Author: Hovhannisian John

KAZAKHSTAN AND ARMENIA SPECIFIED BASIC DIRECTIONS OF PARTNERSHIP
Kazinform, Kazakhstan
Oct 13 2005
ASTANA. October 13. KAZINFORM. On October 12 in the city of Yerevan
the first sitting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Commercial
and Economic Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Armenia took place,
MFA press service reported.
The discussion of the wide range of issues resulted in accurate
specification of the priority directions of cooperation. In particular,
the sides agreed on consolidation of the contractual and legal
base, increase of Kazakhstani investments into Armenia’s economy,
support of entrepreneurship, development of transport association and
interaction in the sphere of agriculture and expansion of cultural
exchanges between the countries. The sides also signed a Archiving
Partnership Agreement.
In the course of the visit to Yerevan Kazakhstani delegates held
a number of meetings with Armenian senior officials. Armenia
supported the intention of Kazakhstan to chair in the Organization
for Cooperation and Security in Europe in 2009.
The Government of Armenia also expressed readiness to provide for
Kazakhstan the copies of Kypchak manuscripts of 14-16 centuries which
are been kept in the world-known treasury of ancient manuscripts –
Matenadaran.

Movie Review: Where The Truth Lies
Egoyan’s ‘Truth’ is hard to swallow
Despite all the bare flesh, Where The Truth Lies lacks passion
By BRUCE KIRKLAND – Toronto Sun
October 12, 2005
PLOT: In the 1970s, a young journalist investigates two singer-comics
who starred in the 1950s. A long-suppressed scandal — the dead body
in their bathtub after a night of drugs and sex — looms large.
Atom Egoyan’s latest opus, the sexually charged murder mystery Where
The Truth Lies, is an immaculate conception for all its naughty
content.
Lush, sleek, beautifully conceived and photographed, the film is a
glossy artifact of high cinema. With its intellectual conceits,
time-shifting story and challenging ideas, it is a film with a
mainstream sheen and an arthouse complexity.
But Where The Truth Lies is also cold and distant and sterile. All
despite the naked sexcapades that include orgies and plenty of bare
flesh, both male and female.
We are left with a contemporary film noir lacking the passion of the
noir genre of the 1940s and ’50s. Noirs used to rumble, bark,
grind. The grit in the characters was as abrasive as
sandpaper. Egoyan’s film is too clean for the dirty little lies it
hides. And only some of the characters belong here.
Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon do belong, and both give edgy performances
that toughen the film’s spine and make this flawed movie worth
watching.
In Firth’s case, his work may even be a shocker, given how venal his
character becomes. Mr. Darcy was never this mean, this callous.
As the ugly American Lanny Morris and the slick Briton Vince Collins,
Firth and Bacon portray singer-comics of the 1950s. They are a
star-studded duo, versatile entertainers like Dean Martin and Jerry
Lewis, although this is not their real-life story.
In the movie, Lanny & Vince command nightclubs, flirt with the babes
in the audience. They also host their own telethon, ostensibly to
raise money for needy children, really to raise their likability
quotient.
After-hours, off stage, they booze it up, do drugs and do every woman
willing to strip and perform sexual acts, sometimes in group
orgies. No rules, no limits, no morality. The film explores the
changing nature of celebrity and excess.
One night, one woman (Rachel Blanchard in a brave support role in
which her sexuality is used as a dangerous weapon) ends up naked and
dead in the bathtub.
Two decades later, a young journalist (Alison Lohman) with a
tangential connection to the duo is given the chance to write a
tell-all book about their mercurial past career. The film, written by
Egoyan and based on a novel by American Rupert Holmes, uses Lohman’s
awkward, often ill-advised investigation to expose the harsh truths
and the lies.
Lanny & Vince, like Martin & Lewis, split up long ago in weird
circumstances. In the 1970s era, each now has his own agenda, his own
memory of what really happened. And how did that woman end up naked
and dead?
Egoyan, as he often does, time shifts to re-create the story,
stripping away layers and forcing characters to reveal themselves in
fragments. In this case, however, he relies on a catalyst who is not
up to the task. This is where the film fails.
Lohman, looking like a teenager and carrying no weight on screen in
this role, is woefully miscast. She is impossible to believe as
anything but a flyweight, except in her surprising lesbian
encounter. No one would give this girlish woman a million bucks to
write an expose. She is no match for Firth’s character, so the plot is
unbalanced, even unhinged.
There is also a serious problem with the climax-epilogue of the
story. As Egoyan tells the tale, he changes the emotional emphasis of
the piece in the final scene. The film turns out not to be what we
thought it was about all along. Bad move.
BOTTOM LINE: Played at the Cannes and Toronto filmfests. While it
boasts many fine qualities, including Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon’s
lusty performances as a musical comedy duo, Atom Egoyan’s opus falls
short of satisfaction.
(This film is rated 18-A)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN: RISK OF REVOLUTION IN NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
ANSA English Media Service
October 10, 2005
(ANSA) – MOSCOW, October 10 – Following the “colour revolutions”
in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, another former Soviet republic
is facing an imminent risk of popular uprising as Azerbaijan will
vote on November 6 in parliamentary elections amid growing discontent
against the authoritarian regime of President Ilham Aliyev, son and
successor of the last communist despot.
Main opposition leader Rasul Guliyev, who has lived in exile in
the United States since 1996, has decided to return home before the
elections, using the immunity which the status of election candidate
gives him. He warned from the columns of Moscow’s Nezavisimaya
Gazeta daily on Monday that the situation was becoming increasingly
serious and one could not be sure next month’s elections would be
held normally.
“A new wave of repression could be the straw that breaks the camel’s
back and the situation may turn uncontrollable. People can be urged
to extreme actions and in this case I cannot answer for the fate of
those who are currently in power in Azerbaijan,” Guliyev said.
In fact not a Sunday passes without riot police being called to
disperse by force unauthorised opposition rallies in the centre of
Baku and it seems Aliyev’s regime has done lately the best it can
to learn how to crush a mass revolt. Obviously, the powerful in
Azerbaijan fear the scenario, which in the past two years brought
about the ousting of the post-Soviet worn-out regimes in Tbilisi,
Kiev and Bishkek, may repeat.
In the past few weeks the regime started to openly accuse the
opposition of plotting to oust the established order together with
the enemy Armenia and with a U.S. organisation (National Democratic
Institute). And made numerous arrests.
Leader of Azerbaijan’s Democratic Party and former parliament speaker
who is issued an arrest warrant in his homeland, Guliyev expects
grand things from the November 6 elections.
“We can win some 100 seats out of the 125 if there is no
election-rigging,” Guliyev said.
But he takes for granted the fact that there will be manipulations,
as he claims there were in the 2003 presidential elections.
“We shall not accept election-rigging. The people will take to the
streets to defend their rights and at that point the United States
will back the popular protest movements,” Guliyev warned.
Despite the fact the Western world does not appreciate much 43-year-old
Aliyev because of the corruption reigning within his clan, it has
backed him so far because Azerbaijan, where nearly 40 percent of the
mostly Muslim eight million population lives below the poverty line,
is the starting point of the black gold pumped from the Caspian
Sea. With U.S. blessing a recently opened oil pipeline carries oil
to Turkey passing through Georgia. (ANSA).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Yerevan Press Club of Armenia presents `MediaDialogue” Web Site as a
Regional Information Hub project. As a part of the project web site is maintained,
featuring the most interesting publications from the press of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on issues of mutual concern. The latest
updates on the site are weekly delivered to the subscribers. ***************************************************************************
===========================================================================
REGION
===========================================================================
AZERBAIJAN’S CRITICAL ELECTION
—————————————– ———————————–
Source: “Turkish Daily News” newspaper (Turkey) [October 11, 2005]
Author: Suat Kiniklioglu
On Nov. 6 Azerbaijan will conduct an important parliamentary
election. The election is critical as the stability of this strategic
country has become a concern to a number of regional and
extra-regional players. Azerbaijan occupies a strategic location in
the South Caucasus, its resource-providing role in the energy game has
regional implications and its perceived willingness to cooperate with
Euro-Atlantic structures has attracted an unprecedented level of
international attention. Azerbaijan’s past electoral record is notorious and has been
criticized extensively by the international community. No wonder that
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is
planning to send 500 election observers to the upcoming election — a
substantial number of observers in light of the size and population of
Azerbaijan. There is no doubt that the Rose and Orange revolutions in
Georgia and Ukraine respectively have generated expectations among the
opposition of whether a similar evolution could take place in
Azerbaijan. International organizations, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and national governments also have expressed a
keen interest in the election. A total of 125 new members of
Parliament will be elected, and, although the Parliament does not play
a significant role in the Azerbaijani political system, the election
matters because it will provide a signal as to what direction the
country is heading. The presence of a meaningful opposition in the
Azerbaijani Parliament could be the beginning of a democratic process
that would help build domestic legitimacy and allow Azerbaijan to
develop its infant democracy. I led a U.S. German Marshall Fund (GMF) delegation that visited
Azerbaijan last month and we heard repeatedly from Azerbaijani
officialdom, including President Heydar Aliyev as well as the
influential Ramiz Mehtiyev, that the presidential apparatus as well as
the governing Yeni Azerbaycan Partiyasэ (New Azerbaijan Party)
was doing everything to ensure a free and fair election. Indeed,
Aliyev’s decree of May 11, which stipulates a good number of measures
for a fair election, has been recognized as a constructive step, but
there are significant shortcomings in the implementation of these
measures. Furthermore, recent events surrounding the opposition’s desire to
organize rallies in Baku and the surrounding regions do not bode well
for the election. The idea to use inking — commonly used in Turkish
elections — as a method to avoid multiple voting has been refused by
the authorities. Plans to hold exit polls are also meeting stiff
resistance. The OSCE’s attempts to establish a workable dialogue
between the government and the opposition have failed so far. Azerbaijan is increasingly becoming under the spotlight as its
strategic location is critical to the United States, its abundant
energy resources constitute a significant alternative to volatile
Middle Eastern resources and its proactive role in the war on terror
has been appreciated in Washington. Azerbaijan’s oil and gas resources
are also important for Europe and will help the diversification of
Europe’s energy imports. The Azerbaijani economy is also showing
significant signs of recovery as the Aliyev years have provided
comparative stability. The coming years will see considerable
increases in oil and gas revenues to the Azerbaijani economy and Baku
appears to be cognizant of the need to diversify its economy. Azerbaijan is a special country for Turkey as well. This is not only
due to the significance attached to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC)
pipeline and the Baku-Erzurum natural gas project, but also due to
cultural and linguistic factors that have made Baku a domestic
political factor in Turkey. Azerbaijan always occupies a special place
in the domestic scene. The events surrounding the expected Azerbaijani
recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) in the
aftermath of the referendum on the Annan plan in April 2004 underlined
the intricate details of the Turkish-Azerbaijani relationship. The
impact of Azerbaijan’s flip-flopping on the issue has been remedied
with the `timely’ flight of a private Azerbaijani airline from Baku to
the KKTC in July. This trip was then reciprocated by a Turkish Cypriot
Airlines flight to Baku in August, which constituted the first-ever
direct flight by Turkish Cypriot Airlines to a foreign country. Many
speculated that the gesture from Baku was motivated by Aliyev’s desire
to enlist Turkey’s support in the upcoming parliamentary
election. Whatever the motivation, Baku’s gesture was duly registered
in Ankara and was demonstrated as such by subsequent visits by Justice
and Development Party (AKP) representatives to Baku. What is at stake here is not only the procedural implementation of a
free and fair election in a post-Soviet country. What is really at
stake is the internal stability of a strategic country whose
opposition should be able to find a legitimate place in Azerbaijan’s
Parliament. Azerbaijan’s stability cannot be solidified with elections
that do not reflect the will of the Azerbaijani people. On the
contrary, Azerbaijan can only become a more stable country by allowing
its legitimate opposition to take part in its infant democracy. The
commonly but quietly used argument that Azerbaijan is not ready for
democracy yet is simply invalid. This is not only a view held by
political observers but also pronounced by a growing number of
investors who are concerned about the Azerbaijani opposition being
pushed onto an illegitimate plane, or, worse still, that political
Islamists may become the people’s opposition in the coming years. The international community is watching with great interest what will
happen in November, and so are we here in Turkey. Nov. 6 should become
the beginning of a new and confident democratic process in
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan deserves it and is ready for it. “SAHAKASHVILI’S ACCESSION CREATED MORE PROBLEMS FOR AZERBAIJANIS IN GEORGIA”
—————————————————————————-
Source: “Zerkalo” newspaper (Azerbaijan) [October 10, 2005]
Author: F. Teymurkhanli
Businessman Fazil Aliev, anxious for his personal safety, had to ask
for political asylum in Azerbaijan. Our newspaper had many publications on the problems of Azerbaijanis in
Georgia. There is an impression that the Georgian authorities either
miss or deliberately ignore the desperate situation of our compatriots
today. Moreover, infringement on the rights of Azerbaijanis, residing
in Georgia, is not of occasional nature; rather it is a massive
occurrence. The press conference, held by our compatriot Fazil Aliev
yesterday, was devoted to the problem of persecution of Azerbaijanis
by certain high-ranking Georgian officials. Speaking about his past, F. Aliev noted that he used to take an active
part in national liberation movement in Georgia, being a follower of
deceased Zviad Gamsakhurdia. During the presidency of Zviad
Gamsakhurdia, F. Aliev held the position of the First Deputy Governor
of Kvemo Kartli. After Edward Shevarnadze’s accession, he moved to
Azerbaijan but soon returned to Georgia and launched a natural gas
business. Former Governor of Kvemo Kartli, Levan Mamaladze had a strange dislike
for F. Aliev and demanded that he pass the company over to the
state. Naturally, F. Aliev would not give up his business that easily
and refused to obey. Despite numerous control commissions, the company
was not engaged in any illegal activity, so the local authorities
decided to apply other methods against F. Aliev. In his opinion, the law-and-order bodies, jointly with the mafia,
started to persecute his family. F. Aliev got repeated threats about
kidnapping his children. He noted that in December 2000, a group of
masked persons attacked the school in Ponichali village, where his
three sons studied, and started shooting. Only due to the courage of
the teachers, who hid F. Aliev’s children, they were saved. He stated
that many children are still in the state of shock. `An incident
similar to Beslan events missed the attention of the Georgian
authorities. Georgian Ministry of Interior only issued a statement
that the Ministry did not launch any special operations that day”,
F. Aliev noted. F. Aliev stated also that a while later a group of armed men assaulted
his office and beat his personnel. Besides, F. Aliev’s father had his
eye beaten out with the butt of the submachine-gun by
strangers. F. Aliev said he was arrested but the Azerbaijanis of
Ponichali village stood up for him in indignation, so the Ministry of
Interior had to release him. F. Aliev notes that during Mikhail Sahakashvili’s presidency, the
Azerbaijanis residing in Georgia were so naïve as to suppose that
the new President of the country will take steps for solving their
problems. `I made a statement to General Prosecutor about the
lawlessness I was exposed to during Shevarnadze’s presidency. Criminal
proceedings were initiated, however no concrete steps were taken’,
F. Aliev stated. With M. Sahakashvili’s accession, the situation not only failed to
improve but grew worse. Georgians of Armenian origin were appointed
for high positions, and they started a deliberate policy on deporting
Azerbaijanis. In February 2005, F. Aliev’s office was again assaulted
by strangers, whereas on the night of 3-4 June, 2005, armed and masked
men attacked F. Aliev’s house. According to our compatriot, they took
his three children hostage. However, the kids asked their father not
to leave the house since the armed men would surely kill him. Shooting started between F. Aliev and the attackers, lasting over an
hour and a half. F. Aliev stated that he had a gun of Makarov brand
and two hunting rifles, for which he had a license. As stated by
F. Aliev, it is only after the relatives ran up for help that the
attackers had to leave the place. F. Aliev also noted that he
repeatedly stated to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia that
the village executive authorities were engaged in corruption and drug
trafficking but no counter-measures were taken. At the same time, F. Aliev stated that the Georgian human rights
activists and the ordinary citizens render considerable support to the
Azerbaijanis. “If not for their support, the number of Azerbaijanis in
Georgia would be considerably reduced’, F. Aliev emphasized. He noted
that a while ago he moved to Baku with his family and 3-4 days ago met
the Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan. He informed him about the
lawlessness in Kvemo Kartli. `The Ambassador was horrified over the
story. Yesterday (the day before yesterday – Ed.) I got the
information that a group of policemen, having ties with mafia, were
arrested. My meeting with the Ambassador must have helped”, F. Aliev
emphasized. By the end of the press conference, he urged the Georgian authorities
to punish those responsible for his misfortunes. `While the current
regime is still preserved in Georgia, my family and I can’t feel
safe. Therefore, I am asking for political asylum in Azerbaijan’,
F. Aliev concluded. KAZAKHSTAN EYES GEORGIA’S TRANSIT ROUTES
—————————————————————————-
Source: Civil.Ge online magazine (Georgia) [October 05, 2005]
Author:
Visiting Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said on October 3 in
Tbilisi that Kazakhstan’s major interests in their relationship with
Georgia is the latter’s transit capabilities to transport Kazakh oil
and other freight to Europe. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili
hailed relations with Kazakhstan as `free from any problems’ and
supported the Kazakh bid for OSCE Chairmanship. The Kazakh President arrived in Georgian on October 2 for a two-day
official visit. His Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili hosted
Nazarbayev in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous Republic, where the Kazakh
leader toured the local port. `Economic cooperation [with Georgia] is of major interest for
Kazakhstan. On the shores of the Caspian Sea we have built the largest
port in the Caspian Sea – Aktau – which is currently capable of
handling 15 million tons of oil [per year]… Another port of this
kind is being constructed, designed to obtain access from Kazakhstan
via the Caucasus and Black Sea to Europe. To become acquainted with
the [Black Sea port’s] capacity was very important in this regard and
I want to thank Mikheil Saakashvili and the Adjarian leadership for
giving us opportunity to see the capabilities [of the Batumi port],’
Nazarbayev said at a joint news conference with Saakashvili after
talks in Tbilisi. `Secondly, the railway link between Baku [Azerbaijan] and the Black
Sea [in Batumi] is also very important and interesting for us in
respect to transportation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other
freight,’ the Kazakh President added. While visiting Batumi, Nazarbayev noted that Kazakhstan also plans to
transport its oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. According to the Georgian Economy Ministry, Kazakhstan exported a
total of 3,300 tons of freight through the Georgian railway to the
west in 2004 (the latest data available). The total amount of cargo
transported through the Georgian railway, including those imported to
Kazakhstan via Georgia, totaled 38,000 tons in 2004. Kazakhstan transported a total of 332,800 tons of oil through the
Georgian railway in 2004. Saakashvili said that this figure will
double in 2005. The Georgian port in Poti handled a total of 15,800
tons of Kazakh freight in 2004. President Saakashvili said at the joint news conference in Tbilisi
that a new terminal and port in Kulevi, which is currently under
construction, will make it possible to increase these figures. But bilateral trade between the two countries is low. According to the
Georgian Economy Ministry, bilateral trade decreased in the first half
of 2005. Total trade volume was up to USD 30 million in 2004, against
USD 8.7 million in the first half of 2005. But officials say that recent investment projects being implemented by
the Kazakh side in Georgia can help increase these figures as well. Kazakh BankTuranAlem (BTA), which holds assets of USD 5.5 billion, has
recently opened a branch office in Tbilisi and launched, in
cooperation with its local partner the Silk Road Group, the
implementation of a USD 100 million investment project, involving
reconstruction of the hotel Iveria, in downtown Tbilisi, into a
five-star hotel, as well as renovating all of Republic Square, where
the hotel is located. The two Presidents visited Republic Square on
October 3 and attended a presentation of this project. Nazarbayev said at a news conference that Kazakhstan is also
interested in investing in Adjara’s tourism industry. The two Presidents also discussed a possible supply of Kazakh gas to
Georgia, which desperately seeks an alternative gas supply source to
decrease its dependency on Russia in this regard. But in the event
that Georgia begins importing gas from Kazakhstan, Russia would still
play the role of transit country. Nazarbayev said the he thinks Russia
will not oppose this project. Saakashvili said that all three states – Georgia, Russia and
Kazakhstan – will benefit from the gas supply from Kazakhstan. “I
think Russian and Georgian interests coincide here, as Russian
enterprises also operating in Georgia consume gas,’ Saakashvili said. Both, Saakashvili and Nazarbayev spared no words to praise the reforms
going on in each others’ countries. The Georgian President said that
the Kazakh experience of economic reforms is an example for Georgia. `We have the most pleasant experience of relations with Kazakhstan and
this has been observed through the past decade. Kazakhstan never
creates any problems for anyone… And Kazakhstan’s participation in
international processes is welcomed and we count on them [the Kazakh
side],’ Georgian President Saakashvili said at the joint news
conference, adding that Georgia supports Kazakhstan’s OSCE
Chairmanship bid in 2009. Nazarbayev, who has led Kazakhstan since 1989 and who is accused by
opponents of suppressing any dissent, has, on several occassions,
expressed skepticism towards the regime changes which took place in
Georgia and Ukraine through peaceful revolutions. But in Tbilisi he said: `Now I am convinced that there is a stable
situation in Georgia… I am now convinced that the Georgian
authorities are on the right path of [economic] reforms. I was
pleasantly surprised.’
During this visit, Georgian and Kazakh officials signed a number of
bilateral agreements, including one outlining economic cooperation
targets for 2006-2010. ===========================================================================
INT. STRUCTURES
======================================= ====================================
AZERBAIJAN FACES TROUBLE THROUGH TURKEY’S INITIATIVE
———————————————————————- ——
Source: “Azg” newspaper (Armenia) [October 08, 2005]
Author: Tatul Hakobian
EU makes concessions to Turkey but not Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has experience in blocking regional initiatives of European
and Euroatlantic structures. In September 2004, Baku did not tolerate
the presence of several Armenian officers on its territory, thus
causing NATO to cancel `Cooperative Best Effort’ annual military
operations, which were organized quite successfully in 2002 and 2003
by Georgia and Armenia. Currently, Azerbaijan has problems with EU and
its member state Cyprus. EU member Latvia supports implementation of New European Neighborhood
Policy in the two Republics of the Transcaucasus – Armenia and
Georgia, without waiting for a third country to join. Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, on her official visit to
Yerevan, emphasized at the joint press conference with President
Robert Kocharian yesterday that, `If by certain reasons negotiations
are not started simultaneously with all the countries of the region,
they should be started with those willing to join’. Cyprus put a veto on discussing the activity under `Enlarged Europe:
New Neighbors’ program: starting from late July Azerbaijan has
established air communication with the Turkish section of the
unrecognized Cyprus. Since 1974, Turkey occupied about 40% of Cyprus,
however this did not impede EU to start membership negotiations with
Turkey on October 3. Meanwhile in Azerbaijan’s case, establishing only
air communication with the so-called Turkish Cyprus (Turkey is the
only country that recognized Turkish Cyprus), EU will not start
neighborhood negotiations with Baku until Baku-Nicosia problems are
not settled, as demanded by the Republic of Cyprus. On October 5, EU Commissioner for Foreign Relations Benita Ferrero
Valdner warned Azerbaijan that if its relations with Cyprus are not
settled, the European Commission will start negotiations with Armenia
and Georgia. `I made it clear to the Azerbaijanis that if they don’t
change their attitude and don’t find a solution, we will continue
cooperation with Armenia and Georgia. We hope the Azerbaijanis will
find a solution within a week or two, since I cannot keep Armenia and
Georgia waiting’, Ferrero Valdner stated. Most probably, it is through Turkey’s friendly recommendation that
Baku has established air communication and economic cooperation with
the Turkish section of Cyprus. Considering the Karabagh conflict as
well, Ankara has not lifted the Armenian blockade for over 11
years. So, if Turkey makes the sacrifice of blockading Azerbaijan’s
enemy Armenia and thus getting the pressure of US and Europe, why
shouldn’t Ankara demand that Azerbaijan assist her in the issue of
Northern Cyprus. Last year in Ankara, President Ilham Aliev implied
that Baku might recognize Lefkosha. Probably, Azerbaijan later changed
its intention, understanding that it might have serious consequences. Receiving Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku in late June, Aliev promised,
`Azerbaijan is ready to do its utmost for withdrawing Northern Cyprus
from isolation’. Azerbaijani President said he discussed the issue of
removing the isolation of Northern Cyprus with Turkish Prime
Minister. Azerbaijani newspapers and polit! ical circles discussed
the warning by EU. In particular, one of the officials of the Foreign
Ministry Tayir Taghizade stated to `Zerkalo’ newspaper that
Baku-Lefkosha flights have a commercial nature and are in no way
related to Azerbaijani foreign policy. ***************************************************************************
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ARMENIAN MOD HEAD: BAKU MILITANT STATEMENTS DISPLAY OF ELECTORAL HYSTERIA
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 20:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ I. Aliyev’s party will most likely win the
parliamentary election in Azerbaijan. Armenian Defense Minister
Serge Sargsyan stated during a conversation with journalists
October 11. When asked whether the authority leaning party may win
by means of gerrymander, S. Sargsyan answered, “It is not possible
to win election by gerrymander. However, there are international
organizations for assessing phenomena of this kind and they will
voice their opinion. Besides, there will be so many assessments on
these days that our voice is inappropriate.”
Touching upon possible escalation of tension in the Karabakh conflict
zone within the period of parliamentary election in Azerbaijan,
the Armenian MOD head stated the situation in the conflict zone is
rather quiet. “I rule out the possibility of tension appearing in
the conflict zone. For example, seven months ago the situation was
totally different from that now,” S.
Sargsyan stated. At that the Minister noted that the militant
statements of the Azeri party are nothing but election
hysteria. “Election is a peculiar element, however I cannot fancy
the size of that element. Azerbaijan’s stand over NK issue will clear
out in two months,” Sargsyan said, reported IA Regnum.

ARMENIAN AND AUSTRALIAN FMS DISCUSSED BILATERAL RELATIONS
Pan Armenian
10.10.2005 12:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian departed
yesterday for Australia on a formal visit, RA MFA press office
reported.
Today the Armenian FM met with the Australian Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Trade Alexander Downer to discuss the prospects of the
Armenian-Australian relations and exchange views on the international
situation and regional developments. Vartan Oskanian familiarized
the interlocutor with the Nagorno Karabakh settlement process and
Armenia’s relations with the neighbor states. The parties noted the
importance of strengthening bilateral relations and activation of
trade and economic ties.
The Foreign Ministers also voiced satisfaction with the
Armenia-Australia cooperation within international structures. Upon
completion of the meeting Minister Oskanian invited his Australian
counterpart to Armenia.
Within the visit framework the Armenian FM met with Minister for
Vocational and Technical Education Gary Hardgrave, Minister Assisting
the Prime Minister, Minister for Human Services Joe Hockey MP,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade, Senator Sandy
Macdonald and Chairman of the Armenian-Australian parliamentary
friendship Maris Pein. Besides, Vartan Oskanian met with leaders of
the Armenian community of Australia and attended the liturgy in the
Armenian Church of St. Harutyun in Sidney, where he delivered a speech,
and also met with the chairman of the Armenian-Australian Chamber of
Commerce and the Armenian media.

Panorama
12:55 07/10/05
WANT PEACE, PREPARE TO …
Rose-Roth NATO PA International seminar dedicated to the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and the role of international community in it, is taking place in
Yerevan in these days. During the seminar the International Crisis Group
representative Sabin Freiser informed about the content of negotiations on
Karabakh conflict. Taking into consideration the observations of the
International Crisis Group Mrs. Freiser informed, `I think that next year
it’ll be possible to get the peace agreement, in case if it is not this
year.’ She also noticed that in Key West the sides were more than close to
the possible solution but it didn’t happen and added,’I’ll be optimistic
when I see that the governments through Mass-media are trying to explain the
people what is peace’.
OSCE PA Special Representative on Nagorno-Karabakh issue Goran Lennmarker
thinks that there is some progress in negotiating procedure and for reaching
mutual beneficial agreement the sides must do only one thing that is, to
prepare both societies for the possible solution. Optimism of two
representatives concerning to the positive solution of negotiating procedure
is based on the obtained arrangements in the frameworks of Minsk group.
According to their reports the conflict will be solved by stages. The first
stage is to give back of seven liberated territories, then to open regional
transportation communications and Armenian-Turkish border as well, the next
stage is resettling refugees. And only after 10-15 years, peace makers will
talk about the Nagorno Karabakh status.
But as some experts note presently this resolution can not be implemented as
the offered consensuses by Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan do not satisfy
the demands of the sides. /Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UNE FAMILLE ARMENIENNE MENACEE D’EXPULSION
par Soizic Le Gac
Le Telegramme , France
6 octobre 2005
Une famille d’Armeniens sejournant a Lannion depuis un peu plus d’un
an est menacee d’expulsion.
L'” invitation a quitter le territoire francais ” expirait dimanche.
Dès mardi soir, les parents d’elèves de l’ecole de Penn ar Ru ont
fait entendre leur protestation face a cette mesure qualifiee d'”
inhumaine “.
Un tract appelant a la signature d’une petition a ete distribue aux
parents d’elèves de l’ecole où sont scolarises depuis un an les deux
jeunes enfants du couple Gevorgyan.
Reunion demain soir
Parallèlement, la Ligue des droits de l’Homme appelle a une reunion
d’information et de mobilisation, demain soir, a 20 h 30 au Centre
Savidan de Lannion.
A Lannion, de nombreuses associations caritatives et des mouvements
de defense du citoyen ont ete alertes par la Ligue des Droits de
l’Homme dès la mi-septembre. Selon la Ligue, ” ces mesures d’expulsion
touchent des familles de Lannion, mais aussi de Paimpol et de tout
le departement “.
La Ligue y voit ” la manifestation de la politique de Nicolas Sarkozy
et du gouvernement de Dominique de Villepin, avec son cortège de
situations inhumaines et dangereuses “.
Refugie politique ? Refus
Une mobilisation d’abord discrète a ete menee au sein d’associations
pour obtenir une solution humanitaire qui permettrait a la famille
Gevorgyan de Lannion de rester dans le Tregor, malgre le rejet de sa
demande de statut de refugie politique, par l’office national charge
du dossier.
Aussi, la Ligue des Droits de l’Homme regrette-t-elle que ” l’action
associative ne suffise plus face au recours systematique a une
politique de repression “. La Ligue estime que ” cette politique est
un danger pour la democratie “.
Elle appelle ” a un rassemblement solidaire pour que la France reste
une terre d’asile, avec des droits et des devoirs pour chacun “.
–Boundary_(ID_TUJypvlB0fXNkj4NpZPn1Q)–

HOVHANNISIAN: “ONE MORE CHANCE TO CONNECT STRUGGLE AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM WITH NK CONFLICT WAS MISSED”
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 6 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. “In summer the world was shocked by
London terrorist acts. The voice of Armenia and Armenians wasn’t heard
in the noise of condemnation,” this was mentioned in the open address
of Raffi Hovhannisian, founder and head of the Armenian Center for
National and International Studies, Chairman of the Zharangutiun
(Heritage) party, first RA Foreign Minister, publicized on the
occasion of organization’s 11th anniversary. While, according to him,
“the inability of the Armenian leaders to voice our decisive word on
the anti-terrorist front, to emphasize our worthy role leaves the
country out of the procees of world development depreciating the
value and meaning of our victims.”
In R.Hovhannisian’s opinion, the authorities missed one more
opportunity to connect the general struggle against terrorism with
the Artsakh conflict in the best way. “It’s time to remind to the
civilized society that an Artsakh soldier fighting some years ago
for his freedom also ran across with Afghan mojaheds, with hired
pilots bombing peaceful towns. The hypocritical officials and obliging
diplomacy displayed spinelessness being unable to present the captive
foreign hirelings and documents confiscated from them to the world
as a weighty proof of our great contribution to struggle against the
international terrorism.”
“Then while they were telling tales about their own adherence to
principles, they weren’t able to widely voice the fact that ill-famed
terrorist Shamil Basayev defended the positions of our enemy in Shushi
in the Karabakh-Azeri war, then he organized a slaughter of hundreds of
peaceful people in Russia. As a result the Artsakh struggle for human
rights and freedom that formerly enjoyed world support became only
a territorial problem discussed by several international officials,”
Raffi Hovhannisian declared.

ITALY’s AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN DIASPORA IN ITALY
ARMINFO News Agency
October 5, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5. ARMINFO. “Italy has never fulfilled
such large-scale projects with other countries as the Days
of Armenian-Italian Friendship in Armenia”, Italy’s Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Marco Clemente noted at
Wednesday meeting with the representatives of the Armenian community
in Italy. Meeting participants presented the life of the Armenian
Diaspora in Italy numbering 2.000 people.
To note, a number of actions will be organized within the framework of
the Days of Armenian-Italian friendship, including the demonstration
of treasures from the St. Lazarus museum (Venice) at Armenia’s
National Picture Gallery, the International symposium dedicated to
the Armenian-Italian historical and cultural relations at Armenia’s
National Academy of Sciences, “Armenians in Italy” photo exhibition,
etc. The entrance to all the events will be free.