Author: Emil Lazarian

FIFA Rankings List
.c The Associated Press
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) – FIFA Rankings of national teams for June released
Wednesday (previous rank in parentheses):
1. Brazil, 835 points (1).
2. France, 813 (2).
3. Spain, 792 (3).
4. Czech Republic, 762 (11).
5. Netherlands, 748 (5).
6. Mexico, 743 (4).
7. United States, 735 (9).
8. England, 733 (13).
9. Italy, 729 (10).
10. Turkey, 723 (5).
11. Argentina, 722 (5).
12. Portugal, 715 (22).
(tie). Germany, 715 (8).
14. Greece, 710 (35).
15. Denmark, 706 (15).
16. Cameroon, 702 (12).
(tie). Ireland, 702 (14).
18. Nigeria, 697 (16).
19. Sweden, 686 (18).
20. South Korea, 670 (20).
21. Iran, 664 (19).
(tie). Saudi Arabia, 664 (24).
23. Croatia, 662 (20).
24. Japan, 660 (23).
(tie). Belgium, 660 (17).
26. Russia, 655 (31).
27. Poland, 653 (26).
28. Senegal, 651 (26).
29. Paraguay, 650 (25).
(tie). Costa Rica, 650 (26).
31. Morocco, 646 (33).
32. Romania, 638 (31).
(tie). Uruguay, 638 (29).
34. Egypt, 637 (29).
35. Tunisia, 634 (33).
36. Colombia, 622 (37).
37. Ecuador, 616 (37).
38. Norway, 613 (36).
39. South Africa, 610 (39).
40. Jordan, 605 (42).
41. Bulgaria, 602 (40).
42. Slovenia, 598 (41).
43. Iraq, 582 (45).
44. Finland, 578 (42).
45. Switzerland, 577 (47).
46. Mali, 576 (46).
(tie). Zimbabwe, 576 (48).
48. Serbia-Montenegro, 574 (44).
49. Jamaica, 565 (51).
50. Venezuela, 562 (50).
51. Bahrain, 559 (57).
52. Australia, 556 (49).
53. Latvia, 555 (53).
54. Honduras, 553 (55).
(tie). Qatar, 553 (54).
56. Kuwait, 552 (59).
57. Algeria, 550 (52).
58. Oman, 548 (63).
59. Scotland, 545 (55).
60. Israel, 544 (57).
61. Wales, 541 (60).
62. Ivory Coast, 539 (69).
63. Trinidad and Tobago, 536 (77).
64. China, 535 (65).
(tie). Thailand, 535 (61).
66. Chile, 534 (65).
(tie). Cuba, 534 (80).
(tie). Slovakia, 534 (61).
69. Congo DR, 532 (65).
70. Libya, 525 (82).
71. United Arab Emirates, 523 (76).
(tie). Ghana, 523 (89).
73. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 522 (64).
74. Zambia, 521 (77).
75. Peru, 518 (72).
(tie). Iceland, 518 (65).
77. Ukraine, 515 (71).
78. Hungary, 514 (74).
(tie). Angola, 514 (85).
80. Uzbekistan, 513 (83).
(tie). Burkina Faso, 513 (73).
82. Estonia, 512 (75).
83. New Zealand, 510 (80).
84. Syria, 508 (83).
85. Belarus, 507 (86).
86. Austria, 502 (70).
(tie). Kenya, 502 (79).
88. Guinea, 501 (92).
(tie). Guatemala, 501 (87).
90. Canada, 495 (95).
91. Haiti, 486 (88).
92. Macedonia, 484 (93).
93. Turkmenistan, 481 (90).
94. Albania, 480 (91).
95. Togo, 474 (94).
96. Indonesia, 472 (97).
97. Republic of Congo, 468 (107).
98. Rwanda, 467 (100).
99. Bolivia, 463 (97).
100. Vietnam, 461 (96).
(tie). Uganda, 461 (97).
102. El Salvador, 447 (104).
103. Malawi, 446 (101).
104. Cyprus, 443 (102).
105. Georgia, 437 (102).
106. Panama, 435 (120).
107. Sudan, 433 (105).
108. St. Kitts and Nevis, 431 (120).
109. Botswana, 430 (115).
(tie). Lebanon, 430 (109).
111. Moldova, 426 (108).
112. Northern Ireland, 425 (110).
113. Liberia, 420 (106).
114. North Korea, 418 (125).
115. Lithuania, 414 (110).
116. Barbados, 411 (113).
117. Singapore, 408 (114).
118. Armenia, 407 (116).
119. Azerbaijan, 401 (112).
120. Benin, 398 (122).
121. Gabon, 395 (122).
122. Malaysia, 390 (118).
(tie). Mauritius, 390 (118
(tie). Tahiti, 390 (117).
125. Swaziland, 384 (124).
126. Mozambique, 382 (126).
127. St. Lucia, 369 (128).
128. Madagascar, 367 (127).
(tie). Solomon Islands, 367 (130).
130. Lesotho, 366 (128).
131. Fiji, 362 (133).
132. Malta, 361 (131).
(tie). Palestine, 361 (132).
134. Cape Verde Islands, 347 (146).
(tie). Yemen, 347 (135).
136. Tajikistan, 344 (136).
(tie). Faeroe Islands, 344 (134).
138. Grenada, 331 (138).
139. Ethiopia, 330 (137).
140. Maldives, 316 (141).
(tie). Sri Lanka, 316 (139).
142. Vanuatu, 315 (142).
143. India, 314 (143).
144. Kazakhstan, 313 (140).
145. Hong Kong, 306 (145).
146. Gambia, 302 (144).
147. Myanmar, 294 (147).
(tie). Suriname, 294 (154).
149. Andorra, 287 (148).
(tie). Namibia, 287 (149).
151. Burundi, 277 (150).
152. Sierra Leone, 276 (151).
153. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 273 (163).
(tie). Liechtenstein, 273 (152).
155. Taiwan, 270 (153).
156. Kyrgyzstan, 263 (158).
157. Bangladesh, 252 (155).
(tie). Luxembourg, 252 (156).
159. Chad, 244 (157).
160. Nicaragua, 238 (161).
161. Eritrea, 237 (159).
162. Bermuda, 233 (164).
163. Antigua and Barbuda, 231 (162).
164. Papua New Guinea, 228 (160).
165. Equatorial Guinea, 217 (164).
(tie). Tanzania, 217 (166).
167. Dominica, 215 (168).
168. San Marino, 214 (167).
169. Netherlands Antilles, 210 (171).
(tie). Dominican Republic, 210 (172).
171. Seychelles, 202 (169).
172. Niger, 201 (170).
173. Laos, 198 (175).
(tie). Mauritania, 198 (173).
175. Nepal, 196 (174).
176. Pakistan, 192 (176).
177. Samoa, 178 (177).
178. Central African Republic, 173 (178).
179. British Virgin Islands, 169 (179).
180. Belize, 161 (180).
181. Guyana, 154 (181).
182. Tonga, 145 (182).
183. Cayman Islands, 141 (183).
184. Cambodia, 137 (184).
185. Mongolia, 135 (185).
186. New Caledonia, 119 (186).
187. Macao, 113 (187).
(tie). Guinea-Bissau, 113 (188).
189. Bhutan, 108 (189).
190. Cook Islands, 101 (190).
191. Philippines, 99 (191).
192. Bahamas, 98 (192).
193. Somalia, 95 (193).
194. SIao TomDe e PrDincipe, 90 (194).
195. Brunei, 75 (195).
196. Aruba, 71 (196).
197. Anguilla, 66 (197).
198. Afghanistan, 63 (198).
199. Djibouti, 50 (199).
200. U.S. Virgin Islands, 47 (200).
201. Puerto Rico, 35 (201).
202. Turks and Caicos Islands, 26 (202).
203. American Samoa, 19 (203).
204. Guam, 17 (204).
205. Montserrat, 6 (205).
07/07/04 13:18 EDT

RUSSIAN FIRMS TO PARTICIPATE IN KAZAKH TENDER FOR UPGRADE OF AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL
Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
7 Jul 04
Nizhniy Tagil, Sverdlovsk Region, 7 July: Russian air traffic control
system designers and manufacturers will participate in a tender on
upgrading the Kazakh air traffic control system, Nikolay Bordyuzha,
secretary- general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO), told Interfax-Military News Agency at the Nizhniy Tagil arms
show on Wednesday (7 July).
“We have arranged for Russian manufacturers to display their air
traffic control systems and participate in the Kazakh tender,”
Bordyuzha said.
According to him, the Russian side has already made corresponding
proposals on upgrading the Kazakh air traffic control system, and is
continuing work with this end in view.
Bordyuzha said that many CSTO member-states enjoyed an economic boost,
singling Kazakhstan out as an example. “At the present time this
country is ready to participate in developing new weapon systems,” he
said.
According to Bordyuzha, Tajikistan, Armenia, and other CSTO
member-states are also experiencing economic growth. “CSTO
member-states will have enough real money in the near future, and
these assets will be used to procure Russian arms and materiel,” he
emphasized.
He also noted that cooperation had recently been revived within the
CSTO framework. “Many industrial enterprises embrace the approach of
establishing interstate holding companies. The Oboronitelnye Sistemy
Holding Company is being established at the moment. It will comprise
enterprises and companies from the following five CSTO member-states:
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan,” he said.
Kazakh Defence Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev earlier told Interfax- AVN
that Kazakhstan would be studying proposals on modernizing the air
defence systems and air traffic controlling systems sometime before
2008 or 2010.
The Kazakh government has approved a plan to create an integrated
system for air traffic control for the period from 2004 to
2010. According to this plan, a tender will be held in the second
quarter of 2010 to determine who will carry out the project.
Experts say the value of the contract may amount to 1bn dollars.

525ci.com
7 July, 2004
Nagorno Karabakh problem not to be settled by any third party, Solomon Passi
Zabil Mugabiloghlu
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s summer session is hold in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The yesterday’s speech of Mr. Linkoln from Kanada followed by discussions on
“Security and cooperation.” Eldar Ibrahimov. Member of the Azerbaijan
delegation to OSCE PA told 525 that he made a speech during the discussions
and informed the parliamentarians about the Armenian aggression. According
to him, he informed the PA members about 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani
lands remain under Armenian occupation and the occupied territories are out
of the control. “I informed the PA members that Armenians are using the
occupied Azerbaijan territories for drug trafficking. I called them to
pressure on Armenia’s aggressive policy.”
Sattar Safarov, another member of the Azerbaijani delegation has asked Mr.
Solomon Passi, acting chairman of the OSCE to report what kind of works he
has done for settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem since his 6 months
activity at the current position. Mr. Passi said that he has visited the
region and got familiarized with the current status of the settlement of the
conflict. “I think that the Nagorno Karabakh problem may not be settled by
any other third party. You yourselves have to solve your problem. Both of
the countries have to find political will to solve this problem.”
The OSCE rapporteur on NK conflict had to report about the problem
settlement yesterday. However, according to Ibrahimov he hadn’t submit the
report yet.
Solomon Passi
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress
July 6 2004
KOCHARIAN VISITS MOSCOW JULY 2-4
YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
was in the Russian capital of Moscow from July 2 to July 4 for an
unofficial meeting of the CIS presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Uzbekistan, Moldova, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Belarus and
Kazakhstan at the invitation of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The presidents discussed integration processes among CIS members,
preparations for a CIS summit in Astana in September, issues of
mutual interest and joint celebrations of the 60th anniversary of
victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45. On the sidelines of
the meeting Robert Kocharian had a meeting with Georgian president
Mikhail Saakashvili to discuss further development of bilateral
relations, particularly, a range of issues pertaining to stepping up
economic ties and regional problems.
On July 4 Kocharian met with the secretary of the Russian security
council Igor Ivanov to discuss Russian-Armenian ties, regional
problems and the Karabagh conflict. Kocharian was present at horse
races together with other CIS leaders at a Moscow race track.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 6, 2004 Tuesday 3:38 PM Eastern Time
Interaction with Armenia among Russia foreign policy priorities
By Svetlana Alexandrova, Alexandra Urusova
MOSCOW
The latest meeting of the Minsk group of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict showed that the sides are ready to look for
the solution to this long-standing problem, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday following the talks with his Armenian
counterpart Vardan Oskanyan.
The Russian minister pointed to the “coincidence of the positions of
the two countries virtually on all the questions of the bilateral and
international agenda”.
He stressed that interaction with Armenia “is a priority trend in
Russian foreign policy”. “This is fully manifested in such areas as
cooperation in investment, trade and economic partnership and the
political dialogue”.
He said the recently formed Russo-Armenian business council
contributed much to the development of relations. Lavrov said
cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the
CIS, United Nations and the Council of Europe was discussed at the
meeting.
In his turn, Vardan Oskanyan expressed satisfaction with the results
of the talks with Sergei Lavrov. “I am sure that our political
dialogue will be continued, especially now that many interesting
events take place in our region”, he said.

Le Figaro, France
02 juillet 2004
Turquie : il n’y a rien d’irréversible;
EUROPE Au moment où les Pays-Bas prennent la présidence de l’Union
pour six mois
par Nicolas DUPONT-AIGNAN
En déclarant à Ankara lors du sommet de l’Otan que « le mouvement
conduisant à l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union européenne est
irréversible et au total souhaitable », Jacques Chirac met le peuple
français devant un fait accompli inacceptable et dangereux.
En engageant la France, sans même envisager de consulter les
Français, le président de la République tourne le dos aux principes
fondateurs de la Ve République qui voulaient que les choix décisifs
pour l’avenir du pays soient ratifiés par référendum. De surcroît,
l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’UE n’a jamais fait l’objet d’un débat
au Parlement, ni figuré dans un programme présidentiel. Prendre
prétexte de la continuité de la politique française depuis le
rapprochement initié par le général de Gaulle avec la Turquie pour
favoriser son adhésion est un contresens car, à cette époque, l’Union
européenne n’avait rien à voir avec l’ensemble intégré qu’elle est
devenue aujourd’hui.
On peut d’ailleurs refuser l’entrée de la Turquie en Europe sans pour
autant nier l’importance de ce pays dans l’équilibre géopolitique du
continent européen, ni btir avec lui un partenariat solide, comme on
le fait par exemple avec le Maghreb.
Reconnaître comme irréversible l’entrée de la Turquie revient, moins
d’un mois après l’élection du Parlement européen, à balayer d’un
revers de la main la position de tous les partis politiques de la
majorité et plus largement d’une grande majorité de Français. Au
moment où les Français sont de plus en plus las de cette Europe qui
se construit sans eux, voire contre eux, il est dangereux pour la
santé démocratique de la France de vouloir une fois de plus passer en
force. L’histoire a amplement démontré qu’il est vain de vouloir
gouverner contre le peuple.
Si vraiment les chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement sont si sûrs de
l’utilité de l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’UE, pourquoi ne font-ils
pas alors valoir leurs arguments devant les peuples souverains ?
C’est tout le sens de la pétition nationale « Un million de
signatures pour un double référendum » que vient de lancer Debout la
République. La perspective de l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union
s’inscrit en effet dans le cadre de la future Constitution qui
asseoit la représentation des Etats au prorata de la population. Dans
vingt ans la Turquie aura près de 100 millions d’habitants et
détiendra ainsi près de 20 % des droits de vote du Conseil européen
loin devant la France.
Comment considérer comme « européen » l’ancien empire ottoman, situé
pour l’essentiel hors de notre continent ? A l’évidence, intégrer la
Turquie à l’Europe serait aussi pertinent que d’encourager l’Espagne
à adhérer à l’Organisation des Etats Africains ! Nier à ce point la
géographie, c’est prendre le risque d’une grave déstabilisation de
l’Union. La dynamique nationale turque est d’ailleurs au moins autant
tournée vers l’Asie centrale turcophone (au point qu’Ankara accorde
sur simple demande aux ressortissants de ces anciennes républiques
soviétiques la nationalité turque) que vers la Méditerranée.
Souvenons-nous aussi que l’histoire commune turco-européenne, si
souvent invoquée par les partisans de l’adhésion, a essentiellement
été placée sous le signe d’une expansion militaire et religieuse que
les Européens n’ont définitivement refoulée qu’à l’extrême fin du
XIXe siècle !
La démographie turque ne rapproche pas davantage ce pays des nations
d’Europe : outre qu’elle compte de nombreuses communautés émigrées
dans l’Union (qui fausseraient la donne électorale dans les pays
d’accueil en cas d’adhésion), la Turquie n’a toujours pas délimité
ses frontières et refuse de reconnaître le génocide arménien.
Quant à la question essentielle de la laïcité turque, elle est
beaucoup plus ambiguë qu’elle n’y paraît : d’un côté, celle-ci est
imparfaite et précaire (elle constitue une sorte de concordat, par
nature révocable), de l’autre, seules des élites extrêmement
minoritaires s’en revendiquent. En fait, cette quasi-vitrine laïque
ne tient que par la volonté de l’armée, au détriment de la bonne
santé démocratique du pays. La victoire électorale récente des
islamistes, qui sont loin de chérir la modernité occidentale malgré
leurs dénégations, est emblématique de ce dilemme…
Pourquoi alors l’entêtement de certains dirigeants européens ?
Hétéroclites comme toutes les justifications qui étayent les
mauvaises causes, les raisons ne manquent pas : routine d’une
construction européenne « au petit bonheur la chance » fondée sur
l’inconséquence de la fuite en avant, opportunisme électoral
(Schröder), acharnement à diluer l’UE dans l’Otan (Angleterre et
Etats-Unis), posture bien-pensante qui consiste à brandir un
universalisme détourné pour cacher une incapacité morale à assumer
les différences… Mais, dans ces conditions, pourquoi ne pas
proposer conjointement des négociations d’adhésion à l’Ukraine, à la
Biélorussie, à la Moldavie, à Israël et aux pays arabes du pourtour
de la Méditerranée ? Le temps n’est-il donc pas venu, au contraire,
de reconnaître l’erreur du sommet d’Helsinki, qui a
malencontreusement ouvert la voie de l’adhésion turque ?
Etre l’ami de la Turquie (ce qui est le cas de la France) consiste à
lui dire la vérité et à lui proposer une solution alternative : celle
d’un partenariat nouveau permettant à ce grand pays de jouer
pleinement son rôle à la charnière de l’Europe, de l’Asie et du
Proche-Orient.
Les peuples de l’Union, qui prennent aujourd’hui toute la mesure de
l’enjeu européen, veulent désormais avancer les yeux ouverts et les
pieds sur terre. Aussi, si le débat turc leur était confisqué,
gageons qu’ils se le réapproprieraient lors des référendums sur la
ratification du futur traité sur les institutions de l’Union.
Nicolas DUPONT-AIGNAN, Député UMP de l’Essonne ; président de Debout
la République.

Phayul, Tibet
July 6 2004
Dalai Lama’s Birthday in New York
Office of Tibet, New York[Tuesday, July 06, 2004 07:17]
NEW YORK, July 5 – They were on subway trains from Queens and
Brooklyn. They were on cars and trains from Connecticut and other
parts of upstate New York. Some of them had journeyed the day before
on the cheap China Town buses from Boston and Washington, D.C. Others
had journeyed from Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
As they headed toward Manhattan’s Armenian Church, their colorful
chubas and traditional hats attracted curious looks from fellow
travelers and holiday-makers, who tried to guess their nationality
and but did not venture a question.
Even the lone Tibetan layman from Florida was on the New York subway
train that morning, having come all the way to take part in the
famous New York celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s
birthday.
Armenian Church, the favorite venue of Tibetan events in New York, is
just 15 minutes of brisk walk from the United Nations headquarters,
where three Tibetans had nearly starved themselves to death two
months ago to demand justice for their countrymen in Tibet.
Last Saturday, 1,500 Tibetans gathered there for the first day of a
two-day celebration to mark His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday,
which actually falls three days later, on 6 July, when very few
Tibetans can get leave from their jobs in this energetic and
relentlessly toiling city.
The celebration was organized by the Tibetan Association of New York
and New Jersey.
Mr. Karma Khedup, president of the association, started the morning
ceremony by offering a white greeting scarf at the portrait of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Dr. Nawang Rabgyal, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to
North America, addressed the gathering and said the birthday should
not become an occasion for mere festivities and that it should
instead be made more meaningful to the self and others.
He called on Tibetans to use this occasion to “rededicate our mind,
speech and body to the advice and vision of His Holiness”.
Dr. Rabgyal emphasized the need for introspection at a time like this
in order that “we may feel inspired to commit ourselves afresh to the
efforts of internalizing basic human values”, and to studying our
culture and language, as well as to bringing the light of freedom in
our homeland.
Cultural performances and talents shows, followed by
all-can-participate gorshey, a circuitous folk dance from western
Tibet, took the best part of the first day.
On Sunday, Tibetans and other Buddhists from the Himalayan regions of
India and Nepal gathered in Central Park for a day-long picnic.
Stand-up comedies and songs from Tibet, Nepal and India regaled the
crowd till five in the evening.
It was a measure of the singers’ talent that a family of Indian
tourists from Mumbhai was lured to the site to witness what they
thought was the local Indian community’s live concert with artistes
from Bollywood. Their eyes nearly popped out when they saw a tiny
white awning under which a “Japanese” face was mouthing Bollywood
strains into the mike in front of hundreds of other admiring
“Japanese” faces.
Ironically, the Indian family had to come all the way to New York to
learn that over 100,000 Tibetans were living as refugees in India and
the seasonal sweater sellers on the “footpath” of Mumbhai were
Tibetans and not Nepalese. They promised to say “Tashi Delek” to the
sweater sellers back home and also to visit Mundgod, the nearest
Tibetan settlement from Mumbhai.
The day stealer, however, was a stand-up comedian’s mimicry of a new
Tibetan dialect that has evolved among the Tibetan emigre community
in Darjeeling. Known as the Darjeeling Tibetan, it sounds like a
hybrid language, has heavy Nepalese intonation and is laced liberally
with Nepalese words.
The Tibetan Association of New York and New Jersey took the advantage
of this large large gathering to conduct an election for its new
office bearers. The biggest winner was Sonam Wangdu, one of the three
hunger strikers, who is presently in California playing soccer for
the New York Tibetan team.
On 8 July the Office of Tibet in New York will host a special
reception at Tibet House. Dr. Nawang Rabgyal said invitations had
been sent to 400 people, including diplomatic missions, US Government
officials, local Tibet Support Group members and leaders of the
Tibetan community.
“This year we are expecting attendance from many important
dignitaries, including members of the UN missions,” Dr. Rabgyal said.
The increase in attendance, Dr. Rabgyal, said reflects growing
awareness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s contibution to the
promotion of peace, non-violence and human brotherhood.

EU Commissioner Tours South Caucasus To Explain ‘New Neighborhood’ Offer
RFE/RL Caucasus
Monday, 05 July 2004
By Ahto Lobjakas
Janez Potocnik, a junior EU commissioner working with enlargement
commissioner Guenter Verheugen, today begins a four-day tour of the
South Caucasus. He will meet the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Georgia to talk about the EU’s recent decision to include the three
countries in its “new neighborhood” policy.
Brussels, 5 July 2004 (RFE/RL) — Janez Potocnik is a junior
commissioner. But he is by far the highest-ranking EU official to tour
the South Caucasus region in recent years.
As a commissioner for a new EU member state, Slovenia, Potocnik works
with the enlargement commissioner, Guenter Verheugen. Verheugen is in
charge of the EU’s “new neighborhood” program, which offers closer ties
to some EU neighbors.
Although not directly responsible for the new neighborhood program,
Potocnik fully represents the views of the European Commission.
He will spend this week traveling to Georgia (5-6 July), Azerbaijan (6-7
July), and Armenia (7-8 July). Potocnik’s visit will emphasize the EU’s
renewed interest in those three countries. Following Georgia’s “Rose
Revolution” last year, the EU was quick to bring them into the new
neighborhood policy. The formal offer was finalized on 14 June.
Jean-Christophe Filori is a European Commission spokesman. He explained
to RFE/RL today what the offer will mean for the three countries: “The
next steps are to consider the possibility of setting up a so-called
action plan with those three countries — setting the [reform]
priorities they should address. And, on our side, offering an
approximation with the European Union. That, as you know, could
eventually — but in the longer term — lead very far toward a share in
the internal market, for instance, or [alignment] with several EU
policies, like environment or [energy and transport] networks.”
Filori said Potocnik will tell the three South Caucasus governments that
they could eventually have a voice in Europe.
Potocnik will not offer precise details of the financial aid likely to
accompany new neighborhood membership. EU member states are still
debating the contents of the bloc’s next budget for the years 2007-2013.
But EU officials say Potocnik will reiterate the bloc’s willingness to
take a more active approach to the region’s many conflicts. The bloc
will not act as a mediator. But it will use incentives inherent in
closer ties to foster compromise.
Filori says this strategy has proved successful elsewhere: “Take, for
instance, the example of Romania and Hungary, the issue of the Hungarian
minority. Through a very early and intense political dialogue, we
[found] a solution. And we really hope that with this prospect of
getting closer to the European Union we will also have the possibility
of a much better political dialogue with [the South Caucasus] countries.”
The EU promotes its new neighborhood policy as distinct from bloc
membership but offering many of the same benefits.
Filori said the EU is not likely to discuss anytime soon a further EU
expansion that would bring countries like Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan into the bloc: “We can never say never, of course — we will
have to see. What we’re trying to do now is to set the prospect for the
foreseeable future. And in the foreseeable future, we have an approach
allowing for much closer involvement of those countries in Europe, and a
much closer involvement of the EU in those countries — much closer
relations. It would be a first step. Let’s seize this offer first.”
The EU has made it clear that it will consider developing relations with
the three countries on the basis of individual merit. So far, Georgia
has emerged as a clear leader.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian pro-government MP urges opposition to return to parliament
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
3 Jul 04

Text of Naira Zograbyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak on 3 July headlined “The opposition is outlawed”
An interview with the leader of the National Assembly faction of the
Republican Party of Armenia, Galust Saakyan.
[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Saakyan, there are rumours that
the high echelons of the authorities have already adopted a decision
to regard the absence of the deputies of the Justice and National
Unity blocs as inappropriate and deprive them of deputy mandates.
[Galust Saakyan] No such decision has been adopted. Simply there is a
situation where the opposition has found itself outlawed, and there
are no legal grounds to consider their absence from the National
Assembly to be appropriate. Their return to the parliament will be
difficult, as a legal solution to the problem demands that they be
deprived of their deputy mandates. The opposition can return to the
parliament only as a result of a political agreement. I think it would
be right for the opposition not to miss the chance to return to the
parliament by means of a political agreement.
[Correspondent] Why is the coalition interested in returning the
opposition to the National Assembly?
[Saakyan] The opposition is obliged to return to the parliament, as
there are quite serious problems in the world, as well as within the
country, which are above party and personal interests. First of all,
it is the Karabakh issue, as it is no secret that certain problems
connected with the Karabakh issue may arise in foreign relations. This
is an issue that demands the unification of the opposition and
pro-government forces. But if the opposition sticks to its tough
position and does not return to the parliament, this opposition will
be finally regarded as incomplete and will be seen as a power-hungry
opposition force.
[Correspondent] But the leaders of the opposition say that their
position on the matter of returning to the parliament has not changed.
[Saakyan] In the future, we shall end up facing much more serious
challenges whose culmination is the Karabakh issue. For this reason,
it is necessary for political forces to unite their position on this
matter as was the case in 2001 when all the political forces signed
the known document on the Karabakh issue. And today when processes
around the Karabakh issue are intensifying, the fact that the
opposition is not returning to the parliament will be negatively
accepted by the world community as well. The opposition’s rating has
fallen and will come to nought if they dissociate themselves from the
Karabakh issue. For four months now, the opposition has been staging
rallies and no analytical material concerning the Karabakh issue has
been submitted to society. So, we cannot but think that the actions of
the opposition are directed by different external forces. For this
reason, I think the expected developments around the Karabakh issue
may prompt the opposition to return to the parliament and start its
natural work there.
[Correspondent] Mr Saakyan, if there are problems whose settlement
requires the unification of the whole political field, why do you not
regard their political boycott as appropriate?
[Saakyan] Political boycott is not regulated by the law. In the legal
field, they have no choice but to return to the parliament. In summer,
representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia will try to explain
to them the need to return to the parliament. If we agree, it will be
only a political agreement. There is no other option. But if the
opposition rejects a political agreement, then I shall be the first to
deprive them of their deputy mandates.
[Correspondent] If you do not reach agreement and the opposition does
not come to the parliament in September, is there any way that this
will create a political situation that can be settled only by means of
extraordinary parliamentary elections?
[Saakyan] If the opposition boycotts the autumn session as well and if
there is a new political situation whose final settlement are
extraordinary parliamentary elections, then for me, as a member of the
Republican Party, it may be a very appropriate moment. I am sure that
in the elections, the Republican Party will gain more votes than it
has today. But we should not think only about our own narrow party
interests. The Republican Party will try to persuade the opposition to
return to the parliament, at least we have put forward our
suggestion. The opposition should reply to this. If there is no
political agreement, then the law will step in.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian fugitives to move to third country by late July – Azeri minister
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
2 Jul 04

[Presenter] The case of a group of 200 Wahhabis, which has been
drawing up plans against the state, will be submitted to court in the
near future, Azerbaijani National Security Minister Namiq Abbasov has
told ATV. The minister went on to say that prosecutors are trying to
establish the Wahhabis’ main purpose although the fact that they have
been drawing up plans against statehood has been confirmed.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
[Correspondent over video of Namiq Abbasov] According to the minister,
the case will be submitted to court as soon as it is completed. Judges
will have a final say.
As for soldier Aydin Huseynov who has been taken prisoner in the south
of Agdam District, the minister said that the state commission of the
Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for POWs, hostages and missing
persons is not dealing with the issue yet. According to the minister,
the Armenian side has not registered our soldier as a prisoner of war
yet. Mr Abbasov said that the state committee will be come to grips
with the issue as soon as the soldier is granted prisoner of war
status.
As for the plight of Artur Apresyan and Roman Teryan who fled Armenia
to Azerbaijan on 8 April, the minister said that work is under way to
move them to a third country and a final decision on the issue will be
made by late July.
Vusala Karimova and Bahruz Aliyev for “Son Xabar”.