Author: Chatinian Lara

Kuqi leads Finland with two goals in 3-1 win over Armenia
AP Worldstream
Oct 09, 2004

Striker Shefki Kuqi scored twice to lead Finland past Group 1 outsider
Armenia 3-1 in World Cup qualifying Saturday.
Russian-born forward Aleksei Eremenko also scored for Finland, notching his
fifth goal in four qualifiers.
Finland lost its Group 1 opener to Romania, but has since then won three
straight games to share the lead in the group with the Romanians.
Eremenko set up Kuqi, who scored just eight minutes into the game before a
crowd of 7,894. Eremenko curled a free kick past goalkeeper Armen Ambartsumian
in the 28th to make it 2-0.
Armenia, which lost 2-0 at home to the Finns a month ago, pulled one back
four minutes later through Armen Sjahgeldian’s free kick goal. His shot was
deflected off Sami Hyypia and left Finnish keeper Antti Niemo without a chance.
Kuqi struck again in the 87th minute for his second goal.
Finland now travels to the Netherlands to play the group favorite on
Wednesday.
___
Lineups:
Finland: Antti Niemi; Petri Pasanen, Toni Kuivasto (Teemu Tainio, 46), Sami
Hyypia, Janne Saarinen (Toni Kallio, 69); Mika Nurmela, Aki Riihilahti, Mika
Vayrynen, Joonas Kolkka (Jonathan Johansson, 83); Alexei Eremenko, Shefki Kuqi.
Armenia: Armen Ambartsumian; Rafael Nazarian, Karen Dohojan, Sargis
Hovsepian, Harutjun Vardanian, Alexander Tateosian; Hamlet Mkhitarian, Romik
Hatsjatrian (Karen Alexajan, 36), Armen Sjahgeldian, Davit Grigorian (Edgar Manucharjan,
61); Andrej Movsesian (Ara Hakobian, 84).

The Messenger
Oct 7, 2004
District head arrested for malfeasance
The gamgebeli of Ninotsminda in the Samtakhe-Javakheti region was arrested
on September 6 for abuse of his official duties. The main reason of the
arrest was the illegal building of a Ninotsminda electric transmission line
and also the illegal use of land in the region by the gamgebeli, Rafic
Arzumanian.
According to law enforcement, Arzumanian had two first vice-deputies, both
of whom had the same powers, which is a violation of the law.
Arzumanian’s lawyer Otar Kachkachishvili rejected the charges saying “he did
not make the decisions by himself and there was no violation of state
interests. He denies any connection to this.”

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/06/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) European Armenian Federation Delivers Its Report on Turkey to The European Commission 2) Turkey Comes A Step Closer to Fulfilling European Dream 3) Celebration of Nigol Touman in His Native Village 4) Support Growing Among Congressional Candidates For Expanded US-Armenia Trade 1) European Armenian Federation Delivers Its Report on Turkey to The European Commission BRUSSELS--On September 29, the European Armenian Federation provided the European Commission with detailed information about the Turkish Government's strategy in dealing with Armenian concerns. The extensive 32 page report, titled "Turkey and the Armenian Genocide," covers policies adopted and enacted in 2003 with a special 2004 addendum, focusing on Turkey's domestic policies in dealing with its Armenian minority and relations with foreign countries in regard to the Armenian genocide. The document excludes coverage on Turkey's relations with Armenia, as well as its ongoing blockade of the country. The report provides examples of alleged scientific research, administrative measures, manipulation tools, intimidation tactics, and diplomatic measures used by the Turkish government. It outlines Turkey's efforts to destabilize Armenian institutions in Turkey, providing information on so-called reconciliation attempts and threats against other countries.  "European policy-makers often have an incomplete view of Turkey's aggressive policies toward their Armenian minority and Armenian issues in general. Often, only the most egregious tactics are taken into account. With this report, we aim to disclose the actual scale of this strategy, which serves as a fundamental pillar of Turkey's State policy" said Laurent Leylekian, Executive Director of the European Armenian Federation. "We updated this report with the most recent measures undertaken by Ankara, with special focus on the recent adoption of article 306, which criminalizes the affirmation of the Armenian genocide. This attack on liberty clearly contradicts accepted international laws dealing with freedom of speech, specifically articles 10, 11, and 14 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which will serve as an integral part of the forthcoming European Constitution" added Leylekian. "Based on our findings, we hope that the European Commission's annual report on Turkey will give a more complete account of Turkey's denialist and anti-Armenian policies than previous years--policies which consistently violate the Copenhagen criteria. The absence of these findings would signal the Commission's endorsement of Turkey's racist and discriminatory policies," concluded Leylekian. The report is available on the Federation's website-- 2) Turkey Comes A Step Closer to Fulfilling European Dream BRUSSELS (AFP)--Turkey came a step closer to fulfilling a 40-year-old dream when the European Commission recommended that the EU should begin membership talks with Ankara. But the Commission set a series of tough conditions and warned there was no guarantee of a successful outcome. It set no start date for the talks, leaving it up to EU leaders who must decide at a December summit whether to accept its recommendations and, if so, when to begin negotiations expected to last at least a decade. "The Commission's answer is yes...it is a conditional yes," European Commission President Romano Prodi told the European Parliament, adding that Europe had nothing to fear from Turkish EU membership. The EU executive's proposals--widely leaked over the past week--were approved at a meeting Wednesday despite concerns from some that Turkey is simply too big and too different to join the European club. "A Europe that is sure of itself, has a constitution and strong institutions and policies, is returning to economic growth and is based on a strong model of peace, prosperity, and solidarity has nothing to fear from the integration of Turkey," said Prodi. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul hailed the decision as a "historic step" for both Turkey and the 25-nation EU. Ankara wants the talks to start in the first half of next year. Turkey, an official candidate since 1999, has been waiting to join the European club for four decades but its efforts have stumbled over its civil rights record. Germany, home to Europe's largest Turkish immigrant community, welcomed the report and said Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder would vote in favor of starting membership negotiations at the Brussels summit. A German government spokesman called it a "very balanced report," while Schroeder, speaking during a visit to New Delhi, was confident Turkey would receive the support of most EU leaders. But many Europeans are alarmed at the prospect of the EU taking in a poor, populous, and mostly Muslim state that has 90 percent of its territory in Asia and which borders Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Turkey's population of 71 million is greater than the 10 countries that joined the EU earlier this year combined. The Commission on Wednesday said it "considers that Turkey sufficiently fulfills the political criteria" for membership talks but warned that these could be suspended, or even broken off. "The Commission will recommend the suspension of the negotiations in the case of a serious and persistent breach of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law on which the Union is founded," said the report. It praised the Turkish government for "far-reaching" reforms already carried out to bring the country up to European political and social norms. But more must be done to fight corruption, stamp out torture, improve freedom of expression and of religion, and to boost women's and minority rights, it said. No specific timeline is given for the talks, but the Commission said that "the necessary preparations for accession will last well into the next decade." Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara hopes to start EU negotiations in the first half of next year, leading to membership in a "reasonable period of time." "We hope to bring a long-travelled road to its final lap with the initiation of accession negotiations in the first half of 2005," he said in Strasbourg, France, shortly before the commission signed off on its report. The Commission has also said that Turkish membership could cost the EU, which is currently home to nearly four million Turkish immigrants, between 16.5 and 27.5 billion euros a year by 2025. But although it has an array of caveats, the core message was good news for Ankara. One cloud hanging over the whole project is a pledge by French President Jacques Chirac to hold a referendum on Ankara's EU hopes. In theory, such a vote could simply reject Turkish EU entry, regardless of what happens in the negotiations. The next head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, said Monday he welcomed the idea of referendums in EU member countries. The commission meanwhile confirmed Wednesday that Romania and Bulgaria are on track to join the EU in 2007. 3) Celebration of Nigol Touman in His Native Village STEPANAKERT (ARF Press Office)--In commemoration of the 90th anniversary of Nigol Touman's death, the ARF Aram Manoogian Student Organization held a cultural evening in his native village of Ghshlagh. As a part of the remembrance, middle school students participated in a writing contest to honor Touman, who was a leading revolutionary figure in the Armenian national-liberation movement of the late 19th/early 20th century. The contest theme was "The Revolutionary Leader, My Fellow Villager." Students also performed a dramatic piece depicting activities of one of Touman's groups that fought for liberation, followed by a performance of patriotic songs. The remembrance ended with a dinner and bonfire in the courtyard of the Nigol Touman museum-home located in the Askeran region of the Mountainous Karabagh Republic, on the road to the Gandzasar monastery. Organized by the group National Treasures, the dinner attracted several guests, including the benefactor of the museum-home Jhasik Bouynatian. Touman's home was discovered only about a year-and-a half ago by the ARF Student Organization of Artsakh (Karabagh), and converted into a museum about a year ago. During renovations, workers uncovered caches of swords, Mosin rifles, and various weapons parts hidden in the walls of the home. 4) Support Growing Among Congressional Candidates For Expanded US-Armenia Trade --Responses to 2004 Candidate Questionnaires Reveal Strong Support for PNTR for Armenia WASHINGTON, DC--Congressional candidates from around the nation strongly support legislation aimed at expanding US-Armenia trade relations, according to responses to multi-issue candidate questionnaires circulated this election season by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Challengers and incumbents from both parties have stressed their support for legislation that would grant Armenia Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. This measure, which is being spearheaded in the Senate by Senator Mitch McConnell and in the House by Congressman Joe Knollenberg, may win final approval before the Congress goes out of session this year. "Armenian Americans have been tremendously encouraged by the growing support for PNTR legislation for Armenia and remain hopeful that it will be enacted prior to the end of the Congressional session," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. A sample of response on US-Armenia trade is provided below to offer a sense of the strong bipartisan support for this issue: --Illinois Congressman John Shimkus, representing the southern part of the State, noted in his response to the ANCA Candidate Questionnaire: "I support extending permanent normal trade relations between the United States and Armenia as a means of strengthening the bonds and the commitment between our nations." --Congressman Eric Cantor, the Chief Deputy Majority Whip and a long-time friend of the Richmond Armenian community, explained: "The ascension of Armenia to the World Trade Organization will begin to stabilize trade relations with the United States. It is a step in the right direction because free trade with Armenia will have a positive effect on not only the economy of that country but that of the United States as well. All free trade promotes job creation and economic growth throughout the world; by helping Armenia we are helping the American economy prosper." --First-term Congressman from Michigan, Thaddeus McCotter, who has already emerged as a leading member of the Armenian Caucus, stated: "Our two great nations will only grow stronger by trading together. I signed a letter supporting Armenian PNTR in the House and will continue to work to see it signed into law." --Candidate Robert Neeld, from the Gulf Coast of Florida, who is seeking to fill the seat vacated by new Director of Central Intelligence Porter Goss, wrote: "Favorable trading agreements benefit both countries and would continue to stimulate Armenia's economy." The ANCA Congressional Candidate Questionnaire includes nine different questions on the topics of the Armenian genocide; US support for Armenia and Karabagh; US-Armenia economic relations; self-determination for Karabagh; conditions on US aid to Azerbaijan; the Turkish blockade of Armenia; and the US subsidy of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline bypass of Armenia. "As in past years, we are pleased that candidates for Congress have taken such full advantage of our questionnaires to speak directly to Armenian American voters on issues of special concern to our community," noted Hamparian. For an Adobe PDF version of the ANCA Questionnaire, visit: or All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian leader, Bulgarian envoy discuss expanding ties
Noyan Tapan news agency
4 Oct 04
Yerevan
The new Bulgarian ambassador to Armenia, Stefan Dimitrov, handed his
credentials to Armenian President Robert Kocharyan on 4 October.
[Passage omitted: Kocharyan congratulated the ambassador on his
appointment]
Robert Kocharyan said that Armenia is interested in developing
relations with Bulgaria and is ready to deepen the political dialogue
between the two countries and speed up bilateral relations in all
spheres. He said that the Armenian president’s official visit to
Bulgaria a year ago and the Bulgarian president’s official visit to
Armenia on 5 October testify to the two countries’ desire to expand
cooperation.
The Armenian president and the ambassador also touched on bilateral
economic ties and pointed out with satisfaction that trade between the
two countries has been increasing over the last few months. They noted
the special role of transport infrastructures as a priority sphere of
cooperation.
[Passage omitted: Dimitrov met Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan]

The ‘hordes’ linger in Europe’s memory: Turkey’s EU membership
By Nicolas Cheviron
AFP
2 Oct 04
ISTANBUL: When Europe first saw the Turks nearly 1,000 years ago,
Byzantine historians believed they had met “the hordes of the
Apocalypse”; ten centuries later, Europe’s collective memory is still
marked by prejudice against this nation now knocking at the EU’s door.
To this earliest recollection of the Turks’ parentage with the
terrible Huns who ravaged Europe half a millennium earlier,
traditional European history has added the more recent memory of the
threat they posed to Christian Europe after their conversion to Islam
in the 10th century.
The arrival of the “scourge of Christianity” on Mediterranean shores
in the 11th century led to a series of wars between Christian princes
and the Seljuk Dynasty, from whose ashes the Ottomans emerged in the
early 1300s.
Modern European schoolbooks still retain bitter memories of these
conflicts, from the 1071 defeat of the Byzantines at Manzikert –
modern Malazgirt, in eastern Turkey – to the fall of Constantinople –
now Istanbul – in 1453 and the failed sieges of Vienna in 1529 and
1683. But Ottoman domination of the Balkans and the Mediterranean did
not last forever and from the late 17th century on, Europe stopped
seeing the empire as a threat and began eying it as possible prey,
particularly from the 19th century on, when it was famously called
“The Sick Man of Europe.”
As the once mighty and opulent Ottoman Empire declined and the Age of
Enlightenment spread across Europe, the image of the Turk merged with
that of Islam as a civilization impossible to modernize and despotic
by nature.
Thus, Europe tended to sneer at all attempts by the Turks to
westernize – from Selim III, strangled in the seraglio in 1808 for his
efforts, to the Young Turks movement of 1908 and Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk’s proclamation of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923 – as
cosmetic measures failing to attack the root problems of a backward
culture.
Many 20th century researchers, however, have explained that prejudices
against the Turks were not as widespread as contemporary chroniclers
would have us believe. As early as 1536, Francis I, King of France,
did not hesitate to form an alliance with the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman
the Magnificent against what he saw as a far greater enemy: the Holy
Roman Empire of the House of Habsburg.
“With the exception of some localized areas of contact… Westerners
at the start of the Modern Age never really feared the Muslim
(Turkish) threat,” wrote French historian Jean Delumeau in his book,
Fear in The West.
Until the beginning of the 16th century, Delumeau wrote, large numbers
of Christians, mostly peasants, fled to Ottoman provinces to escape
Europe’s harsh feudal system.
“Of the 48 Grand Viziers (the Ottoman equivalent of prime minister)
who ruled from 1453 to 1623,” he wrote, “at least 33 were renegades” –
Christians who converted to Islam to serve the Sultan.
Thierry Hentsch, author of the book “The Imaginary Orient”, claims
that the negative image of the Turk was simply a sort of instrument
the Europeans devised to better define their own selves.
“The West showed interest (in the Turks and their culture) without
realizing that they were really interested in themselves,” he
wrote. “They represented it to better identify themselves, they
denigrated it to reassure – or to frighten – themselves, and they
dreamed of it to escape.”
One historic problem remains, however, that casts a pall on latter-day
relations: the massacre by Ottoman troops in 1915 of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians, which much of Europe considers genocide, a
term the Turkish authorities reject. -AFP

Georgia, Armenia concerned about Russian border closure
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
30 Sep 04
[Presenter] The situation at the Lars checkpoint [on the
Russian-Georgian border] was discussed at the constituent meeting of
the Georgian-Armenian business association, which was held today at
the Courtyard Marriott [hotel in Tbilisi].
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and the
president’s wife Sandra Roelofs.
Member of parliament Beso Jugheli will be the Georgian co-chairman
of the association.
The event was also attended by business people and members of
parliament from Armenia.
Georgians and Armenians both complained about Russia’s decision to
close the Lars checkpoint, which has created problems for ordinary
people and businesses alike. Armenian businessmen asked the Georgian
prime minister to deal with this problem but Zurab Zhvania reminded
them that he was not Russia’s prime minister.
[Armenian businessman, no caption, addressing Zhvania in Russian]
I have 510 vehicles waiting at Nizhniy Lars, 510 vehicles waiting
for 15 days now. Will this border ever reopen?
[Zhvania] If you had Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov standing in front
of you, it would probably be worth asking him this question. There
is full readiness on the part of Georgia for the border to open
completely and operate properly.
You have mentioned vehicles, so I must tell you that late last night
I received a telephone call from the Armenian ambassador, who told me
that women and children there literally had to stay in the field. I
must also say that, after I informed him about our conversation with
the ambassador, President Saakashvili, in contravention of all border,
customs and other regulations, took the decision to ensure free passage
for them. This problem is gradually becoming very serious indeed. I
hope that your vehicles are safe and will reach their destination.

CHINESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS – SEPT 28, 2004
Asia Pulse
Sep 28, 2004
BEIJING, Sept 28 Asia Pulse – Highlights of today’s newspapers:
PEOPLE’S DAILY:
– Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Monday that China is
ready to make joint efforts with Armenia to raise bilateral relations
to a new level. He made the remark in talks with visiting Armenian
President Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan, who is on his first state
visit to China as president.
– Chinese premier Wen Jiabao said that the people of northwest China’s
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region should devote themselves to building
a new type of relations between different ethnic groups during his
visit in the region on Monday. “The various ethnic groups in the region
should get together and develop a new type of socialist relationship
of an equal, friendly and mutually beneficial nature,” said Wen, who
returned Saturday after concluding his visit to Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
CHINA YOUTH DAILY:
– China successfully launched its 20th recoverable satellite for
scientific and technological experiments from the Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Center, in northwestern China’s deserts, at 16:00 Monday.
ECONOMIC DAILY:
– Chinese premier Wen Jiabao said that the people of northwest China’s
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region should devote themselves to building
a new type of relations between different ethnic groups during his
visit in the region on Monday. “The various ethnic groups in the region
should get together and develop a new type of socialist relationship
of an equal, friendly and mutually beneficial nature,” said Wen, who
returned Saturday after concluding his visit to Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
– A grand reception was held Monday at the Great Hall of the People for
foreign experts working in China, on the eve of the 55th anniversary of
the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Chinese Vice Premier
Huang Ju delivered a speech at the reception. He said that since
the founding of the PRC, and especially since China instituted the
reform and opening-up policy, China has made great achievement. The
annual economic growth rate has averaged 9.4% over the past 25 years,
he said, adding that the living standard of the Chinese has continued
to improve.
CHINA DAILY:
– With a bumper harvest in sight for this year, China is sowing the
seeds for a fruitful 2005, planning its acreage of wheat – the nation’s
second most important crop after rice – by 666,600 hectares. The
added area is expected to increase China’s wheat production by at
least 3.5 million tons, said Xiaobing, an official with the Ministry
of Agriculture.
GUANGMING DAILY:
– Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Monday that China is
ready to make joint efforts with Armenia to raise bilateral relations
to a new level. He made the remark in talks with visiting Armenian
President Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan, who is on his first state
visit to China as president.
– China successfully launched its 20th recoverable satellite for
scientific and technological experiments from the Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Center, in northwestern China’s deserts, at 16:00 Monday.
ECONOMIC INFORMATION DAILY:
– China’s township businesses have reported a total of 2,744.7
billion yuan (US$332.3 billion) of added value in January-to-August
this year, up 12.82% on a yearly basis. According to figures released
by the Township Enterprise Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture,
main indicators such as industrial added value, operational income,
export value of products for delivery, benefit and taxation have all
shown a coordinated and stable upward trend.
CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL:
– The additional stock issue scheme of Shanghai-listed Baoshan Steel
(600019) was adopted at its general meeting of shareholders on
September 27.
– The central bank’s monetary policy committee suggests appropriate
regulation over fluidity in the financial system.

20% of Armenia’s electricity to be generated from Iranian gas
Tehran Times
Sept 28 2004
YEREVAN (Interfax) — Armenia plans to consume up to 20% of the
electricity it generates from Iranian gas, Armen Movsesian, the
Armenian energy minister, told reporters.
Armenian officials earlier said Armenia would export all the
electricity it generates with Iranian gas to Iran and, possibly, to
Georgia.
The Energy Ministry said it would export 3 kilowatt-hours of
electricity to Iran for 1 cubic meters of gas received from Iran.
Armenia and Iran have signed a $30-million credit agreement to
finance the construction of the Armenian section of the Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline. The pipeline is 141 km long, inducing 41 km in Armenia
and 100 km in Iran. The total cost of the project is estimated at
$210-$220 million. The pipeline is expected to be launched before
January 1, 2007.
Gas should start to arrive in Armenia from January 2007 and will be
used at Armenian thermal power plants to produce electricity for
export to Iran. Iran will supply 36 billion cubic meters of natural
gas to Armenia over 20 years according to the document.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 26, 2004 Sunday 11:10 AM Eastern Time
Armenian president comes to Beijing on five-day state visit
By Alexander Zyuzin
BEIJING
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan arrived in Beijing on Sunday on a
five-day state visit, Xinhua reports.
He will meet with Chinese Chairman Hu Jintao, State Council Premier
Wen Jiabao and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People’s Congress Wu Bangguo to discuss political, trade, economic
and cultural relations.
The negotiations will result in signing of a joint declaration and
several agreements to boost economic, technical and cultural
cooperation.
The Armenian delegation will visit Shanghai on September 29 to
familiarize themselves with Chinese reforms.

Film: Vodka Lemon (PG) Hiner Saleem ii888
The Independent – United Kingdom
Sep 24, 2004
Reviewed by Robert Hanks

An Armenian-French production from the “Isn’t life a terrible thing”
school, set in a remote, snowbound Kurdish village, where the collapse
of Communism has left much of the population without jobs or money,
and the main pastimes are visiting the graves of loved ones and
drinking something called “vodka lemon”. Hamo (Romen Avinian), an
elderly widower, begins a gentle courtship of Nina (Lala Sarkissian),
a widow, whom he meets every day on the bus; but these vestiges of a
plot are crowded out by would-be bittersweet, whimsical tableaux of
local eccentricities and fortitude in the face of despair – an elderly
man is towed through the snow on his steel bed; a man on horseback
gallops through the picture every 10 minutes or so; and, at the end,
Hamo and Nina sit at her piano, playing a tune as the instrument rolls
down the road. Lovely mountain scenery, but that doesn’t make up for
the self-indulgence.