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.

Armenpress
OSKANIAN DISCUSSES KARABAKH, ARMENIA-TURKEY PROSPECTS IN WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON, JUNE 10, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign ministry said minister
Oskanian had several meetings in Washington on the first day of his two-day
visit. It said Oskanian met with president Bush’s national security advisor
Stephen Hadley to discuss Karabakh problem and prospects for normalization
of Turkish-Armenian relations.
The ministry said Hadley was interested in ongoing democracy reforms in
Armenia, and the process of constitutional and election reforms. Oskanian
also had meetings with members of US Congress caucus on Armenian issues and
briefed them on recent developments concerning Karabakh peaceful process and
Turkish-Armenian relations normalization and thanked Congressmen for their
continued support to Armenia.
Oskanian also met with representatives of the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA) and the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) to discuss
US-Armenian ties. This is the first visit by Oskanian to USA after
reelection of Bush. Today he is scheduled to meet Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Los Angeles Daily News
June 8 2005
House panel will debate genocide
By Lisa Friedman
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON – Rep. Adam Schiff, D- Pasadena, announced late Wednesday
that the House International Relations Committee has agreed to take
up the contentious debate over whether Congress should officially
call the massacre of Armenians during World War I a “genocide.”
Schiff, who has written a resolution supporting recognition of the
genocide, said he secured an agreement from committee Chairman Henry
Hyde to hear the matter. Hyde promised that the committee would
debate and vote on his resolution “in a timely fashion,” Schiff said.
In exchange, Schiff said he agreed to withdraw two amendments to a
foreign policy bill under debate. One of them would have asked for an
accounting of U.S. responses to Armenian, Cambodian and Rwandan
genocides as well as the Holocaust; the other would have condemned
Turkey’s blockade of Armenia.
The deal came as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in
Washington with President George W. Bush, where both declared a
strong alliance.
Schiff said he believed he was able to strike the deal because House
Republican leaders who have opposed the genocide resolution fearing
it could endanger U.S./Turkish relations, “weren’t sure that they
could defeat my amendments and they were also concerned about the
timing of the amendments during the prime minister’s visit.”
Attempts to reach both Armenian and Turkish officials for comment
late Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Armenian-Americans say 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a
genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.
Turkish officials say far fewer people died amid a multiparty
conflict.
The last time the International Relations Committee held a hearing on
the issue was in 2000 as a political favor to then-Rep. James Rogan,
who was facing a tough re-election battle against Schiff.
Officials estimate there are more than 300,000 Armenian-Americans in
Southern California, about a third of them in the Glendale area.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT VISITS RF EMBASSY IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharyan has visited the
RF Embassy in Armenia on the occasion of the Russian national holiday,
Day of Declaration of State Sovereignty. The RA presidential press
service reports that in his congratulatory address he expressed
confidence that the centuries-old Armenian-Russian relations will be
consolidated. P.T. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SILVER COMMEMORATIVE COINS DEDICATED TO 1400TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANANIA
SHIRAKATSI TO BE ISSUED IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. Silver commemorative coins dedicated to
1400th anniversary of Anania Shirakatsi will be issued in Armenia with
nominal value at AMD 100. According to CBA Press Service Department,
500 coins of silver 925 0 metal will be issued. Anania Shirakatsi was
born in Shiraki Aneanq or Shirakavan village. He is a 7th century
Armenian philosopher, mathematician, astrologer, calendar man, founder
of exact sciences and natural sciences in Armenia. Anania
Shirakatsi’s scientific heritage witnesses to the absolute depth and
independence of his vision. The coin was mint at the Mint Place of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands. L.V.–0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
14:23:23 | 09-06-2005 | Culture |
ARMENIA CHARMED BURGAS
The other day Andranik dancing group of the national aesthetic center of
Gyumri returned from the 5th children’s festival of national dance held in
the Bulgarian town of Burgas.
Among 13 participant-states Armenia was represented by the Gyumri children
only. They returned with the diploma For the Best Performance. To note, a
dancing group from Georgia was also awarded with the same diploma.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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.