Author: Jirair Kafian

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT’S CHIEF OF STAFF VISITS ARMENIA
20:34
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 30 2005
YEREVAN, May 30 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan) – Russian President’s
chief of staff Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Yerevan on Monday.
The withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia will be on
the agenda of his visit, Medvedev said.
“This is a complicated issue which should be discussed, above all,
by Russia and Georgia, however, some aspects can be discussed with
other neighbors,” the chief of staff told journalists.
According to Medvedev, his visit will focus on the whole range of
bilateral relations.
“The agenda is very intensive. We shall discuss economic issues,
including integration within the framework of the existing interstate
associations and important energy projects,” he said.
Medvedev is scheduled to meet with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan,
presidential chief of staff Artashes Tumanyan and Defense Minister
Serzh Sarkisyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
May 29 2005
Armenian pontiff will bless cathedral site during visit
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer
BURBANK — Thousands of Armenian-Americans are expected to turn out
this week to see Armenia’s pontiff on his second visit to the western
United States, including a stop in Burbank to bless the site of a
planned cathedral.
Karekin II — head of the world’s 7 million Armenian Apostolic
Christians — made his first visit to the area from Etchmiadzin,
Armenia, nearly four years ago during the Armenian church’s
celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the nation’s official
adoption of Christianity.
The pontiff’s visit this year comes as the Armenian immigrant
population in the West continues to grow and the church is
establishing parishes throughout California and in neighboring
states.
“He kind of comes at a time that’s like a bridge for us into
re-established communities,” said Matthew Ash, youth director for the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.
The diocese is working to organize religious communities in Monterey,
Valencia and other parts of California. In smaller locations, a
priest will visit as part of a circuit that includes other fledgling
communities.
As part of his nearly 3-week visit, the pontiff is scheduled to bless
churches in Arizona, Nevada and California, hold several youth
rallies, meet with government and church officials, and visit with
parishioners.
In Glendale, he is scheduled to visit Glendale Adventist Hospital and
students at Glendale Unified School District.
In Burbank — where the diocese is planning to build a $6 million
cathedral next to its headquarters — the pontiff is scheduled to
meet with schoolchildren as well as bless the cathedral site in a
June 4 event expected to draw more than 1,500 spectators.
“I think it uplifts the community when they see the spiritual head of
the church coming all the way from Armenia. … It creates enthusiasm
so it is important,” said Armen Hampar, chairman of the building
committee for the planned cathedral.
Hampar currently is asking the county Department of Public Works to
allow him to build a parking structure for the cathedral over a flood
control channel behind the diocese headquarters.
He said the committee is approaching its fundraising goal and hopes
to begin construction within a year.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 17:58:33 | 24-05-2005 | Social |
TWO WEEKS FOR PREPARATIONS
Today the trial of former employees of Credit Service Bank was continued in
the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork Marash communities. Artashes
Davtyan, Boris Arakelyan, Vahagn Martirosyan, Svetlana Karamyan and some
others are accused of misappropriation according to Article 179.3 of the RA
Criminal Code. The Article provides for 4-9 years of imprisonment. Artashes
Davtyan, for instance, is accused of appropriation of 121 million AMD.
To remind, the investigation started February 16, 2004. Artashes Davtyan and
Vahagn Martirosyan have been arrested since April 1, 2003.
Today Artashes Davtyan refused to give testimony.
The nest sitting of the court will be held June 9 at 2 p.m
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Special Broadcasting Service, Australia
May 21 2005
Armenia appoint Dutchman
PA Sport
The Armenian FA have confirmed Henk Wisman has been appointed as the
new national team coach.
The Dutchman will combine the coaching of the national side with
training domestic champions Pyunik Yerevan.
Wisman replaces Bernard Casoni after the Frenchman resigned following
the 2-0 defeat to Holland two months ago.
Wisman was sacked in March by Den Bosch, after a disappointing series
of results.
Before Den Bosch Wisman was in charge at FC Volendam, who he led into
the Eredivisie.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Mideast Mirror
May 18, 2005
>>From today’s Turkish press
[parts omitted]
ARMENIAN ISSUE: Semih Idiz writes more in sorrow than in anger
on Turkish-Armenian relations in Milliyet: “Instead of making an
effort to conduct dialogue with Turkey, Armenia’s use of the European
Council’s summit in Warsaw as a platform to present its well-known
thesis has demonstrated how thorny relations are between Ankara and
Yerevan. Instead of boosting hopes for a compromise that arose with
the letter Prime Minister Erdogan sent him some time ago, Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan’s approach in Warsaw almost ended these
hopes and has disappointed the Turkish side, which had already low
expectations…”
Oktay Eksi takes a strong line in support of the government in
Hurriyet: “We support the position that Erdogan took against the
claims of Armenian genocide in Warsaw. Because there is not a single
country in the world whose hands are clean on the issue of genocide
and there is no country more innocent than Turkey.”
Ismet Berkan puts the dispute with Armenia in political perspective in
the centre-Left Radikal: “The key point in Turkish-Armenian relations
is the Karabakh problem and the continued Armenian occupation of
the one-fifth of Azerbaijani land. If Armenia and Azerbaijan reach
an agreement and the occupation ends, it will help Turkish-Armenian
relations too. At least the two countries may begin to discuss their
bilateral relations. The issue of genocide is not a political problem
between Turkey and Armenia but between Turkey and the Armenian Diaspora
in the West.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA-GEORGIA: NO COMPROMISE ON ARMY BASES YET
MOSCOW, May 17 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has made a concession to
Georgia to agree to pull out its military bases before 2008, announced
Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili.
As things really are, the Parties have not yet come to such an
understanding, said Alexander Yakovenko, Russia’s Foreign Ministry
spokesman.
“Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, and Salome Zurabishvili,
his Georgian counterpart, met in Warsaw to discuss Russian blueprints,
which appoint a deadline for Russian base withdrawal at the end of
2008. There was no understanding to finish the pullout before that
year,” stressed the diplomat.
The Foreign Ministers agreed on the two countries’ delegations for
military issues to go on with discussing the Russian blueprints. The
delegations are to meet quite soon in Moscow or Tbilisi.
Russia presently has two military bases in Georgia – in Batumi,
Adzharia, on the Black Sea coast, and in Akhalkalaki, Javakhetia –
Georgian area along the Armenian frontier.
Abkhazia, unrecognized republic in Georgia, is eager to host Russian
bases with their pullout, said Sergei Bagapsh, its leader.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
BRAZILIAN AMERICANA CITY PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
12.05.2005 08:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the course of its 28th session the Parliament of
Americana Brazilian city adopted a Resolution on Solidarity with Armenians
on the Genocide of 1915-1917, reported the State Commission for Organizing
Events marking the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The Resolution
presents the basic episodes of the history of the Armenian people before the
20th century and the struggle of Armenians for their freedom. Specifically,
the document presents the Ottoman Turkey policy over mass annihilation of
Armenians, which reached its summit April 24, 1915. The motion is authored
by ruling Working Party member Osvaldo Nogueira. The Resolution was adopted
unanimously.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia, EU to unveil partnership accord at Tuesday summit
By ALEX NICHOLSON
.c The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) – Russia and the European Union are expected to unveil a
broad partnership accord at a summit Tuesday that represents an
attempt to reinvigorate relations after a troubled year.
As the EU swelled last year with 10 new members, most of them from the
former Soviet bloc, the EU’s policy is seen to have become more
assertive toward Russia.
The meeting in Moscow is the first since a stormy summit last fall in
The Hague, Netherlands, when Russia accused the EU of fomenting street
protests in Ukraine and partnership negotiations fell apart.
EU officials say they do not want another breakdown and are ready to
agree to a less-than-perfect accord, hoping to nail down outstanding
issues in the months ahead.
The partnership should benefit both sides: The EU will get a forum to
launch economic cooperation with an energy-rich partner that is hungry
for Western investment.
Yet the agreement to be unveiled Tuesday comes against the backdrop of
lingering mistrust between the two powers.
“Many Russian leaders now view the EU as a hostile power that is
expanding into Russia’s traditional sphere of influence,” says
Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Research, a London
think tank, in a recent paper on the EU’s relations with its eastern
neighbors.
“The EU, meanwhile, has become increasingly concerned about Russia’s
eroding democratic standards and weak regard for human rights.”
In a statement prior to Tuesday’s summit, European Commission
President Jose Manuel Barroso said he wants relations to be taken to a
“new and higher level.”
Barroso is hoping the approval of a long-delayed partnership accord,
setting out four “common spaces” between Russia and the 25-member
bloc, will provide the necessary momentum.
The wide-ranging pact encompasses security, economic and humanitarian
issues and aims to enhance cooperation in transport, energy and
regional conflict resolution as well as harmonizing legal standards
and promoting trade and investment.
Until recently, EU officials said they were far from a partnership
deal. On the eve of the approval ceremony, key disputes remained but
the West Europeans insisted they will be resolved in the months ahead.
One difference is over Russia’s demand for an easing of visa
rules. The EU will only agree to that if Russia takes back Russian
nationals and others who entered the EU illegally from Russia. Also,
the EU wants Russia to phase out Siberia overflight charges that West
European airlines now pay to Moscow.
The partnership aims to craft a single EU-Russian market with no
barriers to trade and to introduce economic reforms, competitiveness
and good economic governance in Russia. It also wants more cooperation
on investments, financial services, telecommunications, transport,
energy and the environment.
The EU also plans programs to foster democracy, the rule of law, human
rights, an independent judiciary and media and cooperation on
combating terrorism, organized crime and corruption.
The EU is particularly interested in assisting Russia to end “frozen
conflicts” in the former Soviet region – Trans-Dniester in Moldova,
Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, and Nagorno-Karabakh in
Azerbaijan – by taking humanitarian and economic aid to those regions,
and to tackle poverty and human rights abuses there that the EU sees
as causes of instability.
Russia is the EU’s fifth largest trade partner, with bilateral trade
totaling US$125 billion (96.55 billion) in 2004. Russian exports
amounted to US$91 billion (70.29 billion), the lion’s share accounted
for by oil and gas deliveries. Natural gas monopoly Gazprom provides a
quarter of Europe’s gas, while 85 percent of the 4 million barrels of
oil per day that Russia – the world’s No. 2 exporter – sends outside
the former Soviet Union went to Europe in 2004.
Energy is expected to become an even bigger focus in negotiations
starting next month, when the United Kingdom – whose North Sea oil and
gas fields are dwindling – takes over the EU presidency.
05/09/05 14:35 EDT
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Germany ready to help Turkey, Armenia resolve differences – chancellor
Anatolia news agency
4 May 05
Ankara, 4 May: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday
[4 May] conveyed to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder the uneasiness
Turkey felt over the proposal of German Christian Democrats for
recognition of allegations of so-called Armenian genocide in German
parliament.
Erdogan and Schroeder held a joint press conference after their
tete-a-tete meeting in Turkish capital of Ankara.
Mentioning the draft law brought to the German federal parliament as
regards to the allegations of so-called Armenian genocide, Erdogan
said: “We have conveyed Turkey’s serious uneasiness and expectations
over the Christian Democrat draft resolution.” [Passage omitted]
Schroeder said he appreciated Turkey’s proposal inviting Armenia to
set up a committee of historians to research jointly the allegations of
the so-called genocide and wished the proposal be accepted by Armenia.
Schroeder said the issue in essence was related to Turkey and
Armenia, but expressed readiness of Germany to help solution of the
problem. [Passage omitted]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey keen on ties with Armenia
Al Jazeera
Friday 29 April 2005, 20:33 Makka Time, 17:33 GMT

Turkey broke diplomatic ties with Armenia in 1993
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was reported as saying Turkey was ready
to build “political relations” with neighbouring Armenia despite their
disagreements over history and territory.
Turkey broke off diplomatic ties with the ex-Soviet republic in 1993
over Armenia’s occupation of territory inside Azerbaijan, a regional
Turkic-speaking ally of Ankara.
Ankara also angrily rejects Yerevan’s claims that 1.5 million
Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World
War One. Turkey says the Armenians were victims of a war which claimed
even more Muslim Turkish lives.
But Erdogan, worried the genocide issue could harm Turkey’s plans to
start European Union entry talks in October, recently urged Armenia to
help set up a commission of historians from many countries to
establish what really happened.
Mending fences?
Erdogan renewed that invitation in an interview with Milliyet
newspaper, adding: “On the one hand, political relations could be
established. On the other hand, work (on the archives) could
continue. There is no Chinese Wall between us.”

Armenians say 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman Turks

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said this week he was ready to
accept Erdogan’s proposal for a joint commission to probe the genocide
claims but he also said it was necessary to improve broader relations
first.
Erdogan did not mention the possibility of restoring full diplomatic
relations, but his comments were the clearest sign yet that Turkey
wants to mend fences with Armenia.
Some EU politicians, notably in France, home to western Europe’s
largest Armenian population, have said Turkey should recognise the
alleged genocideof Armenians before being allowed to start accession
negotiations with the wealthy bloc.
Historians must decide
But German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is due to pay an official
visit to Turkey next week, ruled out any linkage between the start of
EU entry talks and the Armenian question.
“It’s very important for a nation to look at its history with an
attitude of self-criticism”
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder

“This (recognition of genocide) cannot be a precondition. This is
about bilateral relations. It’s for the historians to decide (what
happened),” Schroeder told Turkey’s NTV commercial television in an
interview broadcast on Friday.
He also praised Erdogan’s offer to open up Turkey’s archives on the
period and his call for an international commission.
“It’s very important for a nation to look at its history with an
attitude of self-criticism,” Schroeder added.
Borders closed
He said an expected vote in the German parliament in the coming weeks
on a resolution concerning the alleged genocide should not upset
relations between Ankara and Berlin.
Turkey has in the past threatened countries that do recognise the
massacres as a genocide with diplomatic sanctions.
All countries aiming to join the EU are required to strive for good
relations with their neighbours.
But despite the signs of a possible thaw in relations, diplomats say
Turkey is unlikely to open its border with Armenia before Yerevan
makes some gesture towards Azerbaijan in their long-running row over
the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Reuters