Author: Kalashian Nyrie

RA COURT OF CASSATION CHAIRMAN AND WB REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS WORKS OF
SECOND STAGE OF JUDICIAL REFORMS

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Hovhannes Manoukian, the Chairman of
the RA Court of Cassation, received David Bernstain, the head of the
Judicial Reform Project of the World Bank Yerevan Office, on March
23. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Press Secretariate of the
court, the sides touched upon implementation of works envisaged by the
second stage of the judicial reforms project, problems connected with
commissions and functions of the RA Justice Council, formation of the
judicial department, judicial police, judicial school. H.Manoukian
presented his approaches on the above-mentioned problems, attaching
importance to implementation of the re-training courses, a wider usage
of precedent right. Implementation of programs on public awareness was
also attached importance to. Works of construction and restoration,
making the judicial archives corresponding to the modern conditions
were paid attention to during the meeting.

The Messenger, Georgia
March 23 2006
New EU Caucasus representative pledges stronger conflict resolution
focus
In his first official visit to Tbilisi Peter Semneby meets with
Saakashvili, Noghaideli, and other high-ranking Georgian officials
By Anna Arzanova
In his first visit to Georgia the newly appointed European Union
Special Representative to the South Caucasus Peter Semneby promised
Tuesday to take a stronger position on conflict resolution and to
clarify Russia’s role in the process.
“My mandate is different as it includes a stronger focus on the
resolution of the conflicts. In reality there is nothing that I can
do that my predecessor was not able to do because the mandates are
broadly formulated, but the current signal from the European Union is
that we intend to engage more firmly in the conflict resolution
process,” Semneby stated at his inaugural press conference on
Tuesday.
Semneby is replacing the Finnish diplomat, Heikki Talvitie, who
became the first the EU Special Representative to the South Caucasus
in July 2003 and retired last month after a tenure of almost three
years.
Semneby’s mandate includes furthering EU policy objectives in the
South Caucasus by assisting Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the
implementation of political and economic reforms – especially
regarding the rule of law; democratization; human rights; good
governance development; and poverty reduction.
The mandate also includes conflict prevention in the region and the
peaceful settlement of conflicts by promoting the return of refugees
and IDPs as well as encouraging and supporting further cooperation
between the countries in the region in all spheres such as economy,
energy and transportation.
On March 20-21, Semneby held several meetings with high-ranking
officials. He met with the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili,
Chair of the Supreme Court Kote Kublashvili and other representatives
of the executive and legislative branches as well as civil society
representatives.
In accordance with his mandate, during a March 20 visit to Prime
Minister Zurab Noghaideli on Semneby discussed the issues of
Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-South Ossetian conflicts and developing
the Georgian “Action Plan” within the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy.
After meeting with Noghaideli, Semneby told journalists that nothing
concrete had been established and that he could not predict the
results of the forthcoming round of Georgian-EU negotiations
regarding the resolution of these conflicts.
On March 21 Semneby met with Minister of Justice Gia Kavtaradze on
March 21. The subject of discussion at the meeting was the bill on
property restitution of the victims of the Georgian-South Ossetian
aggressions, presented by the Georgian Justice Minister to the Venice
Commission a few days ago.
Later, speaking at the press conference March 21 about the Joint
Control Commission (JCC), Semneby stated that it is a little bit
early to speak about the new JCC format. He noted that though the
current format does not provide for the EU’s participation, it is not
clearly determined what position the EU will take with regard to the
JCC. Currently, JCC is represented by Georgian, South Ossetian, North
Ossetian and Russian sides.
“The European Commission is already present when economic issues are
discussing in the JCC whether the EU is going to take a role on the
political discussion in the future is something I am not able to
answer at this stage. I can only say that the EU will take a great
interest and will be closely associated with whatever happens in the
JCC,” Semneby added.
Peter Semneby has most recently served as Head of the OSCE Mission to
Croatia during 2002-2005. Working on this position, Semneby and his
staff assisted Croatia with post-conflict rehabilitation and the
managing of the most important political requirements for the EU
membership, including refugees return, minority rights, judicial
reform, war crimes trials, police reform, media legislation,
electoral legislation and civil society development.
As head of the OSCE Mission to Latvia during 2000-2002, he was a key
player in developing policies, legislation and institutions on a
range of receptive issues of the Russian-speaking minority. Semneby
was responsible for European Security and Defense Policy in the
Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1997-2000. Before working
in the sphere of European Security and Defense Policy, he served in
the Swedish embassies in Germany, Ukraine and the USSR.
Ambassador Semneby has had the opportunity to work and travel in the
South Caucasus region on many occasions during his career.
Semneby arrived in Tbilisi on 18 March and left the country on March
22 for Munich.

PanARMENIAN.Net
French Ambassador to Armenia: Rambouillet Doesn’t Mean End of Talks
22.03.2006 23:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani President
Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev in Rambouillet doesn’t mean the end
of the negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, French
Ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuny told journalists today. `The
activities for the conflict settlement will be continued this year,’
he added. In his opinion, the next years will be unfavorable for the
conflict settlement. The Ambassador noted that the Rambouillet meeting
did not conclude the negotiation process but allowed to outline the
discrepancies available. In his words, `a long way was passed’.

ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP, EUROPEAN UNION MUST BE INVOLVED IN SETTLEMENT OF SOUTH CAUCASUS CONFLICTS DEEPER
Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006
TBILISI/BRUSSELS, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. For guaranteeing its own
security, the European Union must be involved in settlement of the
South Caucasus conflicts deeper for those don’t break up as wide-spread
wars in the neighborhood of Europe. Such an opinion was expressed
by the International Crisis Group in its March 20 message. The
“Conflicts Prevention in South Caucasus: Role of European Union”
new report of the International Crisis Group studies efforts of
the European Union to touch upon the strengthening round Nagorno
Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Osetia and points out its possible
additional activities. “Brussels started to touch upon the challenge
of a deeper involvement only recently. There were few promising steps
but there is still a long way to pass,” Sabine Freizer, the Caucasus
Project Director of the International Crisis Group stated. Mentioning
that the UN in Abkhazia and the OSCE in Nagorno Karabakh and South
Osetia were engaged in conflicts settlement till the recent times,
but the negotiations having lasted for dozens of years didn’t reach
all-embracing agreements of peace, the International Crisis Group
expresses confidence that the European Union has a greater role to
play and can complete the UN and OSCE efforts “having authority of an
“honest mediator,” different soft and rough levers of influence and
possibility of proposals to be deeper integrated into Europe.” For
avoiding instability of its own borders, the European Union wants to
create round it a circle of effectively rulled countries. This is
interested in South Caucasus also for the reason that it wants to
secure accessibility of oil and gas of the Caspian region, develop
transportation and communication corridors between Europe and Asia
and limit such dangers as smuggling, trafficking and degradation
of environment are. According to the International Crisis Group,
as the European Union will hardly propose membership to Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan in the nearest time, it must find newest means
to stipulate its assistance a!
nd use influence. The Actions Plans of the European Neighborhood policy
is at the stage of summing up what, according to the message, creates
a proper opportunity for strengthening the EU role, especially if
the peaceful settlement of conflicts is defined as an obligation. The
International Crisis Group expresses opinion that the newly appointed
EU Special Representative must be an observer in negotiations going on
round Abkhazian, South Osetian and Karabakh conflicts. The European
Commission made significant allocations for reconstruction works in
South Osetia and Abkhazia. It must estimate how it may start to do
more on Nagorno Karabakh and round it. “The European Union attempts to
define its role in the new neighborhood where there is neither peace
nor war. If the European Union isn’t able to fulfil its imagination
of a safe neighborhood, its confidence in the region and in general,
compared with Russia and the U.S., will suffer. It’s more worrying if
the conflicts in South Caucasus continue to strengthen, the European
Union may be unready for the issue of finding a response to wars of
its neighbors,” Nicholas Whyte, the Europe Program Director of the
International Crisis Group stated.

BERLIN-BRANDENBURG COURT BARRED TO CALL ARMENIAN GENOCIDE “A LIE”
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2006 19:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The court of Berlin-Brandenburg Bundesland,
Germany has decided that Turks, who stage rallies, have no right to
use posters and transparencies denying the Armenian Genocide in the
Ottoman Empire in 1915. From now on it is prohibited to call “a lie”
the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in the territory. It
should be noted that on that very day Turks were going to hold a
demonstration in Berlin to commemorate Talaat Pasha, however, because
of the resolution adopted, police thoroughly checked all the posters
and transparencies in order to register facts of the Genocide denial.
Berlin-Brandenburg is the first in Germany and the second in Europe
region in the number of Turks. Over 1 million Turks live only in
Berlin. So, as the Armenian Turkologists note, Germany, the main
Turkey’s ally in the EU, has confirmed its position on the resolution
adopted by the Bundestag, which can bring about a chain reaction
everywhere in the EU, reported IA Regnum.

‘Armenian Genocide Allegations is a Complicated Issue’
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara
Zaman, Turkey
March 17 2006
Published: Friday, March 17, 2006
zaman.com
Daniel Fried, the US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian
Affairs, said the Armenian genocide allegations is a “complicated
issue” and must be examined by the parties in a courageous way.
Fried together with Upper Karabag (Karabagh) problem negotiator Steven
Mann met Turkish Foreign Ministry officials yesterday.
Speaking after the talks Fried said, “Tragedies of the past must be
handled with courage and nations must look at their futures.”
The US diplomat underlined he has no message about the Turkey-Armenia
relations, indicating the US’s attitude towards the issue is
well-known, and President George W. Bush will probably make a relevant
statement on the issue this April as he does every year.
The American official added the issue of Washington’s demand of
opening the Turkish-Armenian border also came to the agenda during
the contacts.

ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN OLD JUGA TURNS INTO MILITARY GROUND
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 16 2006
YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. The Armenian cemetery in Old Juga,
Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan, does not exist any more and is being turned
into a military ground. The press and information department, RA
Foreign Office, reports that the last 3,500 out of 10,000 cross-stones
that had been preserved by December 2005 have now been completely
destroyed.
After clearing the territory, Azerbaijan turned it into a military
ground from March 2006.
Mass destruction of Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) was recorded
in Old Juga in 1998. After the vandalism was condemned by the
international community, it was stopped, but was resumed in 2003.
The last report on the destruction of Armenian monuments was provided
in December 2005.
The destruction of Armenian monuments was condemned by representatives
of PACE, European Parliament, UNESCO, and other international
organizations.
A PACE delegation is expected to visit Azerbaijan this spring to
examine the state of cultural values. P.T. -0–

CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHTS DEVELOPING APPROACH TO ARMENIAN CLAIMS
New Anatolian, Turkey
March 16 2006
Istanbul University began yesterday hosting a three-day international
conference that aims to bring a new approach to discussions of the
so-called Armenian genocide and its affects on Turkish-Armenian
relations.
In his opening speech, Istanbul University Rector Mesut Parlak urged
all concerned sides to analyze the problem, which centers on disputed
events of 1915, without concentrating on only a single event.
“Besides the political aspects of the events of 1915, historical,
legal, social, psychological and philosophical elements should be
determined. The importance of this conference is that the participants
will analyze the different aspects of the Armenian ‘genocide’,”
he said.
Parlak described genocide as a crime against humanity and said,
“Such a serious accusation must have a legal basis. The international
law defining genocide was adopted in 1948, and does not cover past
incidents. Therefore, it is impossible and illegal to characterize
the 1915 incidents as genocide.”
In a message sent to the conference, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
stressed that Turkey is at peace with its past, saying, “We have no
page in our history to be ashamed of.”
Noting that many conferences and symposiums have been held in
Turkey recently on the Armenian allegations, Gul said, “There has
been an increase in the amount of scientific research, articles and
books published about the last period of the Ottoman Empire and the
Armenian genocide claims. Thanks to studies into the question, we
have the opportunity to see the facts and to have the voice of the
truth heard against biased publications by the Armenian diaspora.”
“Furthermore, we bequeath detailed data to following generations about
a period of Turkish history. I would like to emphasize that the number
of impartial publications in the U.S. and Europe on this issue is
increasing. Serious steps are being taken to make public the facts,”
Gul said in the message.
Gul reiterated that archives from the Ottoman and Republican period
were open to all researchers for investigation and urged the Armenians
to open their archives to shed light on the period of history in
question. “Last year we proposed the Armenian government form a joint
commission composed of historians to examine controversial episodes
in Turkish-Armenian relations. However, we haven’t yet received a
positive response from the Armenians,” he added.

SERGE SARGSIAN BELIEVES POSITIVE RESULTS OF U.S. EFFORTS ON NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF OSCE MG
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Daniel Fried,
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Euroasian Affairs,
presented the details of his regional visit at his March 16 meeting
with Serge Sargsian, RA Defence Minister, Secretary of the National
Security Council under RA President.
Again emphasizing the readiness of the U.S. to assist in the Nagorno
Karabakh peaceful settlement, he mentioned that the solution to the
problem will become a stimulus for region’s economic progress and
free development.
Touching upon bilateral cooperation in the military sphere, Colonel
Mike Anderson, a member of the delegation led by Daniel Fried, on
behalf of General James Jones expressed gratitude for the Armenian
peacekeepers’ successful mission in Iraq highly estimating their
professional level. He especially thanked the Minister for the
assistance rendered by RA Defence Ministry and Officers’ staff in
the course of the defensive estimation and for transparency of RA
Armed Forces. Colonel M.Anderson also mentioned the importance of
the rescuing exercises to be held this year in Armenia.
Minister Serge Sargsian agreed to Steven Mann’s opinion that the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict can’t be solved by war either today or in
15-20 years. For the purpose of preventing the cases of ceasefire
violation he proposed that contact-line monitorings be held more
often and their results be made public.
Touching upon the process of reforms implemented in the Armenian army,
the Minister established that 10 years later Armenia will have an
army more capable of cooperation and corresponding to international
standards. Mentioning the importance of relations of NATO with Armenia,
he once more mentioned that they develop rapidly.
Serge Sargsian expressed gratitude for the efforts strained by the
U.S. within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, aimed at Nagorno
Karabakh problem settlement, mentioning that he is optimistic and
believes their positive results.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by RA Defence Minister’s Spokesperson,
Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakosian, U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to RA
John Evans, American Co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann were
present at the meeting.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
March 8, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. NAPOLITANO RAISES REPORTS OF AMB. EVANS’
RECALL WITH SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL
— Asks Assistant Secretary Dan Fried to Explain
Reports that Ambassador Evans is being Punished
for Openly Acknowledging the Armenian Genocide
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA) today
submitted a series of questions to a senior State Department
official during his testimony before the U.S. House International
Relations Committee – including a pointed question about reports
that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia is being recalled due to his
public acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
As a follow up question, addressed to Assistant Secretary of State
Dan Fried, the California Congresswoman asked for a clarification
of any restrictions placed on State Department officials concerning
the use of the word “genocide” when discussing the extermination of
1.5 million Armenians starting in 1915. She also inquired about
U.S. policy on the Turkish blockade of Armenia and the proposed
Caucasus railroad line circumventing Armenia.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has yet to respond to an
earlier written inquiry regarding Ambassador Evans from Congressman
Adam Schiff during her February 16th testimony before the same
panel. Since that hearing, the California Courier, a respected
Armenian American newspaper, has reported that the State Department
is recalling Ambassador Evans, well before the normal end of his
three-year tenure, because of his open acknowledgment of the
Armenian Genocide during a series of presentations last year to
Armenian American community groups.
Responding to a reporter’s question at today’s State Department
briefing, spokesperson Sean McCormack said, “I’m not aware that we
have recalled anybody. . . I believe that he’s still serving as
ambassador in Armenia.”
The full text of Congresswoman Napolitano’s questions are provided
below.
#####
Questions for the Record Submitted to
The Honorable Daniel Fried, Assistance Secretary
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
By Representative Grace Napolitano
House International Relations Committee
March 8, 2006
1) There are reports that U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans
is being recalled because of his speech on the Armenian Genocide.
Is there any truth behind these reports? If not, could you explain
why his term is being cut shorter than his predecessors who
normally served more than a year longer than he has?
2) Have State Department employees been directed not to use the
word “genocide” when discussing the extermination of 1.5 million
Armenians starting in 1915?
3) Contrary to U.S. and international law and standards with
regard to recipients of our foreign aid and as a further threat to
stability in the South Caucasus, Turkey refuses to end its now
thirteen-year blockade against its neighbor, Armenia. What
specific steps is the Administration taking to encourage the
Turkish government to open the last closed border of Europe?
4) Would regional security be enhanced and U.S. interests
furthered if Turkey lifted its blockade of Armenia?
5) United States policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster
regional cooperation and economic integration and supports open
borders and transport and communication corridors. In a move that
undermines U.S. efforts to end Turkey’s blockade of Armenia, the
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has initiated a project to
construct a new rail line linking Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan
while bypassing Armenia. The proposal is estimated to cost up to
$800 million and would take three years to complete. The aim of
this costly approach, as publicly stated by President Aliyev, is to
isolate Armenia by enhancing the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani
blockades and to keep the existing Turkey-Armenia-Georgia rail link
shut down. This ill-conceived project runs counter to U.S. policy,
ignores the standing Kars-Gymri route, is politically and
economically flawed and serves to destabilize the region.
a) This proposed rail link would not only undermine U.S. policy
goals for the region, but would also specifically isolate Armenia
as evidenced by President Aliyev’s recent remarks. Does the
Administration support the rail line that would bypass Armenia as
an alternative to the Kars-Gymri route?
b) Has the Administration allocated or expended any federal agency
funds or otherwise provided financial support for the intended
project?
c) What steps is the Administration taking to urge the government
of Azerbaijan to reject this counterproductive proposal?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress