
européenne […] mais je ne peux pas dire à ces adversaires de la
Turquie : “Ce n’est pas vos affaires s’ils me jugent ou pas.” Du coup,
je me sens coincé au milieu. C’est un fardeau», a déclaré Pamuk,
qui se considère d’abord comme écrivain sans intentions politiques,
bien que ses livres ne manquent pas de secouer certaines conceptions
établies de sa société.
À l’extérieur de son pays, Orhan Pamuk accumule les prix
littéraires. En octobre 2005, il a reçu le prestigieux prix de la
Paix des libraires allemands et le prix Médicis français du roman
étranger. En 2004, le New York Times lui avait accordé son attention
pour «le meilleur livre étranger de l’année». Dans son oeuvre,
traduite en une vingtaine de langues à ce jour, il traite des conflits
d’une société écartelée entre Orient et Occident.
L’oeuvre elle-même ?
Le caractère tout à fait sulfureux de cette vie d’écrivain
suffit-il à en faire un Prix Nobel ? Plusieurs attendaient plutôt
cette année le couronnement par l’Académie Nobel de l’Américain
Philip Roth ou du Mexicain Carlos Fuentes, voire de l’Israélien Amos
Oz. D’autres noms ont aussi circulé, y compris celui de Pamuk, qui
n’était pourtant pas donné favori de prime abord.
Le lauréat de cette année, dont la valeur est indéniable, semble
néanmoins avoir beaucoup profité des conditions sociopolitiques qui
entourent les discussions sur l’avenir de son pays au sein de l’Union
européenne. En dépit des controverses qu’il suscite, Pamuk, cheveux
grisonnants et portant des lunettes, souvent habillé d’un simple
t-shirt et d’une veste, n’intervient que rarement sur la scène
publique, préférant le désordre enfumé de son bureau aux
projecteurs des plateaux de télévision. À Istanbul, l’appartement
où il écrit ses livres lui offre une vue sur un pont enjambant le
Bosphore, lien entre l’Europe et l’Asie.
Né le 7 juin 1952 dans une famille francophile aisée d’Istanbul,
Orhan Pamuk a abandonné des études en architecture à l’ge de 23
ans pour s’enfermer dans son appartement et se consacrer à la
littérature. Sept ans plus tard était publié son premier roman,
Cevdet Bey et ses fils.
L’irritation de ses détracteurs est montée d’un cran après son
refus, en 1998, d’accepter le titre d’«artiste d’État». Il était
alors déjà devenu l’écrivain le plus prisé en Turquie avec des
ventes records. Son sixième roman, Mon nom est Rouge, une réflexion
sur la confrontation entre l’Orient et l’Occident à travers l’Empire
ottoman de la fin du XVIe siècle, allait lui assurer une
célébrité internationale.
Publié en 1990, Le Livre noir, un des romans les plus lus en Turquie,
décrit la recherche effrénée d’une femme par un homme pendant une
semaine dans un Istanbul enneigé, boueux et ambigu.
Neige (2002), publié en français l’année dernière chez
Gallimard, constitue un plaidoyer pour la laïcité tout autant qu’une
réflexion sur l’identité de la société turque et la nature du
fanatisme religieux. Orhan Pamuk a aussi publié La Maison du silence
(1983), Le Chteau blanc (1985), La Vie nouvelle (1994) et Istanbul
(2003).
Grand, dégingandé, nerveux, parlant vite et fort, Orhan Pamuk fut le
premier écrivain dans le monde musulman à condamner ouvertement la
fatwa de 1989 contre Salman Rushdie et prit position pour son collègue
turc Yasar Kemal quand celui-ci fut appelé en justice en 1995.
L’Académie suédoise a indiqué dans ses attendus avoir décerné
le prix à un auteur «qui, à la recherche de l’me mélancolique
de sa ville natale, a trouvé de nouvelles images spirituelles pour le
combat et l’entrelacement des cultures». L’Académie suédoise
affirme en outre que l’écrivain «est connu dans son pays comme un
auteur contestataire, bien qu’il se considère comme écrivain
littéraire sans intentions politiques».
Le lauréat a déclaré à un quotidien suédois être «très
heureux et honoré», ajoutant qu’il allait pour le moment tenter de
se «remettre de ce choc» qui lui vaut dix millions de couronnes
suédoises, soit l’équivalent d’environ 1,5 million $CAN.
Le Devoir et l’Agence France-Presse

FRANCE WARNED OVER ARMENIAN LAW
by Geoff Meade, PA Europe editor, Brussels
Press Association Newsfile
October 11, 2006 Wednesday 6:47 PM BST
France risks sabotaging Turkish EU membership by criminalising denial
of the Armenian holocaust, a Euro-MP warned tonight.
Labour’s Richard Howitt said if a French Parliament vote backs the
plan tomorrow, it will send the wrong signal to the Turkish Government,
which is under EU pressure to open up freedom of speech.
“While the EU is encouraging Turkey to promote freedom of expression,
especially on this issue, the French are sending entirely the wrong
signal by closing down debate within their own country.
“There is a huge gulf between what some French Parliamentarians are
trying to do and promoting real understanding of the tragedies of
history. They should not be playing political football with what is
an incredibly sensitive issue within Turkish society.”
The Turkish Government denies the systematic genocide by the Ottoman
Turks in 1915 of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians, but recognition
of the atrocity has not been made a pre-condition of joining the EU.
But Mr Howitt echoed European Commission fears that if France cracks
down on genocide denial, it will effectively impose such a condition,
while undoing progress so far in getting Ankara to relax its current
general restrictions on free expression.
“The EU must remain resolute in its commitment to Turkish accession,
abiding by the promises it has already made to the Turkish
government. Anything other than a full and honest engagement in this
process by all member states will only increase Turkish fears of
bad faith.
“The upcoming vote in the French Parliament risks becoming a
precondition upon the Turkish government” said Mr Howitt.
The new French law, if adopted tomorrow, would make it an offence
triggering a jail sentence to deny the fact of the Armenian genocide.
Only last month French President Chirac said in Armenia that Turkey
should recognise the genocide before being allowed to join the EU –
adding to strains between Paris and Ankara.

French in Turkey ‘genocide’ row
Reuters
October 12, 2006
By Crispian Balmer
PARIS (Reuters) – Ignoring Turkish protests, the French lower house of
parliament overwhelmingly approved a bill on Thursday making it a crime to
deny Armenians suffered genocide in 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Turks.
French businesses fear a Turkish backlash because of the legislation, which
has highlighted broader anxieties about Turkish efforts to secure European
Union membership.
The bill still needs the approval of both the upper house Senate and the
French president to become law, but Turkey has already warned that
Thursday’s vote would damage ties between the two NATO allies.
Turkey denies accusations of a genocide of some 1.5 million Armenians during
the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in World War One, arguing that
Armenian deaths were a part of general partisan fighting in which both sides
suffered.
However, France’s Armenian community, which is up to 500,000-strong and one
of the largest in Europe, had pushed hard for the bill and found cross-party
support in parliament.
Thursday’s motion was carried by 106 votes to 19.
The legislation establishes a one-year prison term and 45,000 euro ($56,570)
fine for anyone denying the genocide — exactly the same sanctions as those
imposed for denying the Nazi genocide of Jews during World War Two.
The French government did not support the motion, saying it was up to
historians and not parliament to judge the past, but the ruling Union for a
Popular Movement (UMP) gave its lawmakers a free hand in the vote, ensuring
it would pass.
“Does a genocide committed in the World War One have less value than a
genocide committed in World War Two. Obviously not,” UMP deputy Philippe
Pomezec said during the debate.
EU FEARS
However, some Turks think French politicians have more on their minds than
20th century history and suspect they are using the bill to further
complicate Ankara’s already uphill struggle to join the European Union.
The majority of French people are opposed to Turkey joining the 25-nation
bloc and fears over its potential membership was given as one of the reasons
why France voted last year to reject the EU constitution.
“(This vote) can only worsen prospects for EU accession and will move the
Turkish population even further away from pro-EU sentiment,” said Lars
Christensen with Danske Bank in Denmark.
“We have long been optimistic that Turkey will become an EU member, but
we’re moving in the wrong direction, which will really affect markets,” he
added.
Both outgoing President Chirac and Socialist presidential frontrunner
Segolene Royal say Turkey must acknowledge the genocide before joining the
EU, while conservative frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy is opposed to its EU
entry under any conditions.
But government ministers fear that the Armenia vote will have an immediate
impact on trade with Turkey, with French exports to Turkey worth
4.66billion euros ($5.85 billion) in 2005.
“Liberty, Equality, Stupidity,” Turkish daily Hurriyet said in a headline on
Thursday, reflecting widespread Turkish anger and irritation over the vote.
Copyright 2006 Reuters.

Armenian lobby is strong
Het Parool (Dutch Daily Newspaper)
7 October 2006
By Addie Schulte

Never before the Armenian Genocide got as much attention in the Dutch
politics as in the previous weeks. A small lobby with many branches in
Binnenhof had unexpected success. ?I think that the Netherlands has spared
herself a big deal of misery¹.

It started a month ago with a letter to CDA (Christian Democrat Party) and a
press release. The Federation of Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands
(FAON) and its 24 April Committee asked if candidate Member of Parliament
Ayhan Tonca distances himself from his earlier denial of the Armenian
Genocide.

³Tonca were a straight denier², says Inge Drost, spokeswoman of the Armenian
organisations. The Armenian lobby did not get a direct answer to the letter
to CDA. But after the attention paid by media, the matter gained momentum,
which seems still to continue.

That was quite different when the Armenians achieved a first success in The
Hague. In December 2004 the Parliament unanimously adopted a motion,
submitted by the chairman of Christian Union faction André Rouvoet and
signed by other factions, wherein the government is asked to bring the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide under the attention of the Turkish
government. A topical subject, because the Parliament was discussing the
starting of negotiations for the accession of Turkey to the European Union.

We insisted for many years on this matter. But with this motion the
recognition was not a requirement for the accession of Turkey. Last year Mr.
Rouvoet tried to achieve this point in a debate with foreign affairs
minister Ben Bot. Mr. Bot refused, because according to him it was
implicitly clear that Turkey would have to recognise the genocide. ³Mr.
Rouvoet said: ?Let¹s take this¹,² according to Mrs. Drost.

But in the minutes of the report there was nothing mentioned on this matter.
Mrs. Drost continued to insist. ³I have asked Rouvoet to inquire about this
statement in a plenary debate once more². These debates are recorded
textually. Mrs. Drost: ³But then the answers were quite different.²

It is not surprising that Mr. Rouvoet repeatedly raised the Armenian matter
and thereby received quite broad support. He is a member of the Recommending
Committee of 24 April Committee just like the Parliament Members Harry van
Bommel (SP), Kathleen Ferrier (CDA), Farah Karimi (Green-Left), Cees van der
Staaij (SGP), PvdA senator Ed van Thijn and former MP Leen van Dijke
(Christian Union).

The small Christian political parties have been therefore well represented.
The majority of Armenians are Christians. The 24 April Committee was also
particularly involved with the bill concerning the punishment of the
Genocide denial in some cases submitted by the Christian Union faction.

In fact it concerns a historical question, and the struggle for its
recognition is not political, says Mrs. Drost. ³But the policy of denial is
guided by Ankara². ³Turkey is doing a rearguard action: almost all
historians recognise the Genocide. But we cannot just pass over, because
Turkey wants to become a member of the European Union. That is unthinkable
without recognition of the Genocide.²

The Turkish embassy plays enormous role in this matter, according to her.
Mrs. Drost does not accept the criticism that the Dutch candidates of
Turkish origin are sharply followed. ³We have not damaged someone
unnecessarily. We asked clarity and we have mainly succeeded to get that. I
think that the Netherlands has spared herself a big deal of misery. A
Turkish problem is imported here. Some people are connected with hundreds of
ties to Ankara. Many people do not want believe that the Dutch policy was
already influenced, even before the motion of Mr. Rouvoet. The Members of
Parliament Fatma Koser Kaya (D66), Nebahat Albayrak (PvdA) and Fadime Örgü
(VVD) have given then an interview wherein the Turkish point of view was
presented².

Following Tonca also other Dutch candidates of Turkish origin came in the
sight. Particularly Mrs. Albayrak owes that to herself with her statements
in the newspaper Trouw, Mrs. Drost thinks. ³We could unfortunately not
neglect her judgments. Unfortunately, because it concerns persons.²

According to her many people did not understand that the statements of Mrs.
Albayrak are very close to those of negationists. ³The position of Mrs.
Albayrak is still not clear. It is, however, remarkable that Albayrak now
shows victim behaviour.²

EU ENVOY SAYS AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA “PLAYING FOR TIME”
By Ahto Lobjakas in Brussels
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 5 2006
Both Azerbaijan and Armenia appear to be “playing for time” in
their conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the European Union’s special
representative for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, said on Thursday.
Semneby told the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee that
Azerbaijan in particular appears to be hoping that income from energy
exports will make it progressively ‘richer and militarily stronger.’
“The rearmament is a serious issue, or concern, and I think it has
contributed to a lack of urgency, if I may formulate it that way,
on the part of Azerbaijan to seek a solution to the conflict,” he said.
But, Semneby said, Armenia is similarly playing for time. He
said Yerevan is waiting to see “what the Kosovo settlement could
contribute,” and “hoping the situation on the ground would cement
itself.”
However, the EU envoy said the situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace talks is “not completely hopeless,” adding the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers will meet this week in a fresh attempt
to break the deadlock.
Agreement on the meeting was reached during the American, French and
Russian mediators’ visit to Baku and Yerevan earlier this week. The
envoys said they still hope to broker a framework peace agreement in
the coming months.

FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC’S SO-CALLED GENOCIDE REMARKS INTIMIDATE FRENCH FIRMS
Journal of Turkish Daily,
Oct 4 2006
PARIS – Reactions to French President Jacques Chirac, who implied
during his Yerevan visit that Turkey should recognize the alleged
Armenian genocide to become an EU member, are growing. France is one
of the biggest investors in Turkey.
French firms are now concerned that their investments in Turkey
would be negatively affected by the remarks. The draft law that would
penalize those who deny the alleged genocide has also deepened such
concerns.
French paper Le Monde, drawing attention to the financial difficulties
of the French companies interested in Turkish bids, stressed that the
remarks could cause a substantial loss totaling billions of dollars.
A political advisor of Chirac stated that it has become apparent the
president needs to clarify his remarks.
In Turkey, some of the societies called not to buy French good till
the French President clarify his words.
Speaking to Le Monde, Chirac’s advisor noted that there was no
change in the president’s supportive position regarding Turkey’s
EU membership. The advisor, who stressed that Chirac’s remarks were
political, not legal, noted that it is now imperative for Chirac to
make an explanation to Turkey concerning his statements in Yerevan.
The draft bill that stipulates the punishment of those who deny
the alleged genocide will be discussed in the plenary of the French
parliament on Oct. 12. French firms are highly concerned that the
draft will be adopted because of the upcoming elections. Before
the parliamentary discussions held to review the draft bill in May,
the foreign trade ministry had sent a note to the deputies referring
to the economic risks for France in case of its adoption. The note
published by Le Monde stressed that the firms interested in Turkish
bids would have to face billions of dollars loss if the bill were
adopted. The French firms interested in Turkish bids include large
firms such as AREVA, Eurocopter, Alstom and Credit Agricole.
In a statement he made to Le Monde, French politician of Armenian
origin, Patrick Devedjian, recalling that Chirac has made a clear point
for the first time, cited his remarks as an historical turning point.
Devedjian noted that Chirac, by making the remarks, transformed the
2001 genocide law, which is of legal character, into a political
action. Drawing attention to the analogy Chirac made between the
Holocaust and the alleged genocide, he further noted that Chirac is
the first leader who made a connection between the Jewish genocide
and the alleged Armenian genocide.
ISRAEL REJECTS ATTEMPTS TO CREATE A SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE HOLOCAUST
AND THE ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS
While Chirac makes connection between the Armenian allegations and the
Jewish genocide, the Jewish people and Israeli Government reject such
attempts. The Nobel Prize winning Israeli statesman, Shimon Peres,
for instance says the 1915 Events was not genocide:
“We reject attempts to create a similarity between the Holocaust
and the Armenian allegations. Nothing similar to the Holocaust
occurred. It is a tragedy what the Armenians went through but not a
genocide… Israel should not determine a historical or philosophical
position on the Armenian issue.
If we have to determine a position, it should be done with great care
not to distort the historical realities.” (‘Peres: Armenian Allegations
are Meaningless’, Turkish Daily News, 10 April 2001; Haig Boyadjian,
‘Peres Claims Armenians Did Not Experience Genocide’, Asbarez, 10
April 2001).
Turkey accepts that the Armenians went through a tragedy during the
1915 Relocation Campaign, yet the Government has never accepted that
the tragedy was genocide. According to the Turkish approach most of
the Armenians died due to the bad weather, war curcumstances, epidemic
diseases and ethnic clashes, mostly the Kurdish tribal attacks. More
than 520.000 Turkish and Kurdish were killed by the Armenian gangs.

ARMENIAN EXPORTS HURT BY RUSSIAN BLOCKADE OF GEORGIA
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 3 2006
Armenian companies trading with Russia said on Tuesday that they are
already incurring losses as a result of Moscow’s decision to impose
a transport blockade on Georgia in retaliation for the arrest of its
Tbilisi-based military officers accused of espionage.
The Russian government suspended all land, sea, and postal links with
Georgia on Monday despite the release and repatriation of the four
officers who allegedly worked for Russia’s GRU military intelligence.
It also threatened to ban cash remittances from hundreds of thousands
of Georgians working in Russia.
The extraordinary move, criticized by the European Union, further
complicated Moscow’s already tense relationship with the pro-Western
administration of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. It could
also seriously hamper Armenian exports to and imports from Russia.
Those account for a considerable part of Armenia’s external trade.
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian downplayed the blockade’s effects on
Armenia, arguing that the Russians had already closed their main land
border crossing with Georgia in June and that Armenian companies can
continue to ship cargos to Russia via Ukraine. However, the owners
of some of those companies were far less sanguine, saying that they
are already counting the possible cost of the Russian blockade.
Ashot Baghdasarian, chief executive of the Kilikia beer and soft
drinks company, said a batch of its products bound for Russia was
left stranded in a Georgian Black Sea port following the suspension
of a regular Georgian-Russian ferry service. Kilikia is also unable
to import Russian raw materials used for the packaging of its natural
juices, he said.
“I have information that our cargos were stopped at the border
yesterday,” Baghdasarian told RFE/RL. “This is a very big problem for
businessmen.” The businessman, who is also a parliament deputy from
the governing Republican Party (HHK), urged the Armenian government
to help sort out the problem.
The government seems reluctant to raise the issue with the Russian side
for the time being. “We have not yet received an official notification
from the Russian side on restrictions placed on shipments of our
goods.” the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Vladimir Karapetian,
said.
Great Valley, a major Armenian brandy firm heavily oriented towards
the Russian market, has also seen its exports grind to a halt. “There
is an option of shipping things by air, something which we have done in
the past,” its owner Tigran Arzakantsian told RFE/RL. “But that is very
expensive. We are now examining ways of making shipments via Iran.”
Arzakantsian also owns a textile factory in his native town of Gavar
that exports most of its production to Russia.
Other Armenian exporters said they have so far been unaffected by the
escalating Russian-Georgian crisis. Arsen Ghazarian of the Apaven
cargo company said it continued to successfully ferry freight to
Russia on Tuesday. MAP, another major liquor manufacturer, likewise
reported non transportation problems.
“Only the shipment of Georgian cargos has been suspended,” the MAP
chairman, Alik Petrosian, told RFE/RL. “So our cargos keep going to
[the Georgian port of] Poti and then proceeding to Russia.”
But Petrosian too was worried about the situation. “Nobody knows what
will happen tomorrow,” he explained. “Everyone understands what a
serious blow to our economy could suffer.”
Armenian exports to Russia, dominated alcoholic drinks and agricultural
products, were already dealt a severe blow with the closure last June
of the main Russian-Georgian border crossing.
Armenian leaders tried unsuccessfully to get the Russians to reopen
the Upper Lars crossing. This prompted renewed complaints by Armenian
politicians and commentators that Russian ignores the interests of
Armenia, its main regional ally, in its dealings with Georgia.
Russian officials have denied any political motives behind the closure
of Upper Lars, saying that the “temporary” measure was necessary for
repairing roads and customs facilities on the Russian side of the
mountainous frontier.
Despite stepping up its economic and diplomatic blockade of Georgia,
Moscow has not cut off its vital natural gas supplies to Georgia and
on to Armenia, something which would have even more severe consequences
for both South Caucasus states.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: “THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE SHOW HONOUR TO JACQUES CHIRAC”
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. French President Jacques Chirac’s
three-day state visit to Yerevan (September 29-October 1) passed
at a high level. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian
stated about it after the ceremony of seeing off the delegation
headed by J.Chirac. Quating the French delegation members’ words,
he also mentioned that “the President of France is really impressed,
first of all, by our people’s warmness.”
In V.Oskanian’s words, during the days of the visit to Yerevan,
J.Chirac said on some occassions that he simply did not expect such
a warm reception. “So our people showed an honour and expressed its
gratitude to Jacques Chirac,” the Foreign Minister mentioned.
According to his information, at RA President Robert Kocharian’s
and French President’s September 30 meeting the interlocuters
mainly stopped on the Karabakh conflict and regional problems. In
V.Oskanian’s words, “President Chirac was really very interested in
President Kocharian’s viewpoint” concerning the nuclear program of
Iran and the whole progress connected with it, events taking place
in the field of the Georgian-Russian relations.
Responding the Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, if there are
responses by Turkey concerning viewpoints expressed at the September
30 joint press conference of the Armenian and French Presidents,
V.Oskanian mentioned that at the same night he watched news on
international Euronews, Al Jazeera, BBC TVs where J.Chirac’s visit,
especially the statements at the press conference connected with
Turkey, was touched upon a rather volumniously. “I think that the visit
was well covered internationally as well,” the Foreign Minister stated.
The RA Foreign Minister found it difficult to answer the question if
visits of presidents of other countries of the (former) Great7 to be
paid to Armenia are expected, after the visit which the President
of France paid to Armenia first. “One thing is obvious that day
by day this region gets bigger importance. Armenia’s regional and
international weight and prestige also grow with Armenia’s political
stability and economic growth. I think that President Chirac’s visit
was not only a result of our two peoples’ historic ties, the French
Armenian community’s factors, but also of the fact that for France,
for other great states, Armenia is really a factor of stability in
this region, a reliable partner,” V.Oskanian mentioned, expressing
an opinion that heads “of other similar countries” will aslo visit
Armenia.
As he reminded, the Presidents of Armenia and France emphasized in
Yerevan that the two countries’ relations develop dinamically. “The
more our relations with the European Union deepen, the more important
the role of France will become for us, as France has been in the
leading positions of a country encouraging in the processes of
Armenia’s democratization, making corresonding all its conditions
to the European ones for a quickest integration into the European
structures,” V.Oskanian mentioned. He expressed an opinion, that
this direction of the Armenian-French relations “will be dominating,
and we’ll continue our cooperation with France.”
The RA Foreign Minister added that the sides touched upon the bilateral
economic cooperations mainly after the working dinner party. J.Chirac
approved proposals made by the Armenian side relating to future
introduction of French business, insurance companies, banks, in
Armenia. “I think there will be positive movements on this occasion,”
V.Oskanian said, adding that “we’ll see rather seriouss activeness
in the Armenian-French relations in the nearest future.”

Radio 1, Tbilisi,
28 Sep 06
GEORGIAN TV REPORTS ARREST OF TWO MORE SPY SUSPECTS
The Interior Ministry yesterday [27 September] arrested two more
members of Russian intelligence services. Aziz Aslanyan, an ethnic
Armenian citizen of Georgia, born in 1973, was arrested in Batumi.
Ruslan Skrylnikov was arrested in Tbilisi. Both are suspected of
spying.
Another suspect, Zia Samnidze, remains at large.
[In a report at 0401 gmt on 28 September, Interfax news agency
referred to Aslanyan and Skrylnikov as “Russian servicemen”.]

RUSSIAN GAS DELIVERIES TO ARMENIA STOPPED
Armenpress
Sept 29 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Russian gas deliveries to Armenia
were stopped on September 29 noon. A spokeswoman for HayRusGazArd
joint Russian-Armenian venture that ships the Russian gas to Armenia
via Georgia, said the shipment was stopped because of reconstruction
of a section of the main pipeline in the territory of Georgia.
The spokeswoman said supplies of the Russian gas are expected to resume
in four days. Until then Armenia will use gas from its underground
storage in Abovian.