Author: Ekmekjian Janet

ARMENIA END CAMPAIGN WITH 3-0 WIN OVER 10-MAN ANDORRA
Reuters, UK
Oct 12 2005
ANDORRA LA VELLA, Oct 12 (Reuters) – Armenia ended their World Cup
qualifying campaign on a high with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Andorra
on Wednesday that lifted them off the bottom of Group One.
Armenia, whose only other win came against the same opponents in March,
finished in sixth place in the group with seven points from their 12
matches, two ahead of Andorra.
It was a disappointing end to what has been Andorra’s most successful
campaign in their short history in international competition.
The team from the tiny Pyrenean principality beat Macedonia 1-0 at home
a year ago to claim their first points in an official qualifying match.
They then earned a 0-0 draw away to the same opponents in February and
won another point with a goalless draw at home to Finland last month.
Although they held the visitors for most of the first half they
self-destructed in an unfortunate five-minute spell just before
the break.
Midfielder Oscar Sonejee turned a cross from the left into his own
net in 39th minute and defender Ildefons Lima received his marching
orders soon after for spitting at an opponent.
Andorra suffered another setback at the start of the second half when
Aram Akopyan smashed home a volley at the far post after a quickly
taken corner.
Things went from bad to worse just after the hour when Ara Akopyan
made it 3-0 with a virtuoso individual goal.
The Armenia striker received the ball with his back to goal on the
edge of the area, turned inside a defender, skipped past another and
rifled home into the top corner to complete an emphatic win.

OSCE Monitoring To Be Held At Karabakh And Azeri Contact Line
Pan Armenian
10.10.2005 18:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 11 a recurrent OSCE monitoring will be held
at the contact line of the Azeri and Karabakh armed forces. According
to a report of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, the monitoring will
be conducted in accord with the mandate of the Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, whose field assistants Imre Palatunis,
Miroslav Vimetal, Peter Kii and representative of high rank working
group David Prenderhast will hold the monitoring from the Azeri
side. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzuk and his field assistants Alexander
Samarsky, Harry Eronen and the head of the high rank working group
will conduct the monitoring from the Karabakh side, IA Regnum reported.

The Hellenic Radio, Greece
Oct 8 2005
Olli Rehn’s Visit to Turkey “Proceed Quickly with Reforms”
08 Oct 2005 15:41:00
By Annita Paschalinou
The EU Enlargement Commissioner urged the Turkish National Assembly
to immediately proceed with signing the EU-Turkey protocol, while he
called on Ankara to implement the reforms at a faster pace, so that
the accession talks can commence on time. After meeting with the
Turkish PM, Olli Rehn noted that the speed of negotiations would
depend on the rate of reforms implemented by Turkey. He also
predicted that Turkeys accession to the EU would be tough and the
negotiations could last 10 years. Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of a
tough process, while he voiced his optimism that the negotiations
will prove successful in the end.
Meeting with Novelist Orhan Pamuk
In the context of his contacts in Turkey, Olli Rehn met with Turkish
novelist Orhan Pamuk, a great defender of the rights of Kurds and
Armenians.
Turkeys most famous author faces up to three years in jail on the
charge of “insulting Turkish identity” for allegedly backing charges
that Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Empire
forces 90 years ago.
The incident has prompted intense reactions from the EU.
Pamuk will be called to appear before an Istanbul court in December.
Translated by Vicky Ghionis

A1+
| 17:04:04 | 07-10-2005 | Politics |
USA EXPECTING RA REGULAR ELECTIONS
«USA will put up money as to make Armenian 2007 Parliamentary and 2008
Presidential elections democratic, just and transparent», – U.S. Àmbassador
Åxtraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Evans stated today
addressing Rose-Roth NATO PA seminar.
In his speech he also mentioned constitutional amendments as democratic ones
and conditioned them on further development of democracy in Armenia.
Secretary of `National Unity’ Aleksan Karapetyan asked John Evans whether it
would be right to hold extraordinary Parliamentary and Presidential for
creating an atmosphere of confidence and realizing the constitutional
amendments properly. U.S. Ambassador answered, that they understand very
well it’s not enough to have a good Constitution. `It’s necessary, but not
enough. Laws must be observed without arbitrariness’, John Evans noted. As
regards extraordinary elections Mr. Evans told that `there’s not much time
left until regular elections, so these 15 months may be used for preparation
to free and just elections.
Azeri delegate Leyla Alieva asked Evans if U.S. doesn’t keep ex-Soviet
countries in kind of dependence by marking them out financial means, and
doesn’t that ’cause diffidence of those countries as it actually happened at
Soviet times. Evans answered they don’t have such an aim, they just think,
if economic and social condition of people improves, there’ll be fewer
conflicts.
«By financial support we stimulate the formation of security and stability.
Support from outside does not weaken the development of self-dependence».
Mr. Evans also reminded, that U.S. alloted Armenia 1,6 mlrd dollars during
these years.
Is democracy possible in a region, where there are troops which simply block
some developments. Evans answered democracy and regional conflicts are
interconnected. If democracy wins, the conflicts will become fewer.

OSCE MG ONLY STRUCTURE DEALING WITH KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 6 2005
YEREVAN, October 6. /ARKA/. The OSCE Minsk Group remains the only
structure dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, RA Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan told reporters. According to him, the OSCE
MG is the only internationally recognized legal structure dealing
with the settlement. Oskianyan said that Azerbaijan can raise the
issue at various forums and try to get some resolutions adopted,
which is its right. “However, it is obvious that the Nagorno-Karabakh
is only possible to settle within the OSCE Minsk Group,” the Minister
said. According to him, no discussions, statements, resolutions can
replace real negotiations held within the OSCE MG. P.T. -0–

IN LINE FOR THE EU
By Timothy Garton Ash,
Los Angeles Times
Oct 6 2005
TIMOTHY GARTON ASH is professor of European Studies at Oxford
University and a Hoover Institution senior fellow.
THE EUROPEAN Union opened membership negotiations with Turkey this
week, but the upshot was not to ensure that Turkey will quickly become
a member. That may, in fact, take 10 to 15 years, if it happens at all.
Rather, the chief outcome was to ensure that the rest of southeastern
Europe will come into the EU – and probably well before Turkey.
There’s a nice historical irony here. Turkey, which in its earlier,
Ottoman form occupied much of the Balkans, and therefore cut them off
from what was then the Christian club of Europe, is now the European
door-opener for its former colonies.
Bulgaria and Romania are joining the EU in 2007 anyway. What was
Austria’s price for finally agreeing to the opening of negotiations
with Turkey? A similar promise for Croatia! One thing leads to
another. When those Balkan countries are in, they will immediately
start agitating for their neighbors, just as Poland is now agitating
for a promise to Ukraine. No matter that those neighbors are former
enemies, with bitter memories of recent wars and ethnic cleansing.
The mysterious alchemy of enlargement is that it turns former enemies
into advocates. Germany was the great promoter of Polish membership;
Greece remains one of the strongest supporters of Turkish membership.
When Serbia or Macedonia come knocking at Brussels’ door, they will
exclaim: “What? You have said yes to Turkey, but you say no to us,
who are closer to you and obviously more European than Turkey?”
Because these countries are for the most part small, and because the
EU already takes responsibility for much of southeastern Europe’s
security and reconstruction as a quasi-colonial post-conflict power,
the reluctant older members of the EU will sigh: “Oh, what the hell,
one or two more small countries won’t make that much difference anyway
– our big headaches are Turkey and Ukraine.” So they’ll slip in.
The result is that, whether or not Turkey achieves membership over
the next decade, by 2015 the European Union will cover most of
what has historically been considered to constitute the territory
of Europe. And it will have 32 to 37 member states, for Switzerland,
Norway and Iceland may eventually choose to come in too. The frontline
cases will then be Turkey and Ukraine.
I don’t want you to think I’m ducking the question of Turkish
membership. If we were starting from scratch, I would say that the EU
should have a special partnership (Angela Merkel’s term) with Turkey
(rather than offering full-fledged membership). Why? Because at its
eastern and southeastern borders, Europe does not end, it merely
fades away. It fades away across the great expanses of Turkey and
Russia. Somewhere between Moscow and Vladivostok, somewhere between
Istanbul and Hakkari, you find yourself more in Asia than in Europe.
This partly European character suggests that a special partnership
is in order, because the sense of belonging to a geographical and
historical unity is important for any political community of Europe.
However, we are not starting from scratch. We have promises to keep.
For more than 40 years we have assured Turkey that it will belong to
our European community. We have repeated, strengthened, made concrete
these promises over the last decade.
Besides, the example of Turkey, which must reconcile a mainly Islamic
society with a secular state, is vital for the rest of the Islamic
world – and not insignificant for the 15 million to 20 million Muslims
living in Europe. When I was recently in Iran, a dissident mullah
told me: “There are two models, Turkey and Iran.”
Which should we support? The answer is what Americans call a
“no-brainer.”
Before it happens, however, we have to ensure two things. First,
that Turkey really does meet the EU’s famous “Copenhagen Criteria”
– having a stable liberal democracy, the rule of law (with full
equality for men and women), a free-market economy, free speech
(even for intellectuals who say there was a Turkish genocide against
the Armenians) and respect for minority rights (notably those of the
Kurds). On those, Turkey still has a long way to go.
Second, and just as demanding, public opinion in existing member
states, such as France and Austria, must be prepared to accept
Turkish membership.
Between those two requirements, we have at least 10 years’ work ahead.

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT OFFERED TO CONVENE SUMMIT OF SOUTH CAUCASIAN AND BALTIC STATES
Pan Armenian
05.10.2005 12:36
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili offered to
hold a summit of the South Caucasian and Baltic states in Tbilisi. “We
hope that will we succeed in enabling the 3+3 format proposed by
Georgia and Lithuania. The format includes the three South Caucasian
and three Baltic states”, Mikhail Saakashvili said during a joint press
conference with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga. According
to the Georgian President, the summit will promote the closing of
the former USSR republics in a new European format and the process
of integration of the South Caucasian states into the European
structures. “Such contacts are significant for consolidation of
democracy in the region and peaceful settlement of the conflicts
available”, Mikhail Saakashvili added.

RA FM MET PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Pan Armenian
05.10.2005 11:57
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
met with President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
of the Council of Europe Giovanni Di Stasi, RA MFA press center
reported. During the meeting Mr. Di Stasi informed of the principal
functions of the CoE Congress. The interlocutors also discussed the
constitutional reform process and the role of the local governing
bodies. The RA FM noted that the reforms will contribute to Armenia’s
honoring the commitments to the CoE.

OFFICIAL YEREVAN HOPES TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SOON
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2005
YEREVAN, October 5. /ARKA/. Armenia hopes that the beginning of
the negotiations on Turkey’s membership in the EU will make Turkey
recognize the Armenian Genocide. According to the press release of
the RA MFA Press Service Department, such an opinion was expressed
by the MFA Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparyan. According to the press
release, the beginning of the negotiations on Turkey’s membership in
the EU will put the EU-Turkey relations on a new level. According
to the press release, at this stage Turkey is going to carry out
fundamental changes. Particularly, Armenia hopes that the beginning
of the negotiations on Turkey’s membership in the EU will bring to
opening of the Turkish border with Armenia and to real steps aimed
to protect the rights of national minorities, strengthen democratic
values and principles. A.H. –0–

SPEECH OF ALIYEV AT MEETING WITH STAFF OF SPECIAL STATE SECURITY SERVICE
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Oct 5 2005
Dear soldiers, officers and generals,
I extend to all of you my heartfelt greetings and best wishes for
your glorious service to Motherland.
The National Guard of Azerbaijan was created after the country
restored its independence. In those years, the National Guard was
fighting selflessly against the Armenian occupants sacrificing their
lives for independence of Azerbaijan. The anarchy and chaos reigned
over the country questioning its very independence and future. The
turning point came in 1993 when national leader of our people Heydar
Aliyev returned to power in Azerbaijan. This allowed to re-establish
peace, stability and order in the country and paved the way for its
sustainable development. However, there were forces eager to plunge
the country into chaos and anarchy again.
We all remember quite well the coup attempts in 1994-95 suppressed
due to the courage of the national leader Heydar Aliyev and support he
had from the Azerbaijani people. The role of the National Guard then
was also great. Uniting around its leader, the people of Azerbaijan
achieved stability and managed to maintain it until now.
Stability is the basic condition for development of any country.
Social and political life in Azerbaijan is going well. Our country is
a rapidly developing one. The processes taking place in Azerbaijan are
decisive for the country’s present and future. Very important steps are
being taken towards improvement of the Azerbaijani people’s welfare.
Heydar Aliyev played a great in building of the Special State Security
Service and National Guard. It was beginning from the mid 1990s that
guardsmen were provided with logistical support, and considerably
improved their skills. Today, the process of army building is going
on rapidly. The yearly increasing military spending allows us to
maintain our military potential on a very high standard.
The 2006 military spending is going to be $600 mln against $300
mln in 2005 and 175 mln in 2004. This is a graphic evidence of the
governmental care about the army building, which foundation was laid
by national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev.
Azerbaijan has great possibilities, possesses huge natural resources.
As you know, the new oil strategy initiated by Heydar Aliyev in 1994
have led to great changes in Azerbaijan. The dynamic development of
our country, rapid economic growth and improvement of the people’s
social conditions are the outcomes of that oil strategy. Of course,
the Heydar Aliyev Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is playing a key
role in maintenance and strengthening peace and stability in the
region, and, therefore, sustainable development within Azerbaijan.
This pipeline will create better possibilities for Azerbaijan bringing
in huge revenues to the country. From this standpoint, the National
Guard will have to bear vast responsibility. I am sure security of
this pipeline will be duly ensured in the future.
We should make it, and strengthen the defensive potential as we live
in conditions of war. Clearing of our lands occupied as a result
of aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, is the most important
question, the most important problem Azerbaijan faces. We aspire
to solve in the peace way the mentioned question. As you know,
negotiations are underway, however, the result is not present.
Creation of powerful military potential in that case is necessary. It
is equitable to our national interests. The potential of the Azerbaijan
army, which becomes the big force in region, becomes stronger. Further,
we shall support this rate of growth, even more to raise potential of
army, to increase the military budget and we shall achieve liberation
of the Azerbaijan lands.
Certainly, extremely important role in it is played by strengthening
economic potential, preservation of stability in Azerbaijan,
maintenance of social order. In the given direction, huge work is
carried out, and the role of National Guards in this cause is enormous.
The National Guards has protected great leader Heydar Aliyev
during the most difficult periods of the history of Azerbaijan –
in 1994-1995, has provided its protection and, thus, has protected
independence of the Azerbaijan state. Should there not be Heydar
Aliyev, if at that time he did not manage over Azerbaijan, existence
of Azerbaijan, as the independent state would be in doubt. And today,
the National Guards, Special Service protect me, the President and
Supreme Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Azerbaijan
Republic. My safety, and, thus, provided stability in Azerbaijan.
I do not doubt that all accepted decisions will be executed, and the
goals will be achieved. Azerbaijan develops very intensively. We have
great prospects. However, the happy future of our country depends on
all of us. All of us, everyone on the place, should aspire to bring
contribution to strengthening of the state independence of Azerbaijan.
Social questions of National Guards and Special Services also find
solution. To the given questions, we pay big attention, salaries raise,
the material base becomes stronger, at the same time we solve household
problems of employees. So it also should be. Azerbaijan develops,
in our country enormous work is carried out, and each citizen, in
particular, each person who is taking place on military service should
live well. It should not have household problems, and it should receive
the good salary and adequately serve. I am confident that creative work
going in our country, dynamics of development will allow us to achieve
all targets, comprehensively to strengthen our country. Economic
development, social justice, development of political processes in
a normal way and protection of stability, calmness and safety of our
country are the most important questions in the years ahead.
Azerbaijan will become a rich, powerful state. Now, in the world
there are new threats, and new challenges. In some cases, processes
going in the world result in very bitter consequences. In the various
countries there are monstrous acts of terrorism. In the places,
which took place near our borders, it is possible to tell, acts of
terrorism are made on a regular basis. But Azerbaijan is a space
of stability. Azerbaijan is space of safety. And we should protect,
and we protect this stability. We have opportunities for this purpose.
First of all, patriotism of Azerbaijani people, normal work of
the Azerbaijan military men and law enforcement bodies, operative,
and also the technical and other actions spent for prevention of the
negative facts which can take place in Azerbaijan, allow us to support
this peace and stability in Azerbaijan both now, and henceforth.
At all times, and during management of Azerbaijan in 1970s, our
national leader Heydar Aliyev had huge merits before the Azerbaijani
people. All life of the national leader – in 1990s as the President
of Republic, has provided development of Azerbaijan, has achieved
that Azerbaijan became a worthy member of the world community,
consist in service to people. One of the major among all carried
out works will be that in Azerbaijan stability, calmness, the peace
has been established. In Azerbaijan, has been created a strong army,
and the military men are capable to solve all tasks put before them.
Dear friends!
Dear soldiers, officers, generals!
Dear guardsmen!
Once again I warmly welcome you and wish successes in your honorable
service in the name of Motherland. Thanks.