Author: Frangulian Shushan

CHINESE POLITBURO MEMBER LUO GAN MEETS ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL
Xinhua news agency, Beijing
19 Sep 05
Beijing, 19 September: Luo Gan, member of the Standing Committee of
the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central
Committee, met here Monday with Tigran Torosyan, deputy speaker of the
National Assembly and vice-chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia.
Luo said China and Armenia have improved bilateral relations in
a comprehensive way, strengthened political trust and made their
cooperation fruitful since the two countries forged diplomatic ties
in 1992. He expressed the belief that Sino-Armenian ties would be
further enhanced with endeavours of the two sides. He appreciates
the adherence of Armenia to China’s stance on the issues of Taiwan,
Tibet and human rights.
Luo said the CCP would like to promote cooperation with all parties
in Armenia including the Armenian Republican Party in a bid to promote
an all-round and sustainable relations between the two countries.
Torosyan said Armenia attaches great importance to the relations
with China and adheres to the one-China policy. He said Armenia hopes
to further strengthen exchanges with the CCP and push forward their
cooperation in all fields.

RA MFA PRESS SECRETARY’S STATEMENT CALLED “DIPLOMATIC MANEUVERS” IN BAKU
DeFacto, Armenia
Sept 16 2005
RA MFA press secretary Hamlet Gasparyan’s statement on Nagorno
Karabakh process “is nothing more than diplomatic maneuvers”, Head of
the International Department of the Azeri President’s Administration
Novruz Mamedov stated, Azeri Trend agency reports.
To note, Hamlet Gasparyan said Armenia’s stand had not been changed –
if Azerbaijan raised an issue referring to Nagorno Karabakh at the
UN Armenia would cease talks, so Azerbaijan would have to negotiate
with Stepanakert. RA MFA press secretary said it while commenting
on placing the issue “About the situation on Azerbaijan’s occupied
territories” on the UN General Assembly 60th sitting’s agenda.
According to Mamedov, “Armenia sees that Azerbaijan’s stand on Nagorno
Karabakh settlement is supported by the international community
and is trying to threaten Azerbaijan with suspension of talks and
negotiations with Nagorno Karabakh”.

BILL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE DISCUSSED IN EDINBURGH
Pan Armenian News
19.09.2005 04:11
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The possible discussion of the bill on the Armenian
Genocide in the town council of Edinburgh spurred Turkish diplomatic
missions in the UK to drastic measures. Chairman of the town council,
Labor Part member Donald Anderson sent a letter to the Turkish Embassy
to inform that he has studied the documents proving the mass killings
of the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire and that he has no doubts
that it was a genocide. Representatives of the Turkish Embassy left
London for Edinburgh to prevent the adoption of the bill on the
Armenian Genocide. Deputies of the conservative wing of the town
council also impede the adoption of the bill.

The Messenger, Georgia
Sept 15 2005
Separatist states make plea for recognition
By Anna Arzanova
A two-day conference of representatives of unrecognized separatist
republics in post-Soviet space described by an organizer as the
“Alternative CIS” got underway in Moscow on Wednesday, September 14.
Russian politicians opened the forum with criticism of Georgian
policy. “I want to draw attention to the fact that there are parallel
worlds, as in fiction. We have a world of recognized countries and
unrecognized countries,” said Director of the Russia’s Institute for
CIS Studies and member of the CIS Affairs Committee in the State Duma
Konstantin Zatulin.
He stressed that as long as these two worlds are separate, the CIS
cannot be an effective organization; “we are talking about an
alternative CIS. But the CIS itself is not well organized either.” He
also criticized NATO member states for providing Georgia with arms.
Zatulin compared the Georgian authorities to children and attempted
to draw an analogy. “Why are matches kept from children? Because
children cannot be responsible for the ensuing results,” he said.
He stated that the human rights are the most important and that “this
concept should be applied equally to people who have been living or
lived in the conflict zones as well as all the people who have never
heard about the conflicts.”
Taking part are government representatives from Abkhazia and South
Ossetia (Georgia), Transdnestria (Moldova), and Nagorni Karabakh
(Azerbaijan), in addition to political analysts, MPs of the Russian
State Duma and other politicians.
At the opening session, the participants of the conference, which was
organized by the Institute of CIS Countries, mainly discussed the
issue of laying the groundwork for international recognition of the
de facto republics and the protection of the human rights of the
people living in the conflict zones.
Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Modest Kolerov
in an interview with journalists stated that the only thing that can
impede the existence of the de facto states as real countries is
“bloody war.”
“The main thing that supports and strengthens them is peace and
reality. Those who do not want war to take place are forced to take
this fact into account,” he stated.
On September 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia released a
statement that addresses the decision of the Government of the Czech
Republic to hand over ammunition to Tbilisi on a free of charge
basis.
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all this may
increase the temptation of Tbilisi to use force against Sokhumi and
Tskhinvali, which would seriously destabilize the situation not only
in Georgia, but throughout the Caucasus as well.
“It should also be remembered that arms might fall into the hands of
international terrorists, who will subsequently spread throughout the
region and also, not inconceivably, beyond. All of this cannot but
arouse concern,” writes the Information and Press Department of the
Ministry.
Speaking at the conference, representative of the breakaway republic
of South Ossetia in Russia Konstantin Dzugaev asked Russia to render
assistance in the military and economic spheres to South Ossetia.
He stated that if Russia does not raise the pensions and salaries it
distributes to the Tskhinvali population to equal those distributed
within Russia, the demographic situation in South Ossetia would
become aggravated. As a result, Dzugaev said, “there would be no
necessity to protect anybody.”
“Recognize these republics. With this step not only will vitally
important problems be solved, but important human values such as
justice will be upheld and protected. We have been living for fifteen
years in bad conditions and have been defending the pro-Russian
choice,” Dzugaev stated at the forum.
Dzugaev went on to praise the Ossetian people by saying that they are
a most diligent people and are unwaveringly devoted to the Ossetian
government.
A representative of the Abkhaz de facto republic Igor Akhba described
Abkhazia is an independent state with its own political and economic
structures.

A1+
| 19:32:38 | 16-09-2005 | Politics |
HISTORICAL CHANCE FOR KARABAKH
`The EU defends the steps towards the development of the negotiation process
about the settlement of the Karabakh conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan’, announced the EU special representative to Southern Caucasus
Heikki Talvitie in Baku.
He mentioned that the settlement of the conflict is possible only by the
efforts of the parties underlining that `No one from abroad can solve the
problem’.
According to eh EU special representative, the Kazan meeting of Ilham Aliev
and Robert Kocharyan `gives us the possibility to mark that there is
historical chance for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to be settled and it
must be made use of’.

Armenpress
Economic Culture and Science Regional Sports
POLITICAL
16 September
STATEMENT OF ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER ANDRANIK MARGARIAN AT HIGH-LEVEL
PLENARY MEETING OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S 60TH SESSION
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian made speech at the 60th session of the UN General Assembly.
“Mr. President,
Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Mr. President,
First, allow me, to congratulate You on Your election as President of the
60th session of the UN General Assembly. It is five years now that the Heads
of States and Governments adopted the Millennium Declaration thus assuming
responsibility to reach the development goals as outlined in the
Declaration. By joining the Declaration Armenia included the development
goals in its long-term strategic programs. By the decision of the Government
and with the assistance of international organizations Armenia adopted a
Poverty Reduction Strategy Program in August 2003.
It envisages measures aimed at implementation of MDGs and is in
compliance with the strategic development of the country. The Program
reflects our national distinctive features and enjoys the full support of
civil society and international organizations.
Mr. President,
Terrorism remains the biggest scourge facing humanity. The terrorist acts of
September 11, 2001 in the United States, then in Beslan, Madrid, London and
other parts of the world testify that states should unite their efforts to
commonly address this evil. Armenia strongly condemns terrorism and all its
manifestations. We commend measures undertaken by the Secretary-General
aimed at prevention of possible acts of genocide in the future. In this
connection I would like to underline the importance of inclusion in the
Outcome Document of the High-Level Meeting the concept of responsibility to
protect populations against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and
crimes against humanity.
The international community should redouble its efforts to prevent
possible genocides. Armenians, as a nation that survived the first genocide
of the 20-th century, know well the horrible consequences of the policy of
genocide.
Mr. President,
One of the guarantees for security and stability in our region is peaceful
settlement of regional conflicts. Armenia remains committed to the peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. The people of Nagorno Karabagh
used its right to self-determination in accordance with the principles of
international law, just as some countries present at this session have
recently done. We are confident that only in conditions of mutual respect,
in an atmosphere of tolerance and with the will to recognize historic truth
can we secure peaceful and good-neighborly coexistence in our region.
We attach special attention to regional cooperation to encourage mutual
confidence. Unfortunately, this process is impeded by the blockade imposed
on Armenia, as well as by unwillingness of some countries of our region to
engage in such cooperation.
Mr. President,
Armenia supports the efforts aimed at reforming the United Nations and,
in particular, at enhancement of the role of the General Assembly, creation
of the Human Rights Council, and especially at increasing the effectiveness
of the working methods of the Security Council. We are confident that the
reformed United Nations Organization will be in a position to successfully
address today’s ever-increasing challenges. Thank you.”

Two Azeris hoist national flag in Armenian-controlled area
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
15 Sep 05
Two Azerbaijanis living in Siberia have managed to hoist the
Azerbaijani national flag in the village of Sahlar in
Armenian-occupied Kalbacar District, the Azerbaijani commercial TV
station ATV reported on 14 September.
“I spent 16 days without food and water crossing the area guarded by
Armenians and Azerbaijanis and visited my sacred land of Kalbacar. For
me, Kalbacar and Sahlar are a second Mecca and Madina,” one of the
Azerbaijanis captioned as Dilqam said in an interview on 18 July 2005.
In his remarks to ATV, former Kalbacar resident Mirsayyaf Zamanli said
that this was Dilqam’s third visit to Kalbacar.
Video showed destroyed houses and facilities in the village of Sahlar
in Kalbacar. The video was filmed by a friend of Dilqam identified as
Sahbaz.
Azerbaijan’s Kalbacar District was occupied by Armenian troops on 2
April 1993.

EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT TO CONSIDER INFRINGEMENT OF PROPERTY
RIGHTS OF ARMENIANS IN TURKEY
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15. ARMINFO. The European Court of Human Rights is
expected to announce a decision next week on the property rights of
minority foundations. Specifically, the Court will adjudicate two
cases filed by the Soorp Purgich Armenian Hospital Foundation and the
Fener Greek Boys High School Foundation against Turkey.
In both cases, property gifted to the Armenian and Greek foundations
were seized as the Turkish courts upheld orders declaring that the
bequest violated a decree disallowing non-Moslems from donating real
estate. If the court rules in favor of the foundations, hundreds of
buildings seized in the past may be returned.
Earlier this year, Armenian Assembly Board Member and former Board of
Directors Chairman Van Krikorian testified before the Helsinki
Commission on freedom of religion in Turkey with respect to the
Armenian Church and community. During his testimony Krikorian noted
that “for centuries, Armenians paid and in many places still pay a
high price for their Christianity,” and that seizure and destruction
of Armenian Church property was commonplace. Krikorian noted that in
1914, in Turkey, there were approximately 5,000 Armenian Churches,
seminaries and schools registered by the Patriarchate and that today,
90 years after the Armenian Genocide, there are less than 50 Armenian
Churches.

Four ex-Soviet regions seek closer ties with Russia
Pravda
18:35 2005-09-14
Representatives of four ex-Soviet breakaway regions reiterated their
intention Wednesday to seek international recognition and closer ties
with Russia, and a Russian lawmaker said it was high time the
provinces were recognized as sovereign states.
Officials and academics from Georgia’s breakaway provinces of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia, the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh disputed by
Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the Trans-Dniester region of Moldova met
at a conference in Moscow and pledged to pursue independence efforts.
Igor Akhba, Abkhazia’s envoy to Russia, said his region was determined
to become independent from Georgia and seek closer ties with Russia,
the AP reports.
“The people of Abkhazia have voted for an independent republic of
Abkhazia, … we are building an independent, lawful state in
accordance with international law,” Akhba said.
Taimuraz Kokoyev, dean of the South-Ossetian University, said his
province also had similar aims and hoped one day to become part of
Russia.
“The people of South Ossetia have decided their destiny long ago
… the Ossetian people will keep seeking to join Russia,” Kokoyev
said.
Representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh and Trans-Dniester also said
they relied on Russia’s help in their efforts to win international
recognition.
All the regions broke away from central governments in separatist wars
in the early 1990s, cultivating close ties with Russia.
Konstantin Zatulin, a lawmaker from the Kremlin-backed United Russia
party, called the sovereignty of these entities a reality that should
be accepted. “Fighting with reality is as complicated as peeing
against the wind,” Zatulin said.
Modest Kolerov, a member of the Russian presidential administration
charged with regional relations, said all the ex-Soviet republics
needed to ensure freedom of speech, religion and citizenship to their
citizens.
“We are acting to provide these fundamental rights to our fellow
countrymen in the former Soviet republics,” the Interfax news agency
quoted Kolerov as saying.

WORKING MEETING
A1+
| 20:53:15 | 12-09-2005 | Official |
Today Robert Kocharyan had a meeting with the members of the political
council of the coalition.
The participants of the meeting discussed the course of Constitutional
reforms and issues about the NA plenary session agenda.