Author: Emil Lazarian

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 11 2005

MEETING OF HEADS OF THE STATES IN EXPANDED STRUCTURE
[June 10, 2005, 21:05:50]

On June 10, after the private meeting ended, with participation of
delegations the meeting of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
and the President of Croatia Stipe Mesic has taken place in the
expanded structure.

Presidents welcomed activation of efforts of the European Union and
the Council of Europe in the question of peace settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, have emphasized hope
that it renders positive influence on solution of the problem.

The sides have agreed upon encouragement of cooperation between the
diplomatic representatives in the third countries.

The heads of the states have emphasized that both countries would
play important role in strengthening regional safety and stability
within the framework of Council of the Euro-Atlantic cooperation, the
NATO PfP Program and submitted by Azerbaijan the `Operating plan on
individual partnership’.

Having reminded about the threat created by the international
terrorism, the Presidents have stated that support display of global
efforts for elimination of this trouble in conditions of widespread
cooperation from the United Nations.

Having agreed with opinion that connection of Azerbaijan to the
policy of the new neighborhood of Europe will bring in contribution
to restoration of peace and stability to region, the Croatian side
also has emphasized, that at the same time it renders positive
influence on integration of Azerbaijan and other states of region to
Europe. The Croatian side has stated that supports intention of
Azerbaijan to become a member of the World Trade Organization and
welcomes the efforts shown by Azerbaijan in the said direction.

The Azerbaijan side has informed on results of economic reforms
conducted in the country, including about tendencies of intensive
development, about realization of the program on poverty reduction,
deepening of links with the European Union. Also was marked the value
of cooperation for realization of programs TRACECA, INOGATE, the
project of the railway Kars-Tbilisi-Baku. The international value of
investment was especially underlined in build of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Southern – Caucasian gas
main.

Taking into account the importance of support of activity of the
small and medium enterprises, the heads of the states have noted
necessity of creation of favorable conditions for cooperation between
state and private enterprises of both countries, irrespective of
their form of ownership, financial and bank structures.

LITHUANIA READY TO HELP ARMENIA IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

YEREVAN, June 10. /ARKA/. Lithuania is ready to help Armenia in
European integration, Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament Arturas
Paulauskas stated at his meeting with RA minister of Territorial
Administration Hovik Abrahamyan.According Paulauskas, Lithuanian
authorities are ready to share not only their successful experience,
but also faults, with Armenia, which will allow it to prevent them and
implement reforms more efficiently. In his turn, Minister Abramyan
reported that Armenia has executed 90% of its commitments tom the
CE. He proposed discussing Lithuania’s experience in European
integration at the expert level, pointing out that the signing of an
Armenian-Lithuanian intergovernmental agreement on trade and economic
cooperation may give an impetus to bilateral cooperation.

RA Premier Andranik Margaryan is scheduled to pay a visit to
Lithuania, and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus is scheduled to pay
a visit to Armenia.
P.T. -0–

A1plus

| 15:25:54 | 10-06-2005 | Social |

IN REGIONS HUMAN RIGHTS ARE FORGOTTEN MORE OFTEN

RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan has been to Gyumri on official duty
recently.

About 20 citizens had come to receive the Ombudsman. The reception took
place in the Gyumri branch of the non-governmental organization of the
`Armenian Center of Defense of Human Rights after A. Sakharov’. The main
issue the residents of Gyumri were concerned by was of course the housing
problem.

According to Mrs. Alaverdyan, the Human rights defense is realized more
badly in the faraway regions. A case of this is the village Voghji. The
facts of complaints to the Ombudsman from this village were registered
during the visit of her representatives. Moreover, the regional governor had
applied to Regional Governing Minister Hovik Abrahamyan in March with the
request to resign the head of the village from his post but there has been
no answer yet.

The lands which are cultivated by the residents of the village are near the
border. In order to go there a permit is needed. The permits are given to
the people 1.5 month before the spring and autumn agricultural seasons.
Those people who had «dared» to send a complaint to the Ombudsman, in
contrast to the rest, had not received their permits by June 7 in order to
cultivate their lands.

Today the residents of the village do not have Property documents of their
houses. Under the present head of the village the population of the village
has been considerably reduced.

According to L. Alaverdyan, the actions of the Voghji head do not suit a
local governor.

AZG Armenian Daily #105, 09/06/2005

Turkey

‘ARMENIAN ISSUE SHOULD NOT BE POLITICIZED NOR SHOULD IT BE PUT FORWARD AS A
PRECONDITION FOR TURKEY’

Halil Berktay States in a Letter to Publicist Taha Aqyol

When the “Ottoman Armenian at the decline of the Empire” workshop to discuss
Armenian issues at the Bosphorus University of Istanbul on May 25-27 was
postponed and when the organizers yet decided to hold it on May 28, Turkish
publicist Taha Aqyol appealed to the organizers through the pages of
Milliyet presenting his 3 proposals: “1. To issue a statement condemning the
European governments, jural bodies and parliaments that administer
punishment for defining “the events of 1915 not as genocide, 2. To condemn
extreme views of the Armenian Diaspora, 3. To call on the European states to
keep back of taking decision on the matter”.

Aqyol wrote that Prof. Halil Berktay replied to his letter stating, “I want
to note that I agree with you in regard to the contents of all 3 issues. I
agree with you insomuch that I have been doing so up to now”. After this
extract Aqyol presents Berktay’s letter as it was, but adding his prologue
and epilogue to the letter in order to avoid bewilderment.

Here is what Berktay wrote in the letter to Aqyol, “Defining the events of
1915-16 in my reports to Turkish and foreign newspapers I constantly
emphasized that this is solely Turkey’s issue. It will get solution if
freely discussed and once out of the shadow of political polarization and
skirmishes. This incident, no matter how we call it, does not occupy any
place in the memory of today’s generation. This means that the events of
1915-16 are not a contemporary but historic issue thus it is to be left over
to the science. Therefore there has to be free study and free dispute. They
should be free not only in Turkey but also elsewhere. I am entirely against
any discussions over the issue not only in European institutions but also in
all third states, naturally it refers to USA, France, Switzerland etc.
Moreover, we should underscore that the European Union has never imposed any
precondition on other states commenting on the history of European states”.

Aqyol confirms Berktay’s views at the end of the letter. “Do you remember
former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari’s ‘Independent Commission on
Turkey’ created within the framework of the European Parliament? He prepared
a powerful report backing Turkey’s accession to EU. But before writing the
report Ahtisaari talked to Berktay and inquired about his opinion on the
Armenian cause. Berktay explained them that the Armenian issue should not be
politicized at all and that the report should not put it forward as a
precondition for Turkey. Gila Benmayor touched upon this issue on the pages
of Hurriyet emphasizing that it was Halil Berktay who persuaded members of
the commission”.

By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily #105, 09/06/2005

Neighbors

MAMEDIAROV: YEREVAN AND BAKU TALK OVER LACHIN AND NAKHIJEVAN ROADS

Yerevan and Baku are conducting negotiations over the roads connecting
Armenia with Nagorno Karabakh (via Lachin) and Azerbaijan with Nakhijevan.
Elmar Mamediarov, Azeri foreign minister, stated.

Mediamax informed that Elmar Mamediarov said that “he meant the road and the
railroad.” But we think that the operation of the road will be more useful
for us. The issue of opening the roads should be of mutual interest,” Azeri
foreign minister said.

Elmar Mamediarov said that 7or 9 points will be included on the agenda of
June 18 meeting between the Azeri and RA foreign ministers. “Each of them is
of great importance,” he added.

“We will discuss each of these issues. The position of Azerbaijan is well
known and the territorial integrity of the country should be restored,”
Mamediarov said. He said that they will also discuss the issue of locating
the peacekeeping forces in the region after the return of the Azeri
refugees. “The security issue is very important. After the Azeris return to
their homes, this issue will become very actual. The Armenian side treat
this issue very seriously, as well,” Mamediarov pointed out. He said that
the sides will also discuss the issue of clearing the mines and withdrawing
the forces from the Azeri territories.

Mamediarov said that the discussion of the abovementioned points is being
discussed stage by stage and the settlement of each issue depends on the
settlement of the previous ones.

Mamediarov said the visit of the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs to the region
will depend on the results of the negotiations in Paris. “But we expect that
they will stir to activity after that meeting,” he said.

It’s worth reminding that it’s been already the third case when Elamr
Mamediarov states that the issue of opening Lachin and Nakhijevan corridor
is being discussed during the negotiations.

A1plus

| 14:31:59 | 08-06-2005 | Politics |

THE YOUNGSTERS COOKING A POLITICAL SOUP

Leader of the Progressive Party Tigran Urikhanyan held a press conference
today to inform the journalists that they will join the Justice Party. By
the way, the party has nothing to do with the Justice bloc. Tigran
Urikhanyan announced that they carry out negotiations to join the
left-socialist powers.

Tigran Urikhanyan also informed that they will create a union of
national-patriotic powers joining together right, left and pro-governmental
powers. These are parties which are not very famous for the society but
which all together gathered 15% votes in the Parliamentary elections.

What if uniting together political parties of different ideology, trends and
plans the Progressive Party cooks a `political soup’? The party leader
refused to answer this question. Neither did he say who will lead the new
union. He underlined that `If Serge Sargsyan puts forward his candidacy for
the coming Presidential elections, we will by all means defend him’.

The leader of the Justice Party with which the Progressive Party United
today announced that they form an alliance `to do good for this country’.
One of the good things, according to him, was the cleaning of the walls of
Yerevan from posters. With this their party saves the money of the
communities and pays taxes to the budget. He did not explain where the money
to be spent on the wall cleaning comes from.

Congressional Record
June 7, 2005 (Extensions)]
ANNOUNCING THE PUBLICATION OF AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF PASSAGE THROUGH
HELL: A MEMOIR

HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN

of california

in the house of representatives

Tuesday, June 7, 2005

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to announce the publication of an
English translation of Passage Through Hell: A Memoir. The original
version was written in 1955 by Armenian poet, educator and author Armen
Anush. It has been published by Hagop and Klar Manjikian on the
occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Armen Anush was an eyewitness to the deportation and massacre of
Armenians by the Turks during 1915-1916. On April 24, 1915, the Turkish
government began to arrest Armenian community members and political
leaders. Many were executed without ever being charged with crimes.
Then the government deported most Armenians from Turkish Armenia,
ordering that they resettle in what is now Syria. Many deportees never
reached that destination.
From 1915 to 1918, more than a million Armenians died of starvation
and disease on long marches, or were massacred outright by Turkish
forces. From 1918 to 1923, Armenians continued to suffer at the hands
of the Turkish military, which eventually removed all remaining
Armenians from Turkey. The Armenian Genocide was a tragedy not only for
the Armenian people but a tragedy for all humanity. Passage Through
Hell: A Memoir is critically important because it recounts the horrors
of genocide and the psychological impact it had on the survivors.
I hope the day will soon come when it is not just the survivors who
honor the dead but also when those whose ancestors perpetrated the
horrors acknowledge their terrible responsibility and commemorate the
memory of genocide’s victims. This book should be read by all whose
ancestors were in any way involved and by everyone who cares about
understanding history.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute
to Hagop and Klar Manjikian for making this important book available in
English.

ACCORDING TO GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO RA, PROCESSES CONNECTED WITH
EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION WON’T HAVE IMPACT ON NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, NOYAN TAPAN. More than tens of local NGOs took part
in the conference on the subject “Civil Society of Armenia and
European Neighborhood European Union Program” held on June 7 by the
Club of Economic Journalists NGO. Mentioning the importance of holding
the conference, Heike Renate Peitsch, German Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, said that the conference shows how
much the Armenian public and NGOs are interested in the discussion of
the European Neighborhood program, which, in essence, is a program of
development of a civil society. The ambassador mentioned that the
declining of the European Constitution in France and Holland can’t
have any impact on the development or the future of the
above-mentioned program. According to her, the future of Europe from
point of view of the Constitution will be decided during the European
Commission’s meeting that will take place next week in Luxemburg.
Tigran Jrbashian, Director of the Center for European Policy and Legal
Consultations, mentioned that the main goal of the European
Neighborhood program is to work out a concrete agenda in relations
with the EU for the term of 3-5 years. It will help to create a zone
of well-being and neighborly relations within the framework of new EU
borders and out of them. According to T.Jrbashian, the main clauses of
the EU program on the part of Armenia chiefly concern increase in
efforts aimed at poverty reduction, protection of environment,
stopping of the work of the ANPP.

AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMISSION TO CONTROL THE PROCESS OF
HOUSE-BUILDING IN THE ZONE OF DISASTER IS FORMED IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, June 7. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharyan signed a decree
on formation of an interdepartmental commission to control the process
of house-building in the zone of disaster. According to RA President’s
Press Service, the decision was taken on the base of the results of
studies of the process of house-building for families, who remained
without shelter as a result of the earthquake in 1988, conducted by
the Control Service adjunct to RA President. The commission will also
study the legitimacy of the lists on the base of which apartments in
rural areas of Lori and Shirak regions will be distributed, as well as
the process of selection of building companies. The commission
includes representatives of the Ministry of Urban Planning, Justice,
Regional Administration, Finances and Economy as well as Prosecutor’s
Office. The Coordinator of the Commission is appointed the Head of the
Control Service adjunct to the RA President Vahram
Barseghyan. A.H. –0–

AZG Armenian Daily #103, 07/06/2005

Diaspora

‘MEMORIES AND LANGUAGE TRANSFERRED BY GENOCIDE’ CONFERENCE IN ONTARIO

On May 28, “The Canadian Federation of Humanitarian and Social Sciences”
held annual conference dedicated to the holocaust and genocide issues. The
conference was organized with the assistance of the Canadian Social Science
and Archeology Association, the Center for Social Researches and the
Canadian Women’s Research Center. The conference was held at the University
of the South Ontario in London city of Canada. It was entitled “The Memories
and Languages Transferred by Genocide.” Verzhine Svazlian, member of RA
National Academy of Sciences, scientist at the Armenian Genocide Museum,
also participated in the conference, representing our republic. Mrs.
Svazlian touched upon the registered memories, as well as the facts of
ignoring and denying the genocide and its dangerous consequences. Mrs.
Svazlian represented all the written, recorded and shot testimonies and
memories of the genocide survivors. She has been accumulating these
testimonies for 50 years In Armenia, Greece, France, the U.S. and Turkey.

Gabriel Elisa Popov, from Columbia University, (The Sounds of Silence in
“Elsa Morant’s Murder”), Karin Doer, from Concordis University (The Words of
Death and the Death of the Words), Judith Lermer Crowlie, from Montreal
Collage (“About Auswentsin. New Photos”), Arlen Avagian, from University of
Massachusetts, (“Strong Silence. To become A Survivor”) and many other
scholars participated at the conference.

By Hakob Tsulikian