Author: Garo Vardanian

AZG Armenian Daily #157, 03/09/2005
Armenia-Turkey
YEREVAN POSITIVELY EVALUATES RUSSIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
In the context of the Armenian-Russian strategic cooperation,
the official Yerevan positively evaluates both the Russian-Turkish
relations and the personal relations between Vladimir Putin and Recep
Tayyip Erdogan. Victor Soghomonian, Press Secretary of RA President,
said at the press conference. He said that the further development
of the Russian-Turkish relations, may serve as certain “resources for
mediator’s” in overcoming the contradictions in the Armenian-Turkish
relations. Besides, Yerevan positively accepts both Russian-Turkish
and Russian-Azeri cooperation.
Mr. Soghomonian confirmed Yerevan’s position to establish diplomatic
relations with Ankara without any pre-conditions. In response to
the question whether the demand to include the issue of the Armenian
genocide in the agenda of the foreign policy, Mr. Soghomonian cited an
extract from Robert Kocharian’s speech at the international scientific
conference dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
held in Yerevan. “We remember the past with pain, but without any
hatred,” Robert Kocharian said. Mr. Soghomonian added that such a
position explains Armenia’s readiness to unfold dialogue with Turkey,
but without forgetting the memory of the victims and calling events
of 1915 a genocide.
Mr. Soghomonian said that Mr. Kocharian is treating the current
stage of Nagorno Karabakh settlement with “careful optimism.” He
didn’t comment on the statements of the Azeri side, saying that Baku
usually denies them with the official statements of their own Azeri
officials. As for the recent anti -Armenian statements that appeared
in the Russian press, Mr. Soghomonian promised to treat them as an
attitude of a separate newspaper or an author.
Mr. Soghomonian also announced the schedule of Robert Kocharian’s
visits envisaged for the rest of 2005. Mr. President is going to
visit Slovenia, Belgium and Greece.
By Tatoul Hakobian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri opposition members clash with pro-government pickets in Baku
Assa-Irada
9 Aug 05
BAKU
A group of Ganca [Azerbaijan’s second largest city] residents and
members of the Modern Musavat Party today attempted to stage an
unauthorized picket outside the headquarters of the [opposition]
People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party [PFAP] in protest against the
activities of Ruslan Basirli, who is being accused of cooperating with
the Armenian special services.
PFAP members blocked the pickets at the intersection of Rasid Behbudov
and Xaqani Streets, where the pickets were forced to retreat after a
clash broke out between the sides. The PFAP members marched towards
Uzeyir Hacibayov Street and threw eggs at the building housing the
editorial offices of [pro-government] Yeni Azarbaycan and Sas
newspapers. The police prevented them from entering the building.
Several people from both sides are said to have been injured during
the clash. An investigation is under way into the clashes that
occurred outside the PFAP headquarters in the last three days, Xanlar
Zeynalov, chief of the Sabayil district police department, has told
reporters. He said criminal proceedings will be instituted based on
the investigation. Zeynalov did not rule out that the PFAP members who
used force during the clashes will be arrested.

ARF Hay Dat Committee of South America welcomes Venezuela parliament resolution
21.07.2005 17:26
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Hay Dat
Committee of South America has welcomed the resolution Venezuela
Parliament passed on July 14 recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
The Hay Dat Committee specifically praised the part of the resolution
that called on the European Union leadership to deny Turkey a
membership in the Union unless it recognizes the Armenian Genocide
By adopting this resolution, Venezuela joined Uruguay and Argentina
which have passed similar resolutions in 1965 and 1985 respectively.
“The Hay Dat Committee of South America welcomes Venezuela National
Assembly’s step which characterizes the supportive spirit of South
America brotherly nations, demanding from Turkey to stop its denial
policies,” a statement issued by the Committee reads.

FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN DISCUSS ELEMENTS OF
NEGOTIATIONS ON SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT
YEREVAN, JUNE 18. ARMINFO. During the Saturday negotiations the
foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan discussed important
elements within the framework of the Prague process, necessary for
signing peace agreement. As Baku’s Echo newspaper reports, Deputy
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov informed on the results
of the meeting. To remind, the meeting of Vardan Oskanian and Elmar
Mamedyarov was held in Paris. The cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on
settlement of the Karabakh conflict were also present at the meeting.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE ANTI-TRAFFICKING MEETING DISCUSSES ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL REFERRAL MECHANISM IN ARMENIA
A1plus
| 17:18:27 | 15-06-2005 | Official |
As part of its efforts to help combat human trafficking in Armenia,
the OSCE Office in Yerevan organized a meeting today with Armenian
officials and NGO representatives to discuss the establishment of a
so-called National Referral Mechanism in the country.
National Referral Mechanisms (NRMs) are co-operative frameworks through
which state institutions – in partnership with civil society – fulfill
their obligations to protect the human rights of trafficked persons.
“The successful prosecution of traffickers and protection of victims
requires strong action and co-ordination on the national level by
both state institutions and NGOs,” said Blanka Hancilova, the OSCE
Office’s Democratization Officer.
“An NRM in Armenia would have the benefit of bringing together all
relevant actors in the country in a national network, which would
institutionalize efforts to assist trafficking victims. This would
in turn contribute to making prevention of trafficking more effective
in Armenia,” she said.
The participants at the event, who represented the Armenian
Inter-Agency Commission on Anti-Trafficking Issues and members of
the NGO community, stressed that the establishment of an NRM was
a critical step in creating a comprehensive policy to fight human
trafficking in Armenia.
The meeting, which was organized with support from the OSCE’s
Warsaw-based Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR) and the US State Department, forms part of a broader effort
by the OSCE Office to strengthen identification mechanisms, promote
information exchange, and increase awareness of the importance of
victim assistance and protection.
“The OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings has
identified the importance of the protection of victims’ rights for
a successful fight against trafficking. This meeting has brought us
one step forward in translating these commitments into practice in
Armenia,” said Astrid Ganterer, Advisor on Anti-Trafficking issues
at the ODIHR.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IT IS NECESSARY TO FIGHT ACTIVELY AGAINST CORRUPTION TO DEVELOP ARMENIA’s ECONOMY: SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT
YEREVAN, JUNE 3. ARMINFO. A sitting of a working group of the
Euro-Parliamentarian Macroeconomic Study Center took place today at
Armenia’s National Assembly.
As ARMINFO was informed at the parliamentarian press-service, Head of
the WB Yerevan office Roger Robinson, Head of “Armenia 2002” program
Artashes Ghazakhetsyan, and the CB Council member Vache Gabrielyan
participated at the sitting. Prospects of development of trade,
transport communications, tourism, and information technologies
spheres were discussed there. Meeting participants emphasized the
importance of Armenia’s integration to Europe which will contribute
to the development of country’s economy.
Speaker of Armenia’s Parliament Artur Baghdassaryan stated that it
is necessary to consider the Southern Caucasian region as a united
economic zone. In his opinion, one should fight actively against
corruption, create a free rivalry market and develop small and
medium-size business – for Armenia’s economic development. -r-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV MEETS WITH TURKISH PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN
[May 16, 2005, 12:52:22]
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
May 16 2005
On May 15, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met at his temporary
residence in Warsaw with Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, AzerTAj’s own correspondent reports from
Polish capital.
Reportedly, the meeting has focused on further development and
strengthening of friendly and brotherly relationship between Azerbaijan
and Turkey, and a number of other issues of mutual interest.
Afterwards, President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan have held a briefing for media representatives.
President Ilham Aliyev noted they had exchanged views on a wide range
of issues including those related to the processes taking place in the
region and security ones. He added his recent meeting with Armenian
President R. Kocharyan had also been discussed with the Turkish
Premier. ‘Turkey and Azerbaijan are strengthening their positions in
the region. Uniting us the large-scale energy project, is about to be
completed in a few days; with commissioning the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline, our relationship will enter a new stage. I hope the two
friendly and brotherly countries will continue to support each other,
and our two nations will be together forever,’ he said.
For his part, Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed
out they had discussed all the issues concerning relationship between
the two friendly and brotherly nations. He thanked the Azerbaijani
leader for updating him on the meeting with the Armenian President.
‘We are not indifferent towards the problem, and have been closely
watching the steps taken towards resolution of the conflict. What we
wish is the problem be solved as soon as possible. I think this will
bring the region to peace and security,’ he said.
The Turkish Premier has finally expressed hope the Summit would be
fruitful for all Council of European’s member-countries.
Then, President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
answered questions from journalists.
Q. Mr. Prime Minister, what would you say about the today’s meeting
on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN: Each meeting is a step towards progress.
Q. Are you going to meet with Kocharyan?
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN: No, we had no plans to meet.
Q. Is the Armenia’s stance still tough, or softening tendencies may
be expected?
ILHAM ALIYEV: You know, the stance is known. This problem has been
discussing for years, and both parties have their own positions.
Today, these positions have been discussed once again. You know that
Foreign Ministers too meet frequently. We decided today with the
Armenian President, however, not to make statements to the media on
the talks we had held. Because it is too early. Hope the negotiations
will yield results and our problems will be solved. Thank you.

BELGIAN PARLIAMENT PUT OFF DISCUSSION OF BILL ON CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL
Pan Armenian News
18.05.2005 05:18
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Belgian parliament put off the discussion of
the bill providing for criminal responsibility for the denial of the
Armenian Genocide, Yerkir Online reported. The decision was caused
by the pressed parliamentary agenda. It is supposed that if the bill
is adopted by the Justice Commission of the Belgian Senate it will
be submitted for ratification to the Belgian parliament early July.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The New Anatolian, Turkey
May 5 2005
Gul: Turkey will rebuff all unfair accusations
Turkey will rebuff all unfair accusations against Turkey on the
so-called Armenian genocide and take immediate steps to reveal the
truth, said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Parliament yesterday. He
added that Turkey also has to raise its voice in legal platforms to
be taken into consideration by other countries.
Briefing members of Parliament’s Foreign Relations, National
Security, and European Union harmonization Commissions, he said that
Turkey will take more active steps regarding recent developments on
the so-called Armenian genocide claims to prove to the world they are
groundless.
He mentioned that parliaments in certain countries have made
disappointing decisions, and that Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc’s
defense of Turkey’s stance on the issue is correct. “We can’t remain
indifferent to such groundless allegations; Turkey should raise its
voice to show that the allegations are baseless,” Gul stressed.
He referred to Turkish deputies that have previously discussed the
Armenian issue in detail, and noted that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan sent a letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharian offering
to establish a research group that would study the genocide problem
objectively and that the Armenian premier’s response was positive.
Gul said that Turkey will do whatever needed to establish good
relations between the two countries, and is ready to take further
steps.
He also touched on Belgium, saying that the Belgian Parliament has
been pursuing a dangerous path by discussing the addition of the
so-called Armenian genocide claims in a law which recognizes the
Holocaust of World War II. “On the other hand, we watch with pleasure
the way Turkish citizens are fighting similar developments in
Germany, as well as the Turkish Embassy and Consulates there,” Gul
added.
No slowing of EU process
He went on to say that the government’s efforts for European Union
membership continue in the same way as before last Dec. 17 when
Turkey received a start date for Turkey’s EU accession talks. He went
on to highlight that Turkey focused on the implementation of reforms
for a while which had caused a misperception in the media that the
government has lost its enthusiasm for the process. “The EU
harmonization process remains the major issue for Turkey today,” he
added.
He said that Turkey will sign the adjustment protocol expanding the
Ankara Protocol to cover newly joined members before this Oct. 3, but
that this doesn’t mean that Turkey has to recognize Greek Cyprus.
~SErdogan already mentioned that reservation at the last EU summit,~T
Gul added.
US relations are positive
Gul also told deputies that Turkey’s relations with the U.S. are
positive, despite “misinformation” which has appeared in the Turkish
press recently. “The common aims and values of both Turkey and the
U.S. contribute to the development of relations between the two
countries,” he said.
He stressed that Turkey gave the U.S. partial permission for the use
of Incirlik Airbase, which doesn’t cover transportation of troops or
arms, and added that full-access permission is not in line with
Turkey’s sovereignty. He also underlined that flights involved in
military operations from Incirlik are strictly banned, and there has
been no secret decision made on the issue.
The U.S. wanted to use Incirlik in line with United Nations
resolutions, for the transportation of logistical material for
operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the airbase was previously
used by Britain, Canada, and Hungary, Gul said. He added that the
flights will be supervised by Turkish military officials.
He said that the U.S. requests are in line with Turkey’s political
interests towards Afghanistan and Iraq, noting that Turkey is also
positive about the recent demand by the South Korea to use Incirlik
for logistical purposes in the current Iraqi operation. The Korean
demand is currently under discussion, he added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Civil Georgia
April 29 2005
ELEVENTH UNITED NATIONS CONGRESS ON CRIME PREVENTION WRAPPED ITS
SESSON
[April 29, 2005, 15:59:24]
Greatly concerned by the expansion and dimensions of transnational
organized cime, terrorism and any existing links between them and by
the increasing sophistication and diversification of the activities
of organized criminal groups, the Eleventh United Nations Congress on
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on April 25 unanimously adopted
the `Bangkok Declaration’, addressing those matters, as well as
issues such as trafficking in human beings, money-laundering,
corruption, `cybercrime’, restorative justice, and the root causes of
crime.
According to that Declaration, entitled `Synergies and Responses:
Strategic Alliances in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice’, Member
States reaffirmed their readiness to seek to improve international
cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism at the
multilateral, regional and bilateral levels, in areas including
extradition and mutual legal assistance. They also sought to ensure
national capacity to engage in international cooperation, in
particular in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and
adjudication of transnational organized crime and terrorism and in
discovering any existing links between them.
The Congress also called on all States that had not yet done so to
ratify and implement the provisions of the United Nations Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime and its three Protocols and the
United Nations Convention against Corruption. It further called upon
donor States and financial institutions to continue to make adequate
voluntary contributions for the provision of technical assistance to
developing countries and countries with economies in transition in
order to help them build capacity to prevent and tackle crime, to
apply the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and
criminal justice and implement the aforementioned conventions and the
international drug control conventions.
The Azerbaijani delegation led by minister of justice Fikret Mammadov
has partake in the session. Speaking at the Congress Fikret Mammadov
has informed on crime prevention in Azerbaijan, fighting drug
trafficking and corruption. He has also talks about the Armenian
terrorism and it’s terror act against Azerbaijan’s population, as
well as aggression by Armenia in result which had been occupying 20
percent of Azerbaijan’s territories and about violation of
Azerbaijani refugee’s rights by the aggressor.
Text of minister’s speech was disseminated amongst the Congress
participants.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress