Author: Emil Lazarian

BILL PENALIZING DENIAL OF SO-CALLED “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” WILL NOT BE DISCUSSED IN FRENCH SENATE – FRENCH SENATOR
Author: A.Ismaylova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
“Personally I do not support the termination of the co-operation
between France and Turkey. There are historical relations between
these countries and the French side respects the history and culture
of Turkey”, the Senator of the French Parliament, Bernard Fournier,
briefed the Azerbaijani media on 23 November, commenting on the
decision of the Turkish Parliament to terminate the military
co-operation with France, Trend reports.
He voiced his confidence that the century-old ties between Turkey and
France will continue in the future. “There were several differences,
and they are mainly linked with Turkey’s entrance to the European
Union. But I consider that it will not affect our relations with
Turkey,” the Senator said.
Touching upon the Bill penalizing the denial of so-called “Armenian
genocide” which was adopted by the French National Assembly, Fournier
stressed that this Bill has not been submitted to the Senate yet and
during their leadership, the Bill will not be discussed in the French
Parliament. He underlined that France has good relations with Turkey.
According to the Senator, this Bill may adversely affect relations with
Turkey. “If we pay attention, we can see that over centuries, genocides
have taken place in South and North America, Asia and other countries
of the world. If we recognize one genocide, then we should recognize
other genocides. I oppose against adopting this Bill,” he concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN POSSESSES AMPLE FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND MILITARY POTENTIAL TO SETTLE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT – MARMARA FUND HEAD
Author: A.Ismaylova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
“Azerbaijan possesses enough financial opportunities, forces and
military potential to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. However, despite this, Azerbaijan has decided to resolve the
situation through negotiations, and we consider that it is a promising
situation,” the Director General of the Turkish Marmara Fund, Akan
Suver, stated on 23 November at a briefing in the General Assembly
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation
(BSEC PA) whilst acting as an observer, Trend reports.
According to him, Azerbaijan has proved to the world that the
Nagorno-Karabakh is not a territory of Armenia, but is Azerbaijani
territory. At present, the international organizations and the world
have publicly acknowledged this fact, he said.
In addition, Suver noted that the NGOs, especially the Marmara Fund,
have participated for the first time at the meeting of the BSEC PA as
observers. As a result of the observation, he appropriately mentioned
the speeches of the Israeli and Georgian delegates who attracted the
participants’ attention to their own problems. Such events should be
an opportunity for Azerbaijan and Turkey to raise issues linked with
Nagorno-Karabakh and other problems, Suver emphasized.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AMBASSADOR OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Nov 23 2006
On November 21 the President of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia Mr. Tigran Torosyan received the newly appointed Ambassador
of the Republic of France to Armenia Mr. Serge Smessow.
The President of the National Assembly wished the Ambassador success
in his ambassadorial mission noting, that his officiating both in
Armenia, France and Europe coincides with a period full of interesting
events. Mr. Serge Smessow qualified his appointment as a difficult
and honorable one considering the high level of French-Armenian
relations in all spheres, the maintenance and development of which
the Ambassador considers his main purpose. He noted that the Action
Plan of the European Neighbourhood policy opens new perspectives for
South Caucasian countries. This is an important political and economic
step. The Ambassador highly appreciated the successes of Armenia in
European integration processes noting, that this assessment is shared
also in the European Union. Mr. Smessow assured, that from now on
too France is ready to support Armenia. He especially stressed the
importance of perspectives of regional cooperation, creation of free
trade zone and settlement of conflicts included in the Action Plan
considering those real opportunities of development.
The President of the National Assembly Mr. Tigran Torosyan touched upon
the European integration processes and noted, that the signed document
eventually has to prepare the country for joining the European Union,
but a long and serious work is needed for that. Mr. Torosyan mentioned
the economic successes of Armenia, but noted that political and
social reforms yield to the economic reforms. Meanwhile in order to
reach success in harmonic development these two processes have to go
in parallel. For the regional cooperation the NA President stressed
the importance of a clear position of the international community,
without which the settlement of conflicts is impossible.
For example, Azerbaijan finds, that first we have to solve the Nagorno
Karabakh issue, then discuss the perspectives of cooperation, while
Armenia prefers the creation of an atmosphere of mutual confidence and
cooperation, which in its turn, will facilitate the settlement of the
conflict. The NA President noted, that the European Union also has been
established in this way. Upon the Ambassador’s request, Mr. Torosyan
also touched upon the constitutional reforms and the Electoral Code. It
was noted, that the reform of the Constitution is an important step on
the way of democracy development, and that these reforms have already
started producing positive results in the social-political life in the
sense of deepening democracy. However, they will start to fully act
after the parliamentary and presidential elections. The NA President
said, that the Electoral Code with amendments to over 100 articles in
conformity with the recommendations of CE and OSCE experts would be
adopted through second reading after the made amendments about five
months before the elections. In order to hold elections in compliance
with the European standards, the NA President stressed the importance
of not only the Electoral Code and the existence of legislation,
but also the political will and the aspirations of political forces.
During the meeting the parties also touched upon the regulations of
the Nagorno Karabakh issue. Mr. Smessow, noting that the Co-chairmen
of OSCE Minsk Group are in Yerevan, expressed hope that it will mark
a new positive stage. However, the Ambassador noted that in Armenia
they refer to the perspectives of the settlement of the issue with
pessimism. The NA President Mr. Tigran Torosyan qualified the position
of the Armenian party not pessimistic, but realistic. He evaluated
the work of Co-chairmen positively, especially in the latest period,
when the principles of self-determination of nations and territorial
integrity are not opposed, but compared. However, the NA President
expressed doubt that Azerbaijan really wants to see the conflict
settled, as the policy of deepening hatred towards Armenia and
Armenians, the warlike declarations and the astronomical increase
of military expenses continue there. According to the President of
the National Assembly, the international community has to be more
demanding towards fulfillment of undertaken obligations.
During the meeting issues of inter-parliamentary relations were
also discussed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANDONIAN TAKES OUTSIDE SHOT WITH EVANS TIRE
By: Andrew Peterson – For The North County Times
North County Times, CA
Nov 23 2006
ESCONDIDO — In the scramble and scrap of schoolyard basketball,
quickness and drive can nullify the advantages of size and height
— a good thing for someone like John Andonian, who stood 5 feet 5
inches tall when he played guard for Hoover High in Los Angeles in
the early 1970s. Then as now, what he lacked in height he made up
for with desire.
“I had some basic talents and then my ambition to win,” Andonian,
chief executive officer of Evans Tire Co., said by phone recently.
“My strength was my quickness and my defense. I (also) had a good
outside shot.”
More than 30 years later, Andonian still prefers the David role to
that of Goliath. Defying the odds and tire industry giants such as
Costco and Firestone, he has grown revenues at Evans from $9 million
to $22 million in six years.
A family-run business based in Escondido, the company’s fortunes were
sagging when Andonian took the helm. He was, in effect, buying the
nine-store chain from himself, as Evans was owned by AKH Discount
Tires, which was run by Andonian and his brothers.
The franchise was a fixer-upper.
“Even though we had been in the market for almost 20 years, the name
identity was very low,” he recalled.
He found the stores in need of remodeling and the work force in need
of motivating.
He made other changes, too — such as a bold new purple and yellow
color scheme for the stores, which now number 16, and a higher
marketing profile in print and radio. But Evans needed more to draw
attention to itself in the competitive San Diego market. Andonian
realized that it couldn’t just be price.
“If it’s just about price, you’ve got the Wal-Marts of the world and
the Costcos, and you just can’t compete with them,” he said.
The differentiator, he saw, was customer service, or “value-added
programs.” Evans offers free alignment on purchases of selected tire
brands, as well as free tickets to such places as the San Diego Zoo
or Legoland California.
In recent years, the tire business has changed, he said, with customer
demand pushing auto companies to offer more tire options for their
cars. “Ten to 15 years ago, 20 tire sizes hypothetically covered 60
percent of the market,” Andonian said. “Now, you need maybe 40 or 50
sizes to cover 40 percent of the market.”
Some things haven’t changed. Evans is still very much a family
enterprise. Andonian, married 20 years to his wife, Cynthia, says
all three of their children have shown an interest in working in
the business — particularly his son Alex, 20, who attends Southern
Methodist University in Dallas: “My theory is go to school. Graduate.
Go work somewhere for a couple years — then let’s talk about it.”
It’s an attitude Andonian’s parents would recognize and respect. “My
parents wanted more for their kids,” said Andonian, whose Armenian
family immigrated to the United States in 1969.
For his part, he has thrived and prospered on the slopes of uphill
battles. He said stepping in to run an already-successful company
wouldn’t be the same.
“Keeping the status quo would be OK,” Andonian said. “But certainly
fixing (a company) and growing it would be more challenging for me. I
like to run companies, I like to make them successful. I like to make
them winners.”
ESCONDIDO — In the scramble and scrap of schoolyard basketball,
quickness and drive can nullify the advantages of size and height —
a good thing for people like Evans Tire CEO John Andonian, who stood
5’5″ when he played guard for Hoover High in Los Angeles in the early
70s. Then as now, what he lacked in height he made up for with desire.
“I had some basic talents and then my ambition to win,” he said by
phone recently. “My strength was my quickness and my defense. I (also)
had a good outside shot.”
More than thirty years later Andonian still prefers the David role
to that of Goliath, defying the odds and tire industry giants like
Costco and Firestone by growing Evans revenues from $9 million to
$22 million in six years.
A family-run business based in Escondido, Evans Tire’s fortunes were
sagging when Andonian took the helm, in effect buying the nine-store
chain from himself, since Evans was owned by AKH Discount Tires,
which in turn was run by Andonian and his brothers.
The franchise was a fixer-upper.
“Even though we had been in the market for almost 20 years, the name
identity was very low,” he recalled.
He found the stores in need of remodeling and the workforce in need
of motivating.
He made other changes too — like a bold new purple and yellow color
scheme for the stores (which now number 16), and a higher marketing
profile in print and radio. But Evans needed more to draw attention
to itself in the competitive San Diego market. Andonian realized it
couldn’t just be price.
“If it’s just about price you’ve got the Wal-Marts of the world and the
Costcos, and you just can’t compete with them. They’re just too big.”
The differentiator, he saw, was customer service. To do this he used
what he called “value-added programs”.
“We include free alignments (on purchases of selected tire brands),”
he said. “And we’re always offering things like free zoo or Legoland
tickets OWe’re offering a one-stop shop where you can buy your tires
and brakes and alignments O
If you go to Costco or WalMart you’re just going to get the tires.”
The changes, while effective, took time to boost the company’s
bottom line.
“At the beginning of the second year, it started,” Andonian said.
In the meantime the tire business has changed; customer demand has
pushed auto companies to offer more tire options for their cars.
“Ten to fifteen years ago, twenty tire sizes hypothetically covered 60%
of the market,” Andonian said. “Now you need maybe 40 or 50 sizes to
cover 40% of the market.”
Some things haven’t changed. Evans is still very much a family
enterprise. Andonian, married twenty years to his wife Cynthia, says
all three of their children have shown an interest in working in
the business — particularly his son Alex, 20, who attends Southern
Methodist University in Dallas.
“My theory is go to school. Graduate. Go work somewhere for a couple
years — then let’s talk about it.”
It’s an attitude Andonian’s parents would recognize and respect.
Andonian’s family history includes his Armenian grandparents’ flight
from genocide at the hands of the Turks in 1915 into Syria. The family
immigrated to the United States in 1969.
“My parents wanted more for their kids,” said Andonian, who attributes
his competitive nature to his father, who passed away ten years ago.
For his part, he’s thrived and prospered on the slopes of uphill
battles. He said stepping in to run an already-successful company
wouldn’t be the same.
“Keeping the status quo would be okay,” Andonian said. “But certainly
fixing (a company) and growing it would be more challenging for me. I
like to run companies, I like to make them successful — I like to
make them winners.”

AZERBAIJAN TIPTOES TOWARDS NATO
By Jasur Mamedov in Baku
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
Nov 23 2006
Baku’s cautious policy seemingly designed to avoid spoiling relations
with Iran and Russia.
Although Azerbaijan is moving closer towards NATO, it remains shy
of talking about full membership of the alliance, apparently out of
concern about the geopolitical implications of such a commitment.
On November 8, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev visited NATO
headquarters in Brussels before flying to Moscow for talks with
President Vladimir Putin. The two stops on his trip illustrated the
delicate foreign policy Baku is pursuing with both NATO and Russia.
“Today probably marks the start of a new stage in this relationship,”
said Aliev in Brussels. “We think it’s very important for our country,
which is young but already has growing potential, to be a true and
reliable partner for NATO.”
Azerbaijan’s chief foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Tagizade told
IWPR that his government believed in gradual cooperation, “We don’t
claim that we’ll become a NATO member-state tomorrow, or in a year.
But we believe that the current framework of our partnership gives
enough scope for us to make moves in this direction. Azerbaijan is now
well aware that integration with Europe and Euro-Atlantic structures
will bring stability to the region.”
Some analysts see Azerbaijan’s deliberately cautious policy as designed
to avoid spoiling relations with its big neighbours Iran and Russia.
“Over the last 10 to 15 years, integration with the West has been
a strategic priority for Azerbaijan,” said political analyst Leila
Alieva. “But the authorities are now saying that good relationships
should be built with Russia and Iran in order for the country to have
a normal existence.
“There’s a contradiction here: Azerbaijan can move closer to the West
only through democracy, through political and economic reforms. But
what draws us closer to Russia and Iran is being an authoritarian
regime.”
Another analyst, Elkhan Mehtiev, said Azerbaijan wanted to escape
the kind of Russian hostility Georgia has evinced by making its NATO
ambitions so plain.
“It’s no secret that all Georgia’s troubles started after it announced
its intention to join NATO and took radical steps in that direction,”
said Mehtiev. “No one wants to have a conflict with Russia over
this. Azerbaijan’s leaders understand that if they act like Georgia,
the troubles that await them will be even worse. NATO places a high
value on cooperation with Azerbaijan, but it isn’t going to be a
question of full membership.”
Some opposition figures argue that Azerbaijan is being too cautious
and should instead move full-speed towards NATO membership.
Sulhaddin Akber, president of the Azerbaijani-Atlantic Cooperation
Association and a leading member of the opposition Musavat party,
said, “It’s true that there are some internal and external problems
hampering Azerbaijani integration with NATO. But if Azerbaijan acted
in concert with Georgia, Tbilisi would not be left to cope with the
pressure from Moscow alone.”
Azerbaijan joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme in 1994
and is now implementing an Individual Partnership Action Plan, IPAP,
with the alliance.
Baku has been reforming its armed forces since 1997 to bring them into
line with NATO requirements. The country’s military education system
has undergone the most noticeable changes: with Turkish military
assistance, young officers are now being trained in accordance with
NATO standards.
Under its IPAP, Azerbaijan has been putting up new radar stations
with United States assistance in the southern region of Astara and
the coastal region of Khyzy.
“The primary aim of this is to allow Azerbaijan to control and guard
its borders,” said Jonathan Henick, public affairs officer of the
US embassy in Baku. “We believe that there is a threat from the
trafficking of weapons, drugs and people via the Caspian Sea. We
think that it’s in the interests of both the USA and Azerbaijan to
have these negative phenomena under control.”
Some Azerbaijani experts say the radar stations are primarily
intended to watch out for illegal traffic between Russia and Iran,
but Henick denied this, saying, “It’s not the USA’s aim to keep an
especially close watch on some particular route. Its aim is to develop
Azerbaijan’s controlling capacities.”
Despite the partnership plan, a number of experts say they see little
evidence that the Azerbaijani military is willing to undergo reform.
Alekber Mamedov, director of the Centre for Civil Control over Armed
Forces, said that the only areas where Azerbaijan was able to cooperate
with NATO effectively involved protecting the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and counter-terrorism activities.
“I would like NATO to put pressure on the Baku authorities to undertake
military reforms in Azerbaijan. If it does not do so, any cooperation
with such corrupt officials will harm the reputation of a world-class
organisation like NATO,” he said.
Yildirim Mamedov, formerly a brigade commander and now a colonel in
the reserve, said that military reform in Azerbaijan was a mirage.
“Currently we can see no changes either in the minds of our military
leaders or in the technical and physical condition of the army,”
he said. “It’s pure pretence.”
Mamedov said there were big obstacles standing in the way of Azerbaijan
meeting NATO standards, but the alliance had at least helped the army
conduct professional exercises.
Uzeir Jafarov, a lieutenant-colonel in the reserve, said, “Over
the next five to 10 years, Azerbaijan won’t be able to fulfill its
commitments to NATO. Personally I don’t believe that under the command
of the corrupt generals in the defence ministry, any effort will be
made to aspire to NATO standards.”
Unlike in Georgia, NATO is not a subject of passionate debate in
Azerbaijan.
Taxi driver Ehtiram Tagiev, 40, only remembers that NATO once
confronted the Soviet Union. “I can’t say whether NATO membership
will be beneficial for Azerbaijan or not, since the organisations
Azerbaijan has joined up till now have done nothing good for our
country and haven’t brought a resolution to the Karabakh conflict
any closer,” he said.
Schoolteacher Azad Orujev, 30, said cooperation with NATO could only
benefit the country. He said soldiers should have higher wages and
their conditions of service should improve.
“But politically, membership in NATO cannot change anything in
Azerbaijan,” he said. “As long as we have oil, democracy will be
something we can only dream about.”
Jasur Mamedov is a journalist with Zerkalo newspaper in Baku.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN AMENABLE TO TALKS WITH ARMENIA REGARDING N.KARABAKH
Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait
Nov 23 2006
MOSCOW, Nov 23 (KUNA) — Azerbaijan on Thursday agreed on holding
talks with Armenia at the presidential level on the disputed Nogorno
Karabakh settlement.
Taha Taqi Zadah, an Azerbaijani spokesman,told the Russian Interfax
News Agency that his country informed the head of Minsk group which
belongs to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(Minsk) that his country would take part in talks on the disputed
Karabakh settlement.
Taqi described his meeting with Minsk’s representatives as positive
and fruitful.
The spokesman added that representatives from the European Union (EU)
showed determination to carry on efforts to bring closer stands and
peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN LEADERS AGREE TO BILATERAL MEETING TO DISCUSS KARABAKH PROBLEM
The Associated Press
International Herald Tribune, France
Nov 23 2006
BAKU, Azerbaijan: The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed
to hold a bilateral meeting aimed at resolving the simmering conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh, officials said Thursday.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region in Azerbaijan that has been
under the control of Armenian and ethnic-Armenian Karabakh forces
since a 1994 cease-fire ended a six-year separatist war that killed
about 30,000 people and drove about 1 million from their homes.
The region’s final status remains unresolved, and years of talks
under the auspices of international mediators have brought few
visible results.
President Ilham Aliev’s press service said Thursday he has agreed to
meet with his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian on the sidelines
of a Tuesday summit of ex-Soviet republics in Minsk, Belarus.
Earlier this week, Russian officials involved in mediating the conflict
said Kocharian had also agreed to meet.
Both leaders last held bilateral talks in June and the meeting failed
to produced a breakthrough.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS OSCE MEDIATORS
Mediamax, Armenia
Nov 21 2006
Yerevan, 21 November: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met the
Russian and French co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagornyy
Karabakh in Yerevan today.
The mediators are not going to hold a news conference on the result
of their visit to Yerevan, Mediamax reports.
The mediators will meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku
on 22 November.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CAUCASUS RESEARCH RESOURCE CENTERS RELEASES 2006 SURVEY RESULTS
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 21 2006
The Caucasus Research Resource Centers-Armenia released the results
of the 2006 Data Initiative Survey today, reports CRRC Armenia.
The regional survey is carried out across the South Caucasus and
interviews respondents from over 6,800 households, asking over 120
questions. The survey assesses knowledge, attitudes and practices in
all three South Caucasus countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia,
and paints an intriguing picture of behavior over time. Additionally,
2006 marks a watershed year for CRRC. Now in its third year, the Data
Initiative has been expanded to all regions of the South Caucasus.
The Data Initiative raises a host of fascinating questions that beg
further sociological and journalistic investigation. Why does Armenia
continue to have the most male smokers in the region? Although the
number of male smokers in Yerevan has dropped, it is currently 12%
higher than in Baku and 5% higher than in Tbilisi. What explains
Armenian and Azerbaijani ambivalence towards NATO membership, with
a large percentage of the population-41% and 35% in Yerevan and Baku
respectively-responding that they “don’t know” if their country should
join NATO?
The survey results also provide key indicators on economic
development. For instance, the percentage of households having personal
computers in Yerevan increased from 15% in 2004 to 21% in 2006. By
contrast, only 3% of rural households possess a personal computer.
The Data Initiative questions regarding social institutions also
provide contentious results for politicians and policymakers. In
Armenia, people distrust most social institutions. For instance,
in 2006, only 15% said they trusted the parliament.
The Data Initiative Survey contains blocks of questions on demography,
education, political attitudes/views, social institutions, migration,
crime, health and economic behavior. “The Data Initiative will improve
the quality and availability of up-to-date data in the region,”
states Dr. Hans Gutbrod, CRRC Regional Director. “Ultimately, the
CRRC data sets will enable local and regional social scientists and
policy practitioners to collaborate and engage in meaningful dialogue
about the ongoing transitions in their homelands”
CRRC are a network of resource and training centers established
in 2003, in the capital cities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
with the goal of strengthening social science research and public
policy analysis in the South Caucasus. A partnership between the
Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Eurasia Foundation and local
universities, the CRRC network offers scholars and practitioners stable
opportunities for integrated research, training and collaboration in
the region.

TURKISH MPS VISIT USA TO TRY TO PREVENT ARMENIAN RESOLUTION
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 21 2006
“Turkish MPs reiterate sensitivity on so-called Armenian genocide”
Washington D.C., 21 Nov: A group of Turkish parliamentarians visited
Washington D.C. in a bid to persuade congressional leaders to halt
so-called Armenian genocide resolutions after Democrats seized control
of both the US Senate and the House of Representatives.
Nancy Pelosi, who is in line to become the speaker of the House, has
promised to support a so-called genocide resolution during her election
campaign, underlining fears in Turkey that the new Congress might
adopt such a bill which has been prevented by the Bush administration
since it came to power in 2000.
The group, headed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
foreign policy adviser Egemen Bagis, held meetings with US legislators
as well as State Department’s counter-terrorism coordinator Henry
Crumpton and FBI’s New York director Mark Mershon.
Bagis played down adoption of a so-called genocide resolution at a
press meeting.
“The Armenian issue won’t be the first priority of the Democrat
Party. There are other issues,” he told journalists after an annual
session of the US Congress Turkey Working Group in West Virginia.
In September 2005, the House International Relations Committee
passed a bill recognizing so-called Armenian genocide. But Republican
Congressman Dennis Hastert, the outgoing House Speaker, did not take
the bill to a full House vote.
Bagis also said a joint effort was underway with Mark Parris, former US
ambassador to Ankara, and former Republican congressman Bob Livingston,
Turkey’s main lobbyist in the USA, against an Armenian resolution.