Author: Kanayan Tamar

ZORI BALAYAN: LARGE-SCALED OIL-GAS AND TRANSPORT PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED IN THE REGION SERVE PAN-TURKISM IDEOLOGY

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 3 2007

Zori Balayan’s article "Continuation of myth" which reflects anxiety
of Georgia in the context of Georgian-Armenian friendship was published
in Armenian "Azg" newspaper, APA reports.

Zori Balayen stated that foreign policy pursued by official Tbilisi
will cause dangerous results for Georgia, Armenia and Russia, and
large-scaled oil-gas and transport projects implemented in the region
serve Pan-Turkism ideology.

He said that if measures are not taken in time, traditions, historical
memory, national character and other qualities will be changed if
Georgia fulfills commitments of European Union, UN, US and West,"
he said.

Zori Balayan stressed that if Ahiska Turks return to Georgia, the
country will be in bad condition and said that Azerbaijanis will
settle there and Armenians will not meet this plan of Turkey calmly.

He also mentioned that childbirth among Azerbaijanis living in Georgia
increased and 150 thousand Azerbaijanis were registered in Georgia
in 1959, 300 thousand in 1989.

POLAD BULBUL OGLU DOES NOT RULE OUT POSSIBILITY OF CONTINUING DIALOGUE BETWEEN COMMUNITIES OF NAGORNO KARABAKH

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 2 2007

ArmInfo. Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbul Oglu thinks
that the trip of representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
intellectuals, headed by the two countries’ ambassadors to Russia,
carried out to Stepanakert, Baku and Yerevan on June 28, 2007, had
no political purposes.

"After a great interval, an attempt was made to create an atmosphere
for a dialogue between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of
Nagorno Karabakh. I would like to note that this trip was positively
assessed by the leading political forces of the world. I think that
the meetings of intellectuals with the two countries’ presidents Ilham
Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan attached great importance to this trip and
gave a chance to continue the meetings in this format", P. Bulbul Oglu
said, commenting on the statement of RA Ambassador to Russia Armen
Smbatyan on possibility of continuing the meetings in such a format.

The Ambassador added that the Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement
based on the standards and principles of the International Law is
carried out within the frames of OSCE Minsk Group. The diplomat
also said that, though no sufficient results have been achieved,
the Azerbaijani party remains adherent to the peaceful negotiations
and keeps making constructive efforts for prompt settlement of the
conflict within the frames of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,
the AzerTag reports.

TER-PETROSIAN, DASHNAKS AGREE ON ‘CIVILIZED STRUGGLE’ IN HISTORIC TALKS
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Oct 1 2007

Levon Ter-Petrosian and top leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) agreed to make their long-running bitter
feud more "civilized" during a sensational weekend meeting initiated
by Armenia’s former president.

The meeting, held at the Dashnaktsutyun headquarters in Yerevan on
Saturday, came as a further indication that Ter-Petrosian is leaning
towards contesting the approaching presidential election. It was the
first time that he set foot in the offices of a party which he had
accused of terrorist activity and banned during his rule.

Ter-Petrosian was accompanied by Aleksandr Arzumanian, a former foreign
minister and his longtime close associate. They were received by Hrant
Markarian, the top member of Dashnaktsutyun’s worldwide governing
Bureau, and Armen Rustamian, the nominal head of the nationalist
party’s organization in Armenia.

Participants of the talks, which lasted for less than an hour, told
RFE/RL that they focused on the political situation in Armenia and,
in particular, the unfolding preparations for next year’s crucial
presidential election.

"We agreed, among other things, to stay within the bounds of a
political, ideological struggle and not to descend to a lower level,"
said Markarian. They also stressed the need to create an "atmosphere
of tolerance and solidarity in the country," he said.

"It is important for the two parties that the pre-election debate be
civilized and political in nature," said Arzumanian. In his words, the
meeting was part of Ter-Petrosian’s ongoing pre-election consultations
with "important political forces."

The very fact of such an encounter is quite extraordinary given
the extent of mutual animosity which Dashnaktsutyun and Armenia’s
first-Communist government headed by Ter-Petrosian developed even
before the Soviet collapse. The two sides strongly disagreed on
Armenia’s geopolitical priorities, with Dashnaktsutyun insisting
on continued reliance on Russia and a firm Armenian stand on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and relations with Turkey. The Ter-Petrosian
administration, by contrast, embraced a more pro-Western agenda and
did not regard recognition of the 1915 genocide as a precondition
for normalizing Turkish-Armenian ties.

Their feud culminated in Ter-Petrosian’s decision in December 1994
to ban Dashnaktsutyun on the grounds that it violated Armenia’s law
on political parties and allegedly harbored a death squad. Markarian
and Rustamian were among dozens of party activities arrested and
imprisoned in 1994 and 1995 on murder and coup charges denied by the
nationalist party as politically motivated. Most of them were set
free shortly after Ter-Petrosian resigned and was replaced by Robert
Kocharian in early 1998.

"We deliberately avoided talking about the past because I think all of
us should worry more about the future of our country and our people,"
said Markarian.

"Today is not the time to talk about that," Spartak Seyranian,
a Dashnaktsutyun parliamentarian, agreed on Monday. "But I have a
very good memory and think that nobody in our organization suffers
from a loss of memory."

"We are not forgetting or departing from our ideological differences,
but will try to concentrate our debate during the entire electoral
process exclusively on ideas, programs and proposals," he explained.

Despite being part of Armenia’s governing coalition, Dashnaktsutyun
has pointedly refused to help Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian become
Armenia’s next president and has decided to field its own presidential
candidate instead. The party has repeatedly deplored Sarkisian’s and
Kocharian’s reliance on wealthy government-connected individuals,
many of them with dubious reputations. While reaffirming their highly
negative attitude towards Ter-Petrosian, its leaders say they would
welcome his participation in the presidential election as it would
reduce the role of what they call "apolitical elements" in the
country’s political life.

"I think he should run so that the political landscape has a more
natural structure and every person, every force has its right
place there," Markarian told RFE/RL. He said Ter-Petrosian told the
Dashnaktsutyun leaders that "he is seriously intent no nominating
his candidacy but has not yet made a final decision."

Markarian also said Ter-Petrosian’s possible presidential run would
not lose the Dashnaktsutyun candidate any votes, arguing that the two
political camps appeal to voters with diametrically opposite views
on key issues facing Armenia. "His supporters won’t vote for us and
our supporters won’t vote for him," he said.

Arzumanian, meanwhile, insisted that Ter-Petrosian’s return to active
politics is not a forgone conclusion. "He is continuing to examine the
political field and will make a decision after ending his consultations
and weighing up the political situation," he said.

YEREVAN TO MARK 2789TH BIRTHDAY OCTOBER 11-13

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.10.2007 15:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 11-13 Armenia will mark the 2789th birthday
of its capital, Yerevan.

Delegations from 13 cities will take part in the festivities, a PR
officer of Yerevan city administration, David Gevorgyan said Monday.

Delegation will mostly arrive from twin-cities – Moscow, Saint
Petersburg, Isfahan, Odessa, Cambridge, Nice and Lyon.

"However, the information is not precise. We still receive applications
and the final number of guests will be known in 5 or 6 days," he said.

"The foreign delegations will hold business meetings and travel
through the city," he added, Novosti Armenia reports.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Sept 30 2007

Turkish foreign minister discusses Armenian issue with Canadian
counterpart

New York, 30 September: During his talks with his Canadian
counterpart Maxime Bernier in New York, Turkish Foreign Minister and
Chief Negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan expressed the uneasiness
caused in Turkey due to Canada’s stance on the Armenian allegations,
sources said on Sunday [30 September].

According to diplomatic sources, Babacan briefed Bernier – who has
been recently appointed as Canadian FM – on issues such as relations
between Turkey and Canada, the general elections held in Turkey on 22
July the studies on the new constitution and the latest developments
regarding Turkey’s negotiations with EU.

Babacan told Bernier that Canada’s stance on the Armenian allegations
overshadowed the improving relations between the two countries.
Babacan also said that Turkey expected Canada to take steps regarding
this matter.

Underscoring that they attached great importance to relations with
Turkey, Bernier said they would make a more detailed research on the
incidents of 1915. Bernier also indicated that they fully supported
Turkey’s proposal to Armenia for the formation of a "Joint History
Commission".

Other talks

Within the scope of his talks in USA, Babacan had meetings with
Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, FM of the United
Arab Emirates Abdallah bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan and FM of Bahrain Khalid
bin Ahmad al-Khalifa as well. The Middle East issue was debated in
these meetings, sources said.

Luxembourg, Papua New Guinea

On the other hand, Babacan discussed Cyprus issue and Turkey’s EU
accession process during his talks with FM of Luxembourg Jean
Asselborn.

Asselborn told Babacan that the rightest platform to solve the Cyprus
issue was definitely UN, not EU.

Meanwhile, Babacan and FM of Papua New Guinea Sam Abal talked about
Turkey’s EU membership process during their meeting, sources added.

TURKISH PREMIER’S US ADDRESS ON FOREIGN POLICY, KURDISH REBELS, MIDEAST

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Sept 28 2007

["ERDOGAN SAYS ARMENIAN RESOLUTION IN US CONGRESS IS HURTING TURKISH
NATION" – AA headline]

NEW YORK (A.A) -28.09.2007 -"A resolution concerning Armenian
allegations on the incidents of 1915, which will be discussed at
the US Congressional floor during the upcoming legislative term, and
possibility of the US Congress’s passing an illegal and a unilateral
political judgment are seriously hurting Turkey and the Turkish
nation," Prime Minister said Thursday.

Speaking at a gathering in the New York-based think tank Council of
Foreign Relations, Erdogan stated that the Congressional approval of
such a resolution would inflict a serious wound in Turkish-American
relations.

"This is a sincere observation and this is what my frankness requires
me to say," Erdogan told the gathering.

"It would be an extrajudicial killing to pass such resolutions in
parliaments through the efforts of diaspora or lobbies. Turkey cannot
accept such a thing," Erdogan said.

Erdogan also recalled a proposal by Turkey to set up a committee
of historians and other experts to search into the archives both in
Turkey and Armenia, but said that Armenian side failed to respond to
that proposal.

-MEETING WITH SARKOZY-

Prime Minister Erdogan said he would meet French President Nicolas
Sarkozy in Paris to discuss Turkey’s European Union membership bid.

"During contacts between the representatives of the two countries,
we have not seen an outspoken rejection of Turkey’s EU membership in
what Sarkozy told us. On the contrary, he said that he would support
such a process," Erdogan said.

-US WEAPONARY AT PKK TERRORISTS’ HANDS-

"US-made weapons, and even the heavy weaponry found in the camps of
the terrorist organization PKK in the north of Iraq, and weapons
found on terrorist captured by Turkish security forces, have made
very adverse impact on the Turkish people and the general negative
outlook on the US in Turkey," Erdogan stated.

"I know that a great deal of anti-American feeling now prevails in
our country and the primary reason for that is Iraq to large extent.

Yet the most important reason is that the terrorist organization is
using the north of Iraq as a base for its terrorist attacks staged
in Turkey," Erdogan said.

"We have yet to see on this issue the attitude that we expected from
the US and we conveyed that to all officials we met here in the US
including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice," Erdogan added.

-MODERATE ISLAM-

During his speech, Erdogan also rejected allegations that Turkey
would become a country like Malaysia and refused a concept of
"moderate Islam."

"There cannot be a moderate Islam. It is only and simply Islam,
and you cannot add it tags like moderate or immoderate," Erdogan said.

"Once they used to say Turkey would become a second Iran and they
proved wrong. And now they say that Turkey will become a country like
Malaysia," Erdogan added.

"We have no concerns about secularism in our country but unfortunately
there are many scaremongers in Turkey. No one should feel disturbed
about a politician’s wife who wears a headscarf as a rule of her
faith. But these discussions still occupy the agenda in our country,"
Erdogan noted.

-IRAN-

"Turkey feels uneasy about problems stemming from Iran’s nuclear
programme. Turkey supports that all countries can have nuclear
energy for peaceful purposes. On the other hand, Turkey is opposed
to proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

Turkey has always paid careful attention to acting together with
the international community in the process regarding Iran’s nuclear
programme. In our bilateral talks, we gave the necessary messages to
our Iranian counterparts. We hope that a diplomatic solution would be
found. We are ready to make all kinds of contributions to this end,"
he said.

-EU AND TRNC-

"Accession into the EU is one of the indispensable targets of Turkey.

We know that the EU process is quite difficult and long, but we will
not give up. Turkey has fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria
and begun implementing them," he said.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "now,
some political leaders have begun saying that it was a mistake to
accept accession of the Greek Cypriot administration to the EU. But
they, earlier, voted in favour of it. Why did they change their mind?

Because they realized that they made an impetuous political decision.

The EU-member countries pledged to fulfil their responsibilities if
peoples in Cyprus voted in favour of the UN Secretary General’s peace
plan in the referendum. Although Turkish Cypriot people supported the
plan, the EU did not keep its promises. On the contrary, the EU still
expects Turkey to take unilateral steps. As a guarantor country,
Turkey will not make such a move. First, the EU should fulfil its
promises," he said.

"Turkey is a regional and international actor which improves itself
continuously, relies on its future, and increases its international
influence. Our stable political structure, our growing economy, our
constructive and balanced foreign policies, our modern and powerful
military capabilities, our solidarity with the international community
which is based on multi-lateralism and law, and our determination to
create a zone of tranquillity and prosperity both in our region and in
the world contribute to Turkey’s role as a regional and international
actor," he said.

-USA-

"Turkey attaches great importance to its strategic partnership with the
United States. This partnership is one of the milestones of our foreign
policy. Our ingrained and multi-dimensional relations with the United
States are based on our common values and joint interests," he said.

Erdogan noted, "from time to time, the roles we play mutually in
line with similar targets, can vary. Our approaches can include some
differences stemming from our own realities. However, our ongoing
cooperation and solidarity reveal that our relations have a brilliant
future."

-IRAQ-

Prime Minister Erdogan said, "we hope that Iraq will regain its
esteemed position in its region and in the international community
by preserving its national unity and territorial integrity."

Recalling that the international conference on Iraq will take place
in Istanbul in October, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "Turkey will
continue using existing communication channels with all sections,
groups and actors forming the political structure in Iraq in an effort
to contribute to national compromise in this country."

-MIDDLE EAST-

"Turkey is in favour of a lasting and fair peace in the Middle East.

We have always supported all initiatives aiming to find a solution to
the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and continue to do so in the future.

We are ready to make all kinds of contributions to the Middle East
peace process," he stressed.

-SYRIA-

Referring to the relations with Syria, Prime Minister Erdogan said,
"we think that Syria should take its place in the international
community, and that it should be made a part of solutions instead of
problems. We are expending efforts to this end. Turkey is an important
actor in functioning diplomacy through open doors."

The News Tribune, WA
Sept 29 2007

Myanmar junta can’t murder in darkness

THE NEWS TRIBUNE Published: September 29th, 2007 01:00 AM

Myanmar’s besieged dictatorship declared war Friday on the Internet
and cell phones, shutting down the former and confiscating the
latter. Too late.
Images and descriptions of its suddenly murderous suppression of
pro-democracy demonstrations had already reached the rest of the
world in real time. Outside journalists – routinely banned from the
country – had already reported the massive scale of the protests by
following the Web. Outside supporters of the democracy movement had
already set up a `Support the Monks’ Protest in Burma’ page on
Facebook; 110,000 people had joined it by Friday.

Diplomatic reaction followed the coverage, almost in real time. By
Friday, President Bush had announced further sanctions against the
Burmese regime. America, Europe, Japan and even China – the regime’s
godfather – were applying pressure to end the violence. The United
Nations was being pressed to take action.

There’s no telling now how this struggle for Myanmar’s soul will end.
But if the democratic forces do prevail over the military junta, the
victory will owe something to today’s extraordinary communications
networks. If the junta ultimately prevails by force, the same
technology will have indelibly exposed its depravity to the civilized
world.

Contrast this with the violence the junta unleashed when it
originally seized power in 1988. Then, too, it had to contend with a
powerful challenge from pro-democracy forces on the streets. But
there were no camera-equipped cell phones and no Internet. There was
barely any television; phone service, such as it was, was all
landline.

As a result – and because Burma was regarded as unimportant – the
world took little note of the junta’s slaughter of perhaps 3,000
people.

Today, even after its crackdown on communications, the regime won’t
be able to cut Myanmar off from the world. It will never be able to
confiscate every cell phone. And while it has shut down the country’s
Internet service providers, foreign companies and embassies can stay
on the Web via satellite.

Some of history’s greatest crimes against humanity, including the
Holocaust and the Turkish genocide of Armenians, were committed in
darkness. Whatever the Burmese junta does, it will have to do in the
harsh light of international scrutiny. Myanmar’s democracy movement
has a precious ally – instant, speed-of-light communications – that
past victims of brutal dictatorships couldn’t have dreamed of.

ROUTE OF SECOND SECTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA PIPELINE CAN BE CHANGED DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS

Regnum, Russia
Sept 27 2007

The second section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, Kajaran-Ararat,
and its security zone will cover 197.4 km with the territory of
987 hectares. Such decision was made at a session of the Armenian
government on September 27.

As REGNUM is told at the press office of the Armenian government,
due to the resolution, the ministers of power engineering,
environmental protection and agriculture, the head of the state
property register, the heads of administrations of Syunik, Vayots
Dzor and Ararat regions were ordered to examine within two months
and present proposals to the government to change categories of the
territories lying under planned gas pipeline route, about imposing
limits to use of the territories and about compensations to owners
of the territories. Being guided by environmental interests, the
government also instructed to prepare proposals on possible changes in
the route of the pipeline if necessary. To observe the time limits of
constructing the Kajaran-Ararat section, the government proposed that
the ArmRosgazprom carries out the construction and designing works
simultaneously, stage-by-stage, maintaining environmental expertise of
the projects. The works are expected to be completed by January 2009.

The gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia has a diameter of 711
mm and a length of 40 km; its annual capacity will be 1.2bn cubic
meters. Overall, about $148mn are to be invested in the three-year
project. After completion of the project, Armenia will able to import
1.1bn cubic meters of gas at the initial stage, and since 2019 2.3bn.

The contract is signed for a 20-year term. For each cubic meter of
the Iranian gas Armenia is to return 3 kilowatt of energy.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV NOT TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2007

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has started meetings
in the framework of 62nd session of UN General Assembly, Azerbaijani
permanent representative to UN Agshin Mehdiyev told the APA’s US
bureau.

Mr. Mammadyarov had meetings with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dmitriy
Rupel, Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Yan Kubish, Romanian Foreign
Minister Adrian Chioroianu, Italian and Mexican deputy foreign
ministers. They focused mainly on regional security and bilateral
cooperation. Elmar Mammadyarov will attend meetings in GUAM-US and
GUAM-Poland format.

Agshin Mehdiyev added that Elmar Mammadyarov is not expected to meet
with Armenian and Russian Foreign Ministers.

NO POLITICAL PRISONERS TODAY

A1+
[05:28 pm] 25 September, 2007

"In case Levon Ter-Petrosyan runs for presidency, the fight during the
presidential elections will be ideological, it will turn to strategic
combat from tactical one", said Vahan Hovhannisyan, member of the
"Armenian Revolutionary Federation" (Dashnaktsunyun).

Mr Hovhannisyan did not like the speech of the first president, when
Ter-Petrosyan pointed out only the negative occurrences, ignoring the
positive. According to Vahan Hovhannisyan, the ARF has always talked
about shortcomings, but has always pointed out the positive things. Mr
Hovhannisyan did not understand the part of Ter-Petrosyan’s speech
where the latter presented the NKR unsettled problem as the result
of the situation.

"He said that Karabakh problem has no solution, then what new does
he have to say to the public? What will he do?"

Vahan Hovhannisyan did not agree with the allegations that today
the economic state of the country was bad coming out of subjective
reasons, while in 1998 it was connected with objective reasons – war,
blockade etc.

"The war was over in 1994 not in 1998, but our lights were not
switched on the next day of the war and energy did not penetrate into
our homes". He also reminded Khosrov Harutyunyan’s confession when
he was the prime minister that "the objective reason of crisis was
20 percent, whereas more than 70 percent was the result of inner,
ignorant and untalented policy".

Opposing Ter-Petrosyan’s assessments, Vahan Hovhannisyan noticed
that there were no political prisoners today, which means, when he
was accused of appeals for overthrowing the authorities by force, he
was a political prisoner, but when someone else did it, he was not
a political prisoner. To this question Vahan Hovhannisyan noticed,
that as regard to the appeals, he never considered himself a political
prisoner.

He added that during this period no representatives of political
parties or mass media were kept imprisoned and people did not die in
prisons, no editorial offices or offices of parties were smashed to
smithereens and no party members were kept isolated.

When the journalists reminded 12 April cases, Vahan Honhannisyan said:
"We did not allow any detainees after 12 April". It is worthwhile
to remind that hundreds of people appeared in isolation sells on 12
April night, while 4 members of "Republican" party were kept detained
for two months.

Mr Hovhannisyan talked about the freedom of speech partially: "The
situation is not that ugly, but it is not good either". In Vahan
Hovhannisyan’s opinion "situation in Armenia is not very bad".

Vahan Hovhannisyan also noticed that he did not admit the policy of
the opposition which adopted the authorities into its agenda, and
the restricting policy of authorities which prompted the opposition
to it and isolated it.

AGAINST PREDETERMINED EXIT

Vahan Hovhannisyan announced that the ARF was against predetermined
exit of elections, since the nation was against such elections and
the passive attitude of the nation he motivated by the approach that
was tried to be implanted in the society: "We do not admit the path
of predetermined outcomes, only the nation has the right to decide
the political path".

Answering to the question of "A1+" whether the ARF considered the
same way when the outcome of the constitutional referendum was already
predetermined, Mr Hovhannisyan noted that the result of the referendum
had never been predetermined and they even feared that it might fail.