Author: Ekmekjian Janet

Signatures and ratifications of Council of Europe treaties on the
occasion of the 27th Conference of European Ministers of Justice
Yerevan, 12.10.2006 – On the occasion of the 27th Conference of European
Ministers of Justice taking place on 12 and 13 October in Yerevan (see
our press release 566a
< 83&BackColorInternet=3DF5CA75&Back ColorIn tranet=3DF5CA75&BackColorLogged=3DA9BACE> of 09.10.2006), the
following treaties have been ratified or signed by the member states
below:
Convention on Cybercrime (CETS No. 185
< ueVoulezVous.asp?NT=3D185&CM=3D1& CL=3DENG > )*
This treaty was ratified by Armenia
Additional Protocol to the Convention on cybercrime, concerning the
criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed
through computer systems (CETS No. 189
< ueVoulezVous.asp?NT=3D189&CM=3D1& CL=3DENG > )
This treaty was ratified by Armenia and Lithuania
Protocol No. 14 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms, amending the control system of the Convention
(CETS No. 194
< ueVoulezVous.asp?NT=3D194&CM=3D1& CL=3DENG > )*
This treaty was ratified by Poland
Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (CETS No.196
< n/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=3D196&CM=3D1& CL=3D ENG> )*
This treaty was signed by Germany
Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human
Beings (CETS No. 197
< ueVoulezVous.asp?NT=3D197&CM=3D1& CL=3DENG > )*
This treaty was ratified by Austria
Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and
Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of
Terrorism (CETS No. 198
< ueVoulezVous.asp?NT=3D198&CM=3D1& CL=3DENG > )*
This treaty was signed by Greece
Council of Europe Convention on the avoidance of statelessness in
relation to state succession (CETS No. 200
< ueVoulezVous.asp?NT=3D200&CM=3D1& CL=3DENG > )*
This treaty was signed by Norway
* * *
Detailed information on the Council of Europe treaties (full text, chart
of signatures and ratifications, reservations and declarations, summary,
explanatory report) is available on the Treaty Office’s web site
<; --------------- (*) CETS : Council of Europe Treaty Series

ERDOðAN SLAMS SARKOZY’S CONDITIONS
Turkish Daily News
Oct 10 2006
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan blasted conditions French
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy laid down in return for voting down
a controversial bill penalizing any denial of the alleged genocide
of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.
Presidential hopeful Sarkozy said on France-Inter radio that he had
spoken with Erdoðan on the telephone twice with regard to the French
bill, which will be debated at the National Assembly on Thursday,
and told him that they could oppose the bill if Turkey opens its
border gate with neighboring Armenia, scrap Article 301, which the
European Union says is restrictive of freedom of expression, from
its penal code, and establish a joint commission between Turkey and
Armenia to study the genocide allegations.
In response to Sarkozy’s conditions, Erdoðan said it was the Turkish
side which proposed the establishment of a joint commission for
academic debates on genocide allegations and made clear that Turkey’s
good intentions were not welcomed by Armenia, which rejected the
proposal.
On Article 301, Erdoðan said the French suggestion on that issue
had nothing to do with the issue, stressing that France was not in
a position to demand something from Turkey.
“First of all France should take a look at itself,” Erdoðan said.
Facing pressure from the EU to amend or scrap Article 301 under which
scores of Turkish intellectuals have been put on trial, Turkey has
accused the bloc of applying double standards, saying that France
itself is blocking free speech under the bill that it plans to
legislate.
On opening the border gate, Erdoðan said Armenia should first act
with good will toward Turkey’s approach.
The border gate between Turkey and Armenia has been closed for more
than a decade. Turkey closed the gate and severed its diplomatic
relations with Armenia after Armenian troops occupied Azeri territory
of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ankara now says normalization of ties depends on Armenian withdrawal
from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as on progress in resolution of a
series of bilateral disagreements, including Armenia stopping to
support Armenian diaspora efforts to get international recognition
for the alleged genocide.
–Boundary_(ID_i03bILoDs1a18XHzxKfRhg)- –

TURKEY FORMER FM OFFERED TO DEPORT 70 000 ARMENIANS MIGRANTS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 9 2006
“Turkey should deport 70 000 Armenian migrants if the bill on
punishment for denying Armenian genocide is adopted by France
Parliament,” Yashar Yakish, Turkey former Foreign minister and chairman
of the Parliament’s Adaptation Commission to the EU said, APA reports.
He said 70 000 Armenians work illegally in Armenia.
“They will have problems when Turkey government sends them back to
Armenia. Armenians should realize its responsibility,” he said.

TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP IN EU WOULD BE END OF POLITICAL EUROPE
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.10.2006 14:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ French Interior Minister and presidential hopeful
Nicholas Sarkozy on Friday reiterated his opposition to Turkey’s
membership in the European Union. Speaking to French magazine Le
Meilleur des Mondes, Sarkozy claimed that Turkey’s possible membership
in the Union would be the end of “political Europe.” “I love Turkey,
but its membership would be the end of Europe politically,” Sarkozy
said, reiterating his support for a “privileged partnership” for Turkey
rather than full membership. Accusing British Prime Minister Tony Blair
and U.S. President George W. Bush of not wanting the development of
Europe politically, meaning their support for Turkish membership,
Sarkozy also described their attitude as “inconsistent,” reported
The New Anatolian.

Genocide armenien: Accoyer (UMP) “regrette” que le PS legifère sur l’histoire
Agence France Presse
6 octobre 2006 vendredi 2:23 PM GMT
Le president du groupe UMP a l’Assemblee nationale, Bernard Accoyer,
a declare vendredi a l’AFP “regretter” que le PS veuille “legiferer a
nouveau sur l’histoire”, a propos de la proposition de loi PS reprimant
la negation du genocide armenien.
“Le president de la Republique a rappele lors de sa visite en Armenie
que la France avait reconnu officiellement le genocide armenien et
oeuvrait pour une meilleure entente entre les Etats de la region”,
a declare M. Accoyer.
“En tant que president de groupe, je regrette que le groupe PS de
l’Assemblee ait juge utile de proposer au Parlement de legiferer a
nouveau sur l’histoire”, a-t-il ajoute.
En visite a Erevan, Jacques Chirac avait juge samedi dernier que la
Turquie devait reconnaître le genocide armenien avant de pouvoir
adherer a l’Union europeenne. Il avait en outre estime que la
proposition de loi socialiste faisant de la negation du genocide un
delit “relève de la polemique”.
La Turquie a averti vendredi la France que les relations bilaterales
allaient souffrir en cas de vote, jeudi prochain, de la proposition
de loi PS visant a penaliser la negation du genocide armenien de 1915.
–Boundary_(ID_x33v+12dCTuF45qA6lRAoA)–

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Oct 6 2006
“Zerkalo”: Armenian Separatists Undermined OSCE “Fire” Monitoring
06.10.2006
“We regret that OSCE didn’t provide necessary conditions for
participation of representative of Nagorni Garabagh in preparation of
OSCE mission in order to evaluate ecologic situation on territories
damaged by fire.
However, it doesn’t exclude Garabagh experts’ opportunity to realize
given monitoring as realization of it has been postponed to next
day in connection with necessity of joining of “Nagorni Garabagh”
representatives to mission”. “Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nagorni
Garabagh”, Georgiy Petrosyan, said it while informing “Regnum”
correspondent on activities of “official Stepanakert” connected
with departure of OSCE group from Baku to the places where fires
were committed.
G. Petrosyan also informed that “Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Nagorni Garabagh” sent note to OSCE stating position of “leadership of
Republic” concerning participation of experts from “Nagorni Garabagh
Republic” in monitoring. “Part of territories where evaluation is
expected to be made, is under jurisdiction of “Nagorni Garabagh
Republic” being serious ground for our participation in mission
realized on opposite side”, “minister” stressed.
We should remind that accordingly to information available at “Nagorni
Garabagh Republic” authorities “alarming ecological situation is
observed on Garabagh territories “occupied by Azerbaijan”: felling of
woods in Shaumyan region is going on, ecological balance of eastern
part of Martuni region with damaged soil structure is upset”.
Thus Garabagh separatists undermined OSCE monitoring that should have
started October 4.
–Boundary_(ID_O4q6klNTv+OXMmPMxfWKcg)–

MOSCOW POLICE MARKS YEAR OF ARMENIA IN RUSSIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 12:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first creative concert for Moscow police
dedicated to the Year of Armenia in Russia was given in Moscow. The
attendees not only enjoyed the Armenian songs and art but also got
useful information about Armenia and the Armenian people since the
ancient times up to our days and certainly about the centuries-old
Russian-Armenian friendship, President of the Armenian-Russian
Friendship Association Victor Krivopuskov told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. “Events of the kind will be held by a worked out
scenario. “The presenters of the concerts will furnish information
taking into account the peculiarity of the audience,” he said.
“These creative meetings will be held by the initiative of the Russian
association of friendship and cooperation with Armenia till the end
of the year for the law enforcers of all the Moscow administrative
districts. By decision of the Moscow state department of interior open
lessons of international friendship “Armenia our friend” will be held
in police training centers and colleges. According to the Moscow state
department of interior, the events will help the policemen in their
activities in the multinational city and strengthen the international
community of Muscovites,” Victor Krivopuskov said.

TURKISH MINISTER URGES EU, FRANCE NOT TO “INTERFERE” IN ARMENIAN ISSUE
Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
4 Oct 06
Brussels, 4 October: Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullatif Sener warned the EU and some other countries not to
interfere in Turkish-Armenian relations.
Sener is in Belgian capital of Brussels to participate in events
organized by the Turkish Industrialists’ & Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD) and European Policy Centre to mark the first anniversary of
the start of Turkey-EU negotiations.
In an exclusive interview with the AA [Anatolia] correspondent,
Sener referred to French President Jacques Chirac’s remarks about the
so-called Armenian genocide allegations, and said: “Chirac said that
recognition of so-called Armenian genocide should be a precondition
before Turkey’s EU membership. A resolution is being discussed in
France and it foresees fine and imprisonment for those who deny
Armenian genocide. It is not possible to accept such an attitude.
This is against the cultural atmosphere the EU is trying to create.”
“Armenia is not a European country, it is an Asian country. So, it is
a third country for the EU. So, it is meaningless to bring this matter
up within the scope of Turkey’s EU membership process,” he stated.
Sener added: “Whether it is an EU member or another country, everybody
who is affecting the Armenian policy from outside should give up his
endeavours. Chirac’s remarks are not sincere, they aim to affect the
domestic policy.” [Passage omitted]

MERZLYAKOV: ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN WILL BE PRESENTED “MODIFIED VERSION” OF THE BUCHAREST DOCUMENT
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 3 2006
Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told the
journalists that in case an agreement is reached on holding a recurrent
round of negotiations, Armenia and Azerbaijan will be presented the
“modified version” of the Bucharest document, Day.az reports. “In
the forthcoming talks the parties will be suggested to discuss a
document, which the Presidents were presented in Ramboulliet and
which was later reedited in Bucharest, and now with some amendments
it should be presented at the next meeting,” he noted. The Russian
diplomat said that the new ideas are based on the clarification of
the document presented to the sides in May 2006 by the mission on
the level of Foreign Ministers of the Co-Chair countries.

TURKEY CONCERNED WITH STATEMENTS BY FRENCH PRESIDENT – TURKISH AMBASSADOR
Author: S.Agayeva
TREND, Azerbaijan
Oct 3 2006
Turan Moraly, the Turkish Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary Ambassador to
Azerbaijan told journalists that Turkey is very concerned regarding
the statements made by France’s leadership. They contradict the
existing historic, friendly and mutually profitable relationships
between Turkey and France, Trend reports citing the local television
channel ANS. He was commenting on the last statement made by the
French President Jacques Chirac, who called on Turkey to recognize
the Armenian genocide and open its borders with Armenia.
Turkey is ready for open channels of communication with Armenia,
but on condition that Armenia stabilizes its relationships with the
Turkic-speaking neighbors,” the diplomat stressed.