Author: Ekmekjian Janet

ANKARA AND YEREVAN ECONOMIC INTERESTS CAN SHOVE BACK KARABAKH PROBLEM
PanArmenian News
Dec 7 2004
07.12.2004 15:10
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The analytical section of Gazetasng.ru draws
attention to the coincidence of the Brussels making a decision to
accelerate the beginning of the talks on accession of Turkey to
the European Union and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit
to Ankara. As reported by Gazetasng.ru, some Turkish media again
started speaking about a possible settlement of the Armenian-Azeri
relations, as well as establishment of Turkish-Armenian diplomatic
relations. In the opinion of the Internet edition, “there are implicit
signs that Ankara does not intend to publicly and unambiguously
support Azerbaijan in the Karabakh issue.” In the opinion of the
article author, Turkey is not against Armenia having the foreign
trade transit via the railway from Gumri to Ankara, Istanbul and to
the Balkans either. “There are reasons for supposing that long-term
economic interests of Moscow, Ankara and Yerevan will allow to shove
back the Nagorno Karabakh problem.” As noted by the Turkish media,
Ankara perceives that Turkey’s obstinacy and e.g. a direct or indirect
participation in the events in the North Caucasus can entail Russia
(and even Armenia) supporting the Kurdish rebels, who operate exactly
in the Turkish sector of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan trunk. As supposed by
Kerimoghlu Turkish historian, “Turkey has its interests in the region,
however she does not wish to quarrel with Russia and its allies in the
same region. Turkey bewares that while she is sorting out relationships
with Moscow and Yerevan, Americans will establish their hegemony in
the Transcaucasia and the Caspian (as they have done in the North of
Iraq that Turkey has aspired for a long time). It should be reminded
that the Azeri-Turkish relations are not always unclouded, and the
anti-Turkish moods are not that rare among the Russian-language Azeri
intelligence and other strata of the society.

GUL CHARACTERIZES UNACCEPTABLE FORMULA ADOPTED BY SLOVAKIA’S PARLIAMENT
Azg/arm
7 Dec 04
According to Anatolu semi-official news agency, Abdullah Gul,
Turkish foreign affairs minister, considered unacceptable the formula
on recognizing the Armenian Genocide adopted at the parliament of
Slovakia. The Foreign Ministry of Turkey has issued a condemnation of
the Slovak Parliament, which had officially recognized the Armenian
Genocide. A statement released late on Thursday by the Foreign Ministry
reads: “The Slovak Parliament decided to accept some tragic events
of 1915 as “genocide”. The statement asserts that Turkey regrets and
condemns the Slovak decision. “It is unacceptable and we will take
all the relevant measures,” foreign minister Gul said.
Its worth reminding that the Parliament of Slovakia characterized the
massacre of 1,5 million Armenians in 1915 by the term “genocide.” Gul
said that the parliamentary opposition caused the adoption of such
a formula, while the government of Slovakia doesn’t support it.

RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 2 2004
ARMENIA AND IRAN DEVELOP ENERGY COOPERATION
YEREVAN, December 2 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia is interested in
strengthening its relations with Iran, Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said at a meeting with an Iranian delegation led by Iranian
Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf.
The Armenian president’s press service said the construction of a gas
pipeline and high voltage power lines marked the beginning of
Armenian-Iranian business relations, which entail discussions about
other potential programs. “We are ready to do everything possible to
support the current level of cooperation,” Mr. Kocharyan said.
Mr. Bitaraf said the construction of the Iranian section of the gas
pipeline would begin in the next two months and that Iran would
increase the amount of electricity supplied to Armenia to 1,000 MW
after the construction of a third high-voltage power line.
Iran is also interested in cooperating with Armenia on hydroelectric
plants and alternative energy sources such as wind power plants and
the commissioning of the fifth generator at the Razdan thermal plant.
The construction of the Kadzharan tunnel, Iranian fuel exports to
Armenia and the potential for Armenia to use Iranian equipment in
power plant construction were also discussed.
The Iranian delegation is visiting Armenia for the start of
construction of the Armenia section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline,
the commissioning of the Agarak-Shinuair high voltage power line and
the signing of an agreement on another power line.
On May 13, Iran and Armenia signed an agreement on the Iran-Armenia
pipeline in Yerevan. According to the agreement, the pipeline will be
completed by January 1, 2007 and 36 billion cubic meters of gas will
be imported to Armenia over the next 20 years. Armenia will import
1.1 billion cubic meters of gas a year in exchange for supplying Iran
with electricity. The pipeline will also carry Turkmen gas through
Iran to Armenia.
Construction of the Armenian section of the pipeline began on
November 30, the same day the Agarak-Shinuair power line was
commissioned.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
26 November 2004
Participation of Armenian delegation as an observer at the 10th
International Summit of Francophone
At the 10th International Summit of the Organization of Francophone, held in
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on November 26th, 2004, the Republic of Armenia
was granted observer status.
In his testimonial speech for this occasion, Armenian Foreign Minister
Oskanian noted that this decision will strengthen Armenia’s compliance with
the values and principals of the Francophone Organization and its abilities
to address the challenges of the modern world.
The Summit, titled “In the name of sustainable development,” developed a
ten-year Action plan and adopted the Summit Declaration. Leaders and
foreign ministers from more than 50 countries have attended.
The next chairmanship has been transferred to Romania, where the next summit
will be held in 2006.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO CONSOLIDATE ARABLE LANDS
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30. ARMINFO. 99% of Armenia’s arable lands are
highly desintegrated so the government is drafting a pilot program to
consolidate them and to improve their use schemes.
The chairman of the state property register committee Manuk Vardanyan
says that an interdepartment commission has been set up to implement
the program. Various methods will be tested during the program with
priority given to those accepted by specific communities and
farmers. Consolidation can be effected according to land type, cost,
type of use and melioration.
The key point of the program is to develop a state policy on effective
land use encouraging farmers with soft loans, equipment leasing, tax
concessions, guaranteed harvest purchase like in wine and tobacco
growing. The consolidation process has been underway in Armenia for
three years already. 5,100 h of land were bought in the country in
Jan-Sept 2004 with communal budget revenues totalling 1.8 bln AMD
(almost $3.5 mln).
FAO representative David Palmer says that a relevant information and
education base will be developed for the program this including
workshops and working conferences, training courses for farmers on how
to more effectively use land resources. The key objective of the
program is to reveal financially feasible and socially and
ecologically acceptable ways of land use efficiency raising.
The program will be carried out by the committee and FAO for two
years. Presently Armenia has 330,000 farms each owning an average of
1.3 h of arable land.

L’Express
29 novembre 2004
“Le Bosphore n’est pas une frontière”;
La géographie par Jean-François Bayart
Bayart Jean-François
Du haut de leur gros bon sens, les contempteurs de la candidature
turque à l’Union européenne, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing en tête,
invoquent la géographie pour étayer leur refus. Ce faisant, ils en
disent long sur la conception qu’ils se font du monde dans lequel ils
vivent encore – et dans lequel ils risquent de nous faire retomber.
Mettre en doute l’appartenance géographique de la Turquie à l’Europe,
c’est partir d’une évidence. Seule une petite partie du territoire
turc est située à l’ouest du Bosphore, censé indiquer la limite de
l’Asie. Mais, comme souvent les évidences, celle-ci est trompeuse.
Elle renvoie à une définition archaïque de la géographie physique qui
repose sur l’idée de frontière naturelle. Or, qui peut encore croire,
en Europe occidentale, au caractère “naturel” des frontières? Le
Rhin, le Channel, les Pyrénées, pour la défense desquels des millions
de Français sont morts, ont été “dénaturalisés” par la construction
européenne. Qui s’en plaint? Les frontières des pays ou des
continents se déplacent ou s’effacent au gré des échanges commerciaux
et culturels, des migrations, des projets d’intégration politique et
régionale. Elles sont imaginées par l’action des hommes, non par les
desseins de Dame Nature.
Le Bosphore n’est naturellement pas une frontière, pas plus que ne
l’est la mer Egée. La Grèce, quand elle a cherché à annexer l’ouest
de l’Anatolie, au lendemain de la Première Guerre mondiale,
l’entendait bien ainsi. Et Istanbul, première ville industrielle du
bassin méditerranéen et de la mer Noire, que les opposants à la
candidature turque placent avec indulgence en Europe, a depuis
longtemps franchi le détroit. Sa conurbation de 12 millions
d’habitants s’étend dans le golfe d’Izmit et jusqu’à Bursa. Les
“pendulaires” qui empruntent quotidiennement les ponts suspendus
reliant les deux rives n’éprouvent au petit matin aucun vertige
intercontinental ni ne revivent l’épopée de Darius ou d’Alexandre! A
l’inverse, l’idée de frontière naturelle, prise au pied de la lettre,
inclut dans le continent européen le Daghestan et la Tchétchénie, au
nord du Caucase – mais ni la Géorgie ni l’Arménie… – et amène à
s’interroger sur l’appartenance de Chypre, située à une encablure du
Liban.
Dans ses rêves de contrebandier, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing doit
s’imaginer franchir les montagnes à dos de mulet. Mais
réveillez-vous, monsieur le Président de la République! Nous sommes à
l’ge d’Internet, de la finance globale et des missiles
intercontinentaux! La Turquie est déjà au sein de l’UE du point de
vue de la géographie humaine et économique. Grce à ses 3,6 millions
d’émigrés qui y vivent, y travaillent et y créent – à l’instar du
dessinateur de voitures Mercedes Benz et Peugeot Murat Günak, du
chanteur Tarkan ou du réalisateur Fatih Akin, auteur de Head-On, ours
d’or à Berlin en 2004. Grce aux représentants de la deuxième
génération qui ont été élus députés, notamment en Allemagne et aux
Pays-Bas. Grce à l’union douanière qui a instauré, en 1996, la libre
circulation des biens industriels et des produits agricoles
transformés, à l’abri du tarif extérieur commun (TEC). Grce aux
différentes institutions, telles que le Conseil de l’Europe, la
Fédération européenne de football, Eurovision, dont elle est membre
de plein droit depuis plusieurs décennies.
L’ancrage de la Turquie dans l’espace européen est également
“ethnique”. Le pays est en partie non négligeable peuplé de réfugiés
originaires des Balkans, de la mer Noire et de Grèce. Les Anatoliens
eux-mêmes sont en majorité les lointains descendants des peuples
autochtones d’Asie Mineure, qui ont été partie prenante et agissante
aux civilisations grecque, hellénistique et romaine, puis au
christianisme de l’Antiquité tardive. Ils se sont convertis à
l’islam, parfois très tardivement, par convenance politique et
sociale. Mais, sous ce couvert musulman, l’Anatolie a des lettres de
noblesse chrétiennes beaucoup plus anciennes que l’Europe du Nord.
Elle abrite quelques-uns des lieux les plus sacrés de la catholicité:
Ephèse, où a séjourné la Vierge, Myra, où est né saint Nicolas,
Nicée, où se tint le premier concile oecuménique, Antioche, que saint
Paul évangélisa et dont l’apôtre Pierre aurait été le premier évêque.
L’idée selon laquelle les citoyens turcs d’aujourd’hui sont des
Turkmènes d’origine ouralo-altaïque, à peine descendus de leur
cheval, est un non-sens historique. Sauf à croire que les Français
contemporains sont vraiment les petits-enfants de Clovis…
L’Anatolie est une marqueterie humaine que des siècles de métissage
et de conversion religieuse interdisent de réduire à une équation
identitaire simpliste, pour ne pas dire délirante.
En revanche, l’insertion de la Turquie dans le paysage humain
moyen-oriental est limitée, malgré la présence d’une minorité
arabophone dans le Sud-Est. La rancoeur de la “trahison” dont se
seraient rendus coupables les Arabes à l’encontre de l’Empire
ottoman, lors de la Première Guerre mondiale, et, pour dire les
choses directement, un solide fond de préjugés racistes tempèrent la
solidarité panislamique des Anatoliens. Même les Kurdes regardent
plus à l’ouest – notamment vers Istanbul et l’UE – qu’à l’est, quelle
que soit la densité des réseaux commerciaux informels avec l’Irak et
l’Iran.
La négation de l’identité européenne de la Turquie n’est qu’un
mauvais remake des fantasmes occidentaux quant au “despotisme
oriental”. Historiens et philosophes ont montré comment ce mythe a
permis aux penseurs des Lumières de critiquer de façon oblique la
monarchie absolutiste, notamment française, en contournant sa
censure, sans trop d’égards pour la véracité. Certes, l’Empire
ottoman, confronté à la menace russe, a pratiqué sur ses vieux jours
un nationalisme de purification ethnique en se rendant coupable du
génocide des Arméniens de l’Est anatolien. Osons dire que ce fut
aussi en cela qu’il fut européen. Ces atrocités participent de la
même matrice historique que la Shoah, les guerres coloniales,
l’extermination des Amérindiens. Elles marquent le parcours sanglant
de l’Etat-nation bureaucratique et centralisé comme expression
politique du capitalisme occidental.
De Séville à Belgrade, la religion musulmane est, elle-même, une part
de la géographie historique de l’Europe. Elle est aussi, désormais,
la confession de millions de citoyens européens du fait des
migrations, autre réalité géographique de la globalisation qui ne
s’embarrasse pas des frontières naturelles. Une religion “orientale”?
Oui, au même titre que le judaïsme et le christianisme. Des
idéologues peuvent évidemment être tentés de construire l’unité
politique du continent à partir d’une fiction identitaire et
géographique, en s’inventant un Autre et en le stigmatisant comme
tel. Dès le Moyen Age, l’Europe occidentale s’y est essayée pour
promouvoir la paix de Dieu entre les catholiques en menant la guerre
contre les mahométans. Plus récemment, le national-socialisme a voulu
édifier une Europe purgée de ses juifs, qui étaient supposés la
polluer. On sait désormais où cela conduit. Nous ne ferons pas aux
tenants de l’Europe des frontières naturelles l’injure de croire
qu’ils en sont adeptes. Mais ils tournent le dos au monde
contemporain en oubliant qu’il n’y a de frontières, singulièrement
européennes, que celles, politiques, de la proximité: la proximité
physique, mais aussi et surtout celle du projet commun que fondent
les valeurs partagées de la démocratie et du marché. Sur la base de
ces critères, la Turquie est géographiquement européenne, autant que
la Pologne, et beaucoup plus que la Russie de Poutine, l’Ukraine de
Koutchma ou la Biélorussie de Loukachenko.
(1) Dernier ouvrage paru: Le Gouvernement du monde. Une critique
politique de la globalisation (Fayard, 2004).

20 MEMBERS OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TO HAVE ALTERNATIVE MILITARY SERVICE
ArmenPress
Nov 26 2004
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Labor and Social Affairs
Ministry has confirmed that 20 members of Jehovah’s Witnesses who
refused obligatory military service in the armed forces, choosing
instead alternative service, will get down to what is termed as
“labor service” beginning from December 10.
The ministry said they will serve as attendants at two old people
houses in Martuni and Yerevan. The ministry said they will wear special
uniform of blue color with a special stripe. It said also all other
members of the sect who were sentenced to prison terms for refusing
the military service will have to have alternative military service.

IRAN’S JEWS, ARMENIANS CRITICISE “INSULTING” TV PROGRAMMES
Shargh web site, Tehran
24 Nov 04
The Jewish Community of Tehran and the Armenian Apostolic Bishopric
of Tehran have both sent open letters to Zarghami, head of the Voice
and Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIB) in protest at what
they describe as the ignoring of the rights of the minorities. The
Armenian Apostolic Bishopric of Tehran protests against one of the
programmes aired on Id al-Fitr on IRIB’s Channel Three in which a
person who said that he was Armenian claimed that he was unable to
pay the heavy cost demanded by Armenian Apostolic Bishopric of Tehran
for his father’s burial and asks for help. The Armenian Apostolic
Bishopric of Tehran clarifies that charges for burial at the Armenian
cemeteries are much lower than the amount stated on Channel Three,
adding that destitute people are not asked to pay at all. The Council
expresses surprise that IRIB aired these remarks without following
up the matter to ascertain whether the allegations were true.
In its open letter, the Jewish Community of Tehran protests against
two television series–one called “Conspiracy” and the other “Blood
in Unleavened Bread”–and writes: “In the IRIB’S programmes, Jewish
clerics and the Jews’ monotheistic religion are thoughtlessly and
repeatedly ridiculed, insulted, and denigrated without the least bit
of attention being paid to protests by the Jewish Community. It is
surprising how the Jewish clerics’ anti-Zionist demonstrations and
their condemnation of the massacring of Palestinians are repeatedly
broadcast on IRIB while, at the same time, Jewish clerics and what
they represent are ridiculed.”
The letters by both the Jews and the Armenians conclude by expressing
hopes that IRIB will adopt a serious stance against the officials
of the organization and will prevent topics and programmes that are
insulting to the minorities from being broadcast.

ARKA News Agency
Nov 25 2004
Korean Consulate to Armenia opened today in Yerevan
Armenia is ready to activate relations with Korea at highest level
RA Parliament passes the draft law on Higher and Post-Graduate
Education
Azerbaijan does not respond to the letter of RA National Assembly
Speaker on the issue of Armenian delegation participation in NATO
seminar in Baku
*********************************************************************
KOREAN CONSULATE TO ARMENIA OPENED TODAY IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 25. /ARKA/. Korean Consulate to Armenia opened
today in Yerevan. According to Korean Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Chung Tae-ik (residence in Moscow), “it is
historic moment for Armenian-Korean relations that will allow deeper
expanding of cooperation between the countries”. He said that
tomorrow business forum will take place in Yerevan for Armenian and
Korean businessmen that would allow businessmen to better understand
each other and exchange information.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Korea were established in
1992. Good’s turnover between the countries in 2003 made $2.5
million. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
ARMENIA IS READY TO ACTIVATE RELATIONS WITH KOREA AT HIGHEST LEVEL
YEREVAN, November 25. /ARKA/. Armenia is ready to activate relations
with Korea at highest level, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia
Tatoul Margarian stated today at the meeting with Korean Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Chon Te Ika (residence
in Moscow). Margarian noted that Korea takes important place in Asia
direction of Armenian policy. The parties paid attention to
activation of contacts in the sphere of entrepreneurship, educational
programs, re-training of specialists.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Korea established in 1992.
Goods’ turnover between the countries in 2003 made $2.5 million. L.D.
–0–
*********************************************************************
RA PARLIAMENT PASSES THE DRAFT LAW ON HIGHER AND POST-GRADUATE
EDUCATION
YEREVAN, November 25. /ARKA/. The RA Parliament passed in the first
reading the draft law On Higher and Post-Graduate Professional
Education. The law is called to regulate the state policy in these
areas, as well as the organizational-legal and financial-economic
issues. The law includes the protection of citizens’ right to obtain
corresponding education, its availability, continuous education,
ensuring of competitiveness, transparency and publicity, as well as
recognition of diploma and qualification degrees of Armenian higher
and post-graduate education in European countries.
The draft law also sets the state standards and educational programs
of higher and post-graduate education, terms and forms of education,
qualification degrees, as well as the order of entering a higher
education and post-graduate institutions, as well as the order of
their registration and management.
The draft law provide for two-degree system of higher education
(Baccalaureate and Magistrate). Every higher educational institution
(public or private) will grant its own diploma. In addition, the best
students and needy students will be able to receive student
scholarships. L.V.–0–
*********************************************************************
AZERBAIJAN DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE LETTER OF RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SPEAKER ON THE ISSUE OF ARMENIAN DELEGATION PARTICIPATION IN NATO
SEMINAR IN BAKU
YEREVAN, November 25. /ARKA/. Azerbaijani side did not respond to the
letter of RA Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan to Murtus
Aleskerov, the Chairman of Azeri Milli Mejlis requesting to ensure
the security of Armenian delegates in Rose Road NATO seminar in Baku.
This was stated by Mher Shahgeldyan, the Head of the Armenian
associated delegation in NATO Parliamentary Assembly at today’s
briefing. According to him, the necessity for the letter was caused
by a number of conditions. In particular, he noted that although
vise-free regime is between Armenia and Azerbaijan, however it is
necessary to consider the incident with Armenian officers, who were
previously promised visas to participate in NATO Cooperative Best
Effort-2004 exercises, however later they were refused visas. At that
he said that the legal part of the participation of Armenian
delegation in seminar was ensured and it is ready to leave for Baku.
Still, the official response of the Azeri side is required.
Armenian Parliamentarians Mher Shahgeldyan, the Head of the Armenian
associated delegation in NATO Parliamentary Assembly and Alexan
Karapetyan, the member of delegation will take part in the 58th NATO
seminar Rose Road to be held in Baku on November 25-27. L.V.—0–
*********************************************************************
–Boundary_(ID_jTMrGQr2yUfpnGP+EKXEjg)–

14 YEARS FOR THE ARMENIAN PILOTS
A1 Plus | 20:28:14 | 26-11-2004 | Social |
In Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, the court verdict for the persons charged
with an attempt for making a coup d’etat against the country was read
out. 6 Armenian pilots are among the accused.
Court sentenced Armenian pilot-in-command to 24-year-long imprisonment,
and 14 years to each Armenian pilot.
Advocate of the Armenian pilots is going to appeal against the unjust
verdict to Supreme Court of Equatorial Guinea and to the international
court instances in case of necessity, too.
Armenian official delegation in Malabo that has been to Equatorial
Guinea for many times and taken all the steps possible will keep
staying in that country to discuss with the local authorities issues
on handing the Armenian pilots over Armenia.
“Government of Armenia will make all the efforts to the proper bodies
of Equatorial Guinea to reach the fair decision for our citizens,
right up to release of them”, the press release of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Armenia says.