Author: Jidarian Alex

Investigation on MasterCard Booklet Launched
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)

Zaman, Turkey
June 1 2005

Published: Wednesday 01, 2005
zaman.com

The Istanbul Attorney General Office has launched an investigation on
the Istanbul city guide distributed to visitors and VIP guests, who
visited Istanbul for the UEFA Champions League final match on May 25.

Attorney General Nazmi Okumus has accepted the news published in
some newspapers as a denunciation and has launched an investigation
into the booklet for including expressions that claimed Armenians
were massacred and Kurds faced assimilation and they were murdered
by Turkish soldiers.

MasterCard’s Southeastern Europe General Director Ozlem Imece
will reportedly provide information within the framework of the
investigation.

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The Washington Post
May 31, 2005 Tuesday
Final Edition

Russian Troops To Leave Georgia;
Deal Struck on Pullout by 2008

by Peter Finn, Washington Post Foreign Service

MOSCOW May 30

After years of contentious negotiations that appeared to break down
several times, Russia agreed Monday to a timetable for the withdrawal
of its forces from two military bases in Georgia, the foreign
ministers of both countries said at a news conference here.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country would
complete the phased withdrawal of 3,000 troops by 2008. The
announcement closed out one of several issues straining relations
between the Kremlin and Georgia’s pro-Western government, which has
said that it wants to join NATO.

The two countries had hoped to complete an agreement before
celebrations held in Moscow on May 9 to mark the 60th anniversary of
the end of World War II in Europe, but a deal collapsed at the last
minute when Russia said it needed more than three years to pull out.

President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia then boycotted the
celebrations and parliament threatened a blockade of the two bases,
one of which is located near the border with Turkey and the other
near the border with Armenia. The Georgian government also threatened
to prevent Russian military forces from crossing Georgian territory,
either by land or air, as they do routinely to resupply troops in
Armenia.

“We have taken an important and constructive step,” Georgian Foreign
Minister Salome Zourabichvili said. “We have achieved our goal.”

Lavrov said the agreement would “help further develop our relations.”
He also said that the withdrawal, expected to begin next year, would
not cause “any kind of discomfort for the soldiers.”

Georgia has offered to house any soldier who wishes to remain behind;
a number of Russian troops have been in the country for a long time
and have ties to the local community, Georgian officials said.
Officials in Moscow have said they do not want soldiers to experience
the hardship Russian troops endured in the early 1990s, when Russia
was unprepared for their return from Germany and Eastern Europe after
the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Saakashvili also said recently that Georgia would not allow any
foreign bases on its territory, a statement apparently designed to
ease Russian fears that the United States or NATO would be permitted
to station forces permanently in a country that was part of the
Soviet Union and where Russia has had a presence for nearly 200
years.

The two foreign ministers also said they had agreed to delimit the
Georgian-Russian border, which runs through the Caucasus Mountains
and has been a source of tension since the breakup of the Soviet
Union.

Relations between the two countries have been strained most severely
by separatist conflicts in the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of
Georgia, where local leaders have received support from Moscow.

Lavrov said Russia would do everything it could to help find a
peaceful solution to the conflicts.

Turkish Press
May 31 2005

Press Review:

STAR

ERDOGAN MEETS WITH US SENATOR

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received US Senator
Chuck Hagel. Present also at the one-hour meeting were Defense
Minister Vecdi Gonul and US Deputy Commander for US Forces in Europe
Gen. Charles Wald. Bilateral relations, regional issues, as well
as the fight against terrorism and the Cyprus issue were reportedly
taken up during the talks. Hagel stated that US officials were looking
forward to Erdogan’s planned US visit next week. In addition, the
Turkish premier praised President George W. Bush and the US Congress’
recent stance against the Armenian genocide allegations. /Star/

How to tame market’s potential and make it serve everybody’s prosperity
By Mher Ohanian

Yerkir/arm
27 May 05

Only fifteen years after the market reforms were launched in Armenia,
the Armenian officials began to cautiously speak about the European
Union granting “market economy country” status to Armenia; they even
express confidence that such status will be granted to Armenia by
the end of the year. What are these expectations based on and what
does the term “market economy country” actually mean?

The fact is that out of the 200 world countries, only 10 percent —
or 20-25 countries — is considered to have advanced market economies;
in others, despite the existence of infrastructures, markets are
unable to produce glut and dignified living conditions for the society.

International finance organizations and donor countries spend billions
of dollars every year to reform economies of those countries but do
not get desirable results. In fact, the gap between the wealthy and the
poor is actually growing: “the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.”

The experience of the developed countries prompts that the key
precondition for the market to develop is the efficiently defined
property rights. Only then, it can be expected that the property rights
can become permanently available, can be standardized, registered,
and the owners can be guaranteed that their assets will not be taken
away, nationalized or become subject of rip-off.

The developed markets also prosper because the property rights in
those countries are clearly defined making it possible to trade,
sell and resell them, resulting in an efficient redistribution of
resources, and investing in modern and competent technologies thus
increasing the production and the prosperity.

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
May 25, 2005

Massacro Armeni: Universita’ Turca Rinvia Conferenza

MASSACRO ARMENI: UNIVERSITA’ TURCA RINVIA CONFERENZA ;
DOPO CHE GOVERNO HA DEFINITO TRADITORI STORICI DISSENZIENTI

ISTANBUL

(ANSA) – ISTANBUL, 25 MAG – L’Universita’ del Bosforo di
Istanbul ha rinviato sine die una conferenza sui massacri degli
armeni del 1915-16 che includeva alcuni storici turchi critici
verso la posizione del governo di Ankara che nega il loro
carattere di “genocidio”, dopo che il portavoce del governo
aveva accusato quegli storici di “tradimento”.

I responsabili dell Universita hanno annunciato di avere
rinunciato a tenere la conferenza, che doveva cominciare oggi,
per timore del clima creatosi dopo che il ministro della
giustizia Cemil Cicek aveva commentato la presenza di quegli
storici dissenzienti affermando: “Dobbiamo mettere fine a
questo tradimento ed alla diffusione di propaganda anti-turca da
parte di persone che appartengono alla Turchia”.

Il governo turco sta respingendo con forza le pressioni
internazionali perche Ankara riconosca che i massacri del
1915-1916, quando perirono, secondo fonti armene, circa 1,5
milioni di armeni (300 mila secondo Ankara), abbiano costituito
il “primo genocidio del XX secolo”.

Quindici parlamenti di vari paesi (tra cui la Francia ed il
Parlamento europeo) hanno approvato mozioni in cui si
definiscono quei massacri come genocidio, ma Ankara sostiene che
si tratto’ di una guerra civile originata dal tradimento degli
armeni che parteggiavano per il nemico russo, e che vi furono
vittime equivalenti da una parte e dall’altra.

Il governo attuale di Ankara sostiene che gli archivi turchi
sono aperti e ha proposto una commissione congiunta
turco-armena per giungere ad una verita’ condivisa, ma secondo
gli osservatori- le dichiarazioni di Cicek daranno spazio alle
opinioni diffuse in Europa di chi sostiene che Ankara non e
pronta ad una libera discussione sulla controversa
materia.(ANSA).

Pan Armenian News

MAMEDYAROV: MEDIATORS DISCUSS OPENING NAKHICHEVAN-MEGHRI RAIL BRANCH WITH
YEREVAN AND BAKU

26.05.2005 03:48

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will hold the recurrent
talks over settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict May 27. The outcomes
of the talks held up to today will be discussed at the meeting,» Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov told journalists, reported APA Azeri
agency. The Azeri FM called statements that Russian and French
representatives intend to base the talks on a specific peace plan
groundless. He also emphasized that during the talks within the Prague
process specific details of the solution of the conflict were discussed.
«One of the main subjects of discussion during the dialogue was the solution
of the transport communication problem. In the course of the negotiations
not only the use of the Lachin corridor as a secure transport line is
discussed. The opening of the Nakhichevan-Meghri rail branch line is also
discussed. It is the largest regional rail network that has to be opened in
order for Nakhichevan communication with the rest of the territory of the
country to be restored. The matter concerns both opening the railway and the
motor road.»

A1plus

| 18:00:57 | 25-05-2005 | Politics |

PROCESSING A LAW DEFENDING THE UNEMPLOYED

Today the new draft law regulating the social field in case of employment
and unemployment was approved by the Government. During today’s briefing
deputy Minister on Social Affairs Arayik Petrosyan and Employment agency
head Shamam Haroutyunyan criticized the law regulating the filed which was
adopted 7 years ago.

According to them, the necessity to create a new law was the demand of the
time, as the old one had not been improved for years. It not only failed to
regulate the corresponding field but also created problems for the
authorized bodies.

Shamam Haroutyunyan informed us of an interesting fact. It is possible that
in future the Government allots sums from the budget to pay those companies
which employ the so-called `uncompetitive manpower’ – the disabled, the
orphans above 18 years of age, those who will resign in a year, refugees and
those who have been unemployed for more than 3 years.

The deputy Minister brought the example of Sweden where the expenses of the
employer are compensated for 90-100%. But the possible humaneness of the
Government is still in the field of imagination.

Twenty-four Armenian migrants deported from southern Russia

Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan
25 May 05

KRASNODAR

A plane with 24 Armenian nationals on board left Krasnodar airport for
Yerevan on 21 May. The Armenian nationals were deported on charges of
illegal residence and absence of work permit.

The head of the airport’s migration control department, Aleksandr
Linnik, said that prior to official deportation all illegal migrants
had been declared persona non grata. This means that they are
prohibited from entering Russia’s territory for five years.

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
May 24 2005

Armenia keen to expand economic ties with Iran

Sari, Mazandaran prov, May 24, IRNA

Armenian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Samuel Avetisyan, here at the
head of an economic delegation, on Tuesday reiterated the need to
broaden Iran-Armenia economic relations.

Avetisyan, who is currently visiting Mazandaran province, in a
meeting with the provincial governor general, Mohammad Ali Panjeh
Fouladgaran, added that after disintegration of the former Soviet
Union some of the national facilities were undermined.

He further underlined the firm determination of Armenian officials to
consolidate the country’s economy.

Turning to the infrastructural measures taken across Mazandaran
province in the field of fishery, he underlined the great impact of
the sector on the Caspian Sea status which is unique in its kind.

“Remarkable success has been observed across the province in the
domain of cattle breeding and horticulture, while Armenia has failed
to make any progress in the related grounds,” he added.

For his part, Fouladgaran referred to some of the provincial
potentials in the fields of agriculture, cattle breeding,
horticulture and tourism and declared the readiness of the officials
to export the goods produced in the province to other countries
including Armenia.

“Meanwhile, we are prepared to cooperate with Armenia in the
indicated domains and announced readiness to facilitate investment in
the province by Armenian tradesmen,” he added.

The official pointed to Amirabad and Noshahr ports on the Caspian Sea
via which goods are transited and declared and said this can be used
by the Central Asian states, particularly Armenia, to supply their
requirements from Iran or other regional countries.

AMENDMENTS TO ELECTORAL CODE MADE BY ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT
ARE DEMOCRATIC, THINKS DEPUTY HEAD OF OSCE OFFICE IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 20. ARMINFO. The amendments to the Electoral Code of
the Republic of Armenia made by the National Assembly of Armenia
are democratic, but the whole potential of the reforms is not used
entirely. Elaine Conkievich, Deputy Head of OSCE Office in Yerevan
made such comments on the amendments to the electoral code of Armenia.

Noting that she has not yet received the final text of the amendments
passed by the parliament Elaine Conkievich said that the Armenian
parliamentarians have adopted only part of proposals of international
experts, and they did not consider other parts or considered not in
full. In particular, the reduction of the number of the representatives
of the president in electoral commissions mentioned in the draft
amendments was the proposal made by OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission
of the Council of Europe. On the other hand, the mechanism of appeal
of the results of the voting in the final version of the amendments
rather differed from that the international experts proposed. As
regards reduction of the number of the deputies of the parliament,
increase of the number of proportional parliamentary seats (according
to party list) at the expense of majority seats and increase of the
term of activities of the parliament from 4 to 5 years, these are the
internal issue to be decided by Armenia and the OSCE office does not
comment on them, Elaine Conkievich stressed.

To remind, according to the bill adopted by the parliament, the
document does not prevent applying legal restrictions during mass
actions by the Police, servicemen, officers of National Security
Service and penitentiaries.