Author: Jalatian Sonya

TURKEY CALLED TO RECOGNISE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Aug 5 2006

Strasbourg, September 5 – The European Parliament Committee on Foreign
Affairs (AFET) voted late last evening on the Eurlings report on
"Turkey’s progress towards accession" and its 343 amendments. This
mostly critical report of Turkey was adopted by 53 votes, with 6
against and 8 abstentions.

With regard to the question of the Armenian Genocide which was
constantly discussed during the debates, a majority of MEPs from
the main political groups (EPP, PSE, ALDE, GUE) adopted two similar
amendments which reiterates its call on Turkey to acknowledge the
Armenian Genocide as a precondition for its accession.

In addition, the AFET "strongly condemns the racist and xenophobic
‘Talaat Pasha committee’ [.] for gravely infringing European
principles, and the denialist demonstrations in Lyon and Berlin"
organised by those same organisations. It calls on Turkey to abolish
this committee and end its activities.

The European Armenian Federation informs that the AFET also adopted
a compromise amendment disputed by many MEPs, which expresses a whole
series of obscure proposals such as the opening of the Turkish archives
and reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey.

The AFET committee also invites Turkey "to establish, without
preconditions, good neighbourly relations with Armenia and to end
the economic blockade and to open the land border [.] in order to
fulfill the priorities of the Accession Partnership and the obligations
defined within the Negotiating Framework".

"It is a victory for the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) which
confirms that it can resist the pressures of Ankara. We congratulate
the rapporteur and the many members of Parliament who reaffirmed
the political line of the Parliament, which consists in making the
recognition of the Genocide into a prerequisite for accession,"
declared Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation.

"However, we regret the amendment called the ‘compromise amendment’,
which in fact only copied the position of some isolated MEPs who still
support Ankara in its attempt to deny the Genocide and to escape the
political problem that it constitutes," continued Hilda Tchoboian.

The European Armenian Federation will continue its consultations with
all the MEPs before the vote in the plenary session of the European
Parliament, which will take place at the end of September.

AZERI LEADER SAYS ISLAM SHOULD NOT BE LINKED TO TERRORISM

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
4 Sep 06

Presenter] Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity. As we
noted earlier, President Ilham Aliyev said this at the Youth Forum of
the Organization of the Islamic Conference [OIC] held in the Turkish
city of Istanbul. The president said that today Islam is identified
with terrorism, which is a completely wrong policy.

[Passage omitted: Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s speech at the forum]

In his speech, President Ilham Aliyev focused on boosting ties and
contacts between the young generation of the [OIC] member states. The
president stressed the importance of building dialogue and cooperation
and added that this was being done successfully.

[Ilham Aliyev, shown addressing the forum] The Youth Forum has already
started working actively. Enough has been said here today about the
forum’s work and its future plans. There are very nice plans and
programmes. I am sure that all these plans will be implemented.

[Correspondent] Ilham Aliyev drew the attention of the participants
in the forum to the dangerous trend of forming a negative opinion
of Islam. The president noted that cooperation between young Muslims
could contribute to Muslim unity all over the world.

[Aliyev] We should demonstrate to the world that Islam is a religion
of peace. Islam must never be identified with terrorism.

[Correspondent] In his speech, the president particularly spoke
about the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. Over 3,000 innocent people
were killed in over 30 bloody crimes committed by Armenian terrorist
organizations in the early 1990s. As a result of Armenia’s occupying
policy, Azerbaijan has been subjected to economic, political and
cultural terrorism.

[Aliyev] We have always been the side subjected to terror. We want to
restore justice, we want to restore our territorial integrity and we
will achieve this because international law is on our side, justice
is on our side. We should be more active. We should take advantage
of all opportunities – political, economic, diplomatic and others –
to restore justice.

[Correspondent] The president rated highly the publication of a book
about the Karabakh conflict in the Arab language by the Youth Forum
of the organization. Ilham Aliyev also drew the attention of the
participants in the forum to education, health and sport issues.

Today’s youth should be educated, healthy and spiritually pure. Ilham
Aliyev said that this policy had been successfully pursued in
Azerbaijan and spoke about prospects for young people and tasks facing
them. The president also demonstrated the Azerbaijani government’s
support in this regard with a specific step.

[Aliyev] It is very important that our youth are both educated,
skilled, modern and at the same time observe all national and religious
traditions and are brought up in the spirit of patriotism so that
our countries can develop. To that end, the Azerbaijani government
has allocated 100,000 dollars to the forum’s budget. I am confident
that this small contribution will help in your work.

[Azartac news agency, Baku, in Azeri 0730 gmt 4 Sep 06 reported that
on 3 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a meeting
with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. They
discussed issues of mutual interest, the report said.]

SOME 2000 PEOPLE TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN ARMENIA-DIASPORA THIRD FORUM

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.09.2006 17:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The participants of the Armenia-Diaspora Third Forum
will give an assessment to 15 years of Armenia’s independence and
elaborate a strategy of counteracting new challenges," the Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in Yerevan today. In his words,
some 2000 delegates representing the Armenian Diaspora will arrive
to take part in the forum. "We have announced that the reports of
the participants should maintain these two priority items. Presently
out nation is experiencing a very important period. It has formed
politically and the Diaspora wishes to make a contribution to the
development of the economy," Oskanian said.

Noting the necessity of coordination of activities between Armenia
and the Armenian communities throughout the globe Vartan Oskanian said
that the World Armenian Congress (WAC) headed by Ara Abrahamyan works
in the interests of the Armenianhood. "The Diaspora is huge and its
unification is a hard work.

Thus the main goal of the WAC has not been achieved yet. Nevertheless
the Armenian government respects the WAC activities and Ara Abramanyan
was invited to the forum as a rapporteur," he said.

THE ONLY HOPE IS THE VICTORY OF NORWAY

A1+
[01:59 pm] 04 September, 2006

The Armenian Youth football team beat the Youth team of Norway 1:0
in the "Hanrapetakan" stadium of Yerevan within the framework of the
European Football Championship 2008.

Before that the Armenians had lost the first match to Bosnia. The
latter are to play with Norway on September 6.

If Norway beat Bosnia 1:0, Armenia will pass on to the next phase. In
case of any other result Armenia will disqualify from the tournament.

AZERBAIJAN WON’T NEGOTIATE WITH KARABAKH – MINISTRY

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
August 31, 2006 Thursday 2:28 PM MSK

Azerbaijan will not hold talks with the self-proclaimed republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh at the current stage of conflict settlement, head
of the Azeri Foreign Ministry’s information department Tair Tagizade
told Interfax.

"At the current stage any attempt to change the current format of
talks is doomed to failure," Tagizade said.

Nagorno-Karabakh President Arkady Gukasian called for direct talks
between the sides earlier on Thursday.

"Gukasian understands it very well and such statements of his are aimed
only at meeting the domestic demands of the Armenian public," he said.

RACIST LEAFLETS IN GEORGIA’S ETHNIC AZERI AREAS "PROVOCATION" – ENVOY

ANS TV, Baku
29 Aug 06

The Georgian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Zurab Gumberidze, has
said the distribution of racist leaflets in Georgia’s ethnic
Azerbaijani-populated areas might be a provocation aimed at damaging
relations between the two countries.

Speaking to the "Point of View" programme on commercial ANS TV on
29 August, the ambassador said there might be some "domestic and
foreign" forces behind the provocation. However, he did not elaborate
on the issue.

Unknown people distributed leaflets in Georgia’s predominantly ethnic
Azerbaijani-populated Marneuli District earlier this month, demanding
that local residents leave the country. ANS said many locals blamed
the incident on Armenians.

According to official figures, ethnic Azerbaijanis make up the largest
minority in Georgia. A census held in 2002 put the number of Georgia’s
ethnic Azerbaijani population at nearly 300,000.

Gumberidze said Georgia and Azerbaijan have established "unique"
ties since they gained their independence in 1991, adding that some
forces might be interested in damaging these ties.

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER CALLS FOR INDUSTRY OVERHAUL TO IMPROVE AVIATION SAFETY
Alex Nicholson

AP Worldstream
Aug 31, 2006

Russia’s prime minister said Thursday that the flagging domestic civil
aviation industry must be overhauled to reduce carriers’ reliance
on aging foreign and domestic craft, following three major crashes
involving Russian passenger jets or airports that left more than 400
people dead.

"We must now make decisions and take active measures," Prime Minister
Mikhail Fradkov said during a Cabinet meeting that focussed on flight
safety. "We cannot wait for more tragedies."

Some of Mikhail Fradkov’s statement was broadcast prominently on
state-run television, apparently in an effort to assure Russians that
the government is taking action on safety while creating momentum
for reform in the sector.

Last week, a Tu-154 jet belonging to Russia’s Pulkovo Airlines
crashed in Ukraine after encountering a storm, killing all 170 people
aboard. In July, an Airbus A310 belonging to Russian airline S7
skidded off a runway and burst into flames in the Siberian city of
Irkutsk, killing 124 people. And an A320 belonging to the Armenian
airline Armavia crashed into the Black Sea while trying to land in
the Russian resort city of Sochi in rough weather in May, killing
all 113 people aboard.

Fradkov said that Russia needed to ratchet up production of "new,
modern planes," and noted that foreign companies would have a role
to play in that process.

"We do not have the right to lose our aviation industry. This is
inarguable," the RIA Novosti agency quoted him as saying. "This does
not exclude working with foreign partners, but it must be harmoniously
combined with the interests of our manufacturers and our consumers."

Fradkov called for a balanced approach, saying it would be wrong to
focus narrowly on designing new aircraft at the expense of existing
factories, just as it would be wrong to favor new, foreign-made jets.

"No one will forgive us if we waste time and funds to create
new aircraft and simultaneously lose our existing production
capacities. And no one in the country will forgive us if we make flight
safety our greatest priority, but rely on imported aircraft alone,"
Fradkov said.

He put Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov in charge of flight safety.

Ivanov, who is also defense minister, suggested at the meeting that
inadequate weather forecasting had been partly to blame for the crash
in Ukraine.

Despite having the capacity to roll out dozens of new planes annually,
Russian factories produced just a handful of civilian planes last year,
while 20 used foreign planes that were imported. New foreign aircraft
are prohibitively expensive for all but the national flag carrier
Aeroflot and the lack of an affordable leasing system that would
allow companies to acquire new Russian planes means that companies
typically opt to buy older foreign or domestic craft.

"From an economic point of view, it is impossible for new aircraft to
compete with used jets," said Alexander Rubtsov, general director of
the Ilyushin Finance Co. leasing company in a comment published in
the Vedomosti business daily this week. "But just buying older jets
runs counter to the interests of passengers, whose lives and safety
depend directly on the condition of an airline’s fleet."

Fradkov suggested Thursday that some of the many airlines that have
emerged in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
compromise safety by cutting corners, saying that "economic interests
sometimes conflict with questions of security."

Russia is moving ahead with the creation of a long-discussed aircraft
holding company _ the United Aviation Corporation _ that will unite
Russia’s civilian and military producers under one roof. The company
has been promised hefty state funding and will be 75 percent controlled
by the state.

Fradkov’s comments coincided with reports this week that a Russian
state bank had bought more than 4 percent in European aerospace giant
EADS, in what was interpreted as a push to forge closer ties with
the Airbus parent-company.

ARMENIAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP OPPOSES DEPLOYMENT OF TURKISH FORCES IN LEBANON

"Far from being a credible peacemaker, Turkey
carries heavy liabilities that would only
complicate an already complex peacemaking mission
that the U.S. must pursue in Lebanon and the region.

— Armenian American leadership
letter to President Bush

WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian Apostolic, Catholic and Evangelical
churches in the United States were joined today by leading
grassroots Armenian American organizations in urging President Bush
to oppose the deployment of Turkish forces within Lebanon as part
of an international peacekeeping operation.

In a letter sent today to the White House, the community leaders
stressed that, "Turkey’s record of genocide, massacres, aggression
and torture is deeply inscribed in the collective memory of the
Lebanese, the Armenians, the Greeks, the Cypriots, the Kurds and
the Arab people everywhere. Far from being a credible peacemaker,
Turkey carries heavy liabilities that would only complicate an
already complex peacemaking mission that the U.S. must pursue in
Lebanon and the region."

The following Churches and community organizations participated in
this initiative:

Armenian Catholic Exarchy of the United States and Canada
Armenian Missionary Association of America
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Eastern U.S.
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Western U.S.
Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council
Armenian National Committee of America
Armenian Relief Society
Armenian Youth Federation
Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society
Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union
National Organization of Republican Armenians

The leadership of the Lebanese Armenian community unanimously and
forcefully opposes the introduction of Turkish troops onto Lebanese
soil. Earlier this month, the three Armenian political parties in
Lebanon, namely the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Social
Democratic Henchakian Party, and the Armenian Democratic Liberal
Party, issued a joint declaration expressing the collective
opposition of Lebanese Armenians to any Turkish participation in
peacekeeping operations. An appeal against the introduction of
Turkish forces was also released by Lebanon’s Armenian religious
leadership, comprising the Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic,
and Armenian Evangelical communities.

His Holiness, Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, earlier this week
wrote a letter to Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United
Nations, expressing opposition to the deployment of Turkish forces
in Lebanon. In a powerfully worded letter he addressed Turkey’s
ongoing use of aggression and genocide, describing Turkish
participation in a peacekeeping mission as "morally unacceptable."

The opposition of the Greek American community to the inclusion of
Turkish forces in Lebanon’s peacekeeping operation was communicated
to the President last month in a letter from the American Hellenic
Institute.

The full text of the community-wide letter is provided below.

#####

August 30, 2006

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write to you today, as leaders of the Armenian American
community, to convey to you our deep concern regarding the
Administration’s insistent efforts to have Turkish armed forces
included in the international peacekeeping force that is currently
being organized for Lebanon.

While the final decision with regard to the presence and the
composition of the international peacekeeping force rests with the
Lebanese government, it is a well-known fact that the United States
has been the key player – as it should – in this matter by
providing vitally needed leadership to the present peacemaking
initiative. Needless to say, we commend the Administration for
leading the diplomatic efforts to achieve immediate and lasting
peace in Lebanon. It is in that light that we strongly urge you to
refrain from making Turkey part of this sensitive process. Turkey’s
record of genocide, massacres, aggression and torture is deeply
inscribed in the collective memory of the Lebanese, the Armenians,
the Greeks, the Cypriots, the Kurds and the Arab people everywhere.
Far from being a credible peacemaker, Turkey carries heavy
liabilities that would only complicate an already complex
peacemaking mission that the U.S. must pursue in Lebanon and the
region.

Mr. President, the introduction of Turkish military forces into
this region will serve only to undermine our nation’s interest in a
lasting and equitable peace. As such, we join with our friends in
the Greek American community in respectfully urging you to take all
appropriate measures to ensure that Turkish forces do not take part
in any peacekeeping operations in Lebanon.

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

Sincerely yours,

Armenian Catholic Exarchy of the United States and Canada
Armenian Missionary Association of America
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – Eastern U.S.
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – Western U.S.
Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council
Armenian National Committee of America
Armenian Relief Society
Armenian Youth Federation
Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society
Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union
National Organization of Republican Armenians

GAGIK AVETIAN DISPROVES RUMOURS ABOUT HIS INTENTION TO LEAVE "ORINATS YERKIR" PARTY

Noyan Tapan
Aug 29 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Gagik Avetian, a RA National
Assembly Deputy, made a statement in which he disproved the rumours
of the recent times about his intention to leave the "Orinats Yerkir"
(Country of Law) party. The "Orinats Yerkir" party belongs both to many
others and to me, and I do not sell my believes which coincide with
the party ideology, all the more, I do not sell myself as some mass
media talk rot," the deputy states. At the same time, Gagik Avetian
considers positive that there may be contradictions and disagreements
relating to his viewpoints, future steps and programs of the party, as
"clashes of viewpoints bring to positive and praiseworthy consequences
in any healthy atmosphere." The deputy states that being a member
of the "Orinats Yerkir" party for 6 years, as well as a member of
the "Orinats Yerkir" parliamentary faction, he has done his best
"not against, but for the sake" and will continue working with the
same spirit.

OVER 10 HEAD OF CATTLE INFECTED WITH FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE IN ARTIK

GYUMRI, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. On August 22, 10-15 head of cattle had
symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease at the pasture "Artik Woodlands"
of Shirak marz. According to the veterinary of the city of Artik,
the symptoms were confirmed. NT was informed from the Rescue Service
of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration that the infected
cattle was disinfected and isolated.

Measures were taken to prevent the spread of the disease.