Author: Khondkarian Raffi

La Opinion
28 Dic. 2004
A cerrar con broche de oro;
Israel Vazquez expone cetro supergallo de la FIB ante el armenio Art
Simonyan
Ramiro Gonzalez; Redactor Deportivo
El boxeo mexicano tuvo una destacada actuacion en el 2004, y uno de
sus grandes protagonistas fue el capitalino Israel Vazquez, quien se
convirtio en el campeon mundial numero 100 del pais azteca.
Despues de un periodo de inactividad, Vazquez buscara cerrar con
broche de oro su conquista en su primera defensa de la corona
supergallo de la Federacion Internacional de Boxeo (FIB) ante el
armenio Artyom Simonyan, en una velada que se celebrara esta noche en
el casino Sycuam de El Cajon a partir de las 6:00 de la tarde, donde
finalizara la temporada de boxeo a nivel internacional.
Vazquez reconoce que esta primera defensa es la contienda mas
importante de su carrera, pues ganando convincentemente vendran las
unificaciones con los otros tres campeones.
“Por supuesto que es importante la pelea contra Simonyan, pues
ganando por nocaut o decision que es a lo que mas puede llegar mi
rival por su buena preparacion, se que me esperan peleas buenas ante
rivales como Oscar ‘Chololo’ Larios en otra trilogia azteca”.
Israel capturo el cinturon de las 122 libras de la FIB al noquear al
experimentado venezolano Jose Luis Valbuena en el duodecimo asalto el
pasado 25 de marzo en el Olimpyc Auditorium, en una pelea de alarido
donde demostro que tenia pasta de campeon.
Anteriormente habia disputado el fajin supergallo interino del
Consejo Mundial de Boxeo (CMB), y cayo en una epica batalla ante el
jalisciense “Chololo” Larios por nocaut en el duodecimo round el 17
de mayo de 2002 en Sacramento, y de salir bien esta noche, por
supuesto Larios estara dentro de su agenda de trabajo para el 2005.
Quien es Art Simonyan?
Artyom Simonyan llegara con una victoria por decision unanime sobre
el tailandes Fahsan (3K-Battery) Por Thawatchai, celebrada el pasado
21 de mayo en Elk Grove Village, Illinois, que fue eliminatoria para
medirse al monarca mexicano.
Simonyam es el tipico peleador europeo que va para adelante sin dar
ni pedir cuartel, y aunque su foja de trabajo muestra que no tiene
una pegada fulminante, se sabe mover muy bien por el tinglado, y su
mejor arma es la mano derecha.
“Ya conozco su estilo y por supuesto el [Vazquez] tambien tiene
estudiado el mio. Por eso prepare una buena estrategia para
nulificarlo, y salir con la mano en alto”, dijo Simonyan, quien al
igual que el campeon trabajo durante las fiestas decembrinas.
Para Simonyan sera su tercera cita titular, y entre sus victimas
mexicanas se encuentra el juarense Carlos Contreras a quien supero
por decision unanime para capturar el fajin supergallo de la
Asociacion de Boxeo de Estados Unidos (USBA) el 26 de julio de 2003.
Quien es quien
Nombre: Israel Vazquez
Lugar de nacimiento: Mexico D.F.
Fecha de nacimiento: 12/25/1977
Edad: 27 anos
Estatura: 5′ 6″
Alcance: 66″
Peso: 122 libras
Record: 35-3, 25 nocauts
Nombre: Artyom Simonyan
Lugar de nacimiento: Armenia
Fecha de nacimiento: 12/27/1975
Edad: 29 anos
Estatura: 5′ 7″
Alcance: 68″
Peso: 122 libras
Record: 14-0-1, siete nocauts

Arab Monitor, Italy
Dec 26 2004
Armenia dispatches troops to Iraq

Erevan, 25 December – The Armenian Defence Minister Serge Sarkisyan
revealed that Armenia is preparing to dispatch 46 military experts,
among them a comunications officer, a platoon commander, three
doctors, ten sappers and thirty drivers to Iraq to operate as part of
the Polish contingent. The Armenian Parliament had previously given
approval to send the expert team to Iraq for one year.
Sarkisyan declared he was well aware that the Armenian team would
face threats to their lives, but nonetheless, he was convinced that
“more dangers will emerge” if Armenia refuses to participate in what
he described as the post-war stabilization of Iraq.

;lang=en

Turkey has a long way to go
Mideast Mirror
December 23, 2004
Despite agreement on a date to begin accession talks, Turkey faces a
hard road on the way to full EU membership, says Saba’ Bahbiri
in al-Watan
Turkey has finally succeeded in persuading the European Union to give
it the chance to begin accession talks, writes Saudi commentator
Saba’ Bahbiri in the Saudi daily al-Watan.
CONSIDERABLE CONCESSIONS: But the Turks realize that they still have
a long way to go before they are accepted as full EU members; even
more optimistic Europeans say that it might take Turkey 15 years to
fulfill conditions for membership.
This is in spite of the considerable concessions Ankara has already
made, such as the major changes it introduced to its laws and the
many rights it gave to its (mainly Kurdish) minorities that it used
to see as detrimental to its national security.
After a successful visit to Paris last summer (during which he signed
a deal to purchase 36 Airbus planes), Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan managed to reduce French opposition to Turkish
membership. Erdogan also promised France that his country will
consider buying French technology for nuclear power stations. Erdogan
thus won over one of the most vehement opponents of Turkish EU
membership.
Austria is another European country bitterly opposed to Turkish
accession. The Austrians cannot forget the fact that it was they who
defeated the Ottoman army at the gates of Vienna more than 300 years
ago and thus saved the entire European continent from being overrun.
Although there is some support for Turkish EU membership among
mainstream Austrian politicians, the opposition maintains that the
Turks have never demonstrated their affinity to Europe and that even
Turks born in Austria have stubbornly clung to their Muslim identity
and never made the effort to integrate into Austrian society. Worse,
they insist, the Turks have exploited Europe’s tolerance and freedom
in order to spread Islam in the continent.
Opponents of Turkish membership in Austria and other European
countries have been urging their parliamentary representatives to
raise the issues of human rights in Turkey (especially concerning
Ankara’s treatment of its Kurdish and Armenian minorities) and the
possibility that Turkey would become a source of illegal migration
from Asia and the Middle East to the EU-which might even include
Muslim terrorists.
Germany, which enjoys historical ties with Turkey (the two nations
were allies in two world wars, which they lost), and which plays host
to a large Turkish community, while supporting Ankara’s bid to join
the EU (hoping that that would strengthen its hand against other
countries such as France) still cannot hide its apprehension.
With its 70 million inhabitants, Turkey would immediately become the
largest EU country, with voting rights to match. The number of
European Muslims would multiply overnight, which will have profound
effects on educational and social policies throughout the EU. Italy
and Spain in particular are worried that Europe’s Christian identity
might be diluted if Ankara was admitted to the EU.
In exchange, the Turks have been trying to entice the Europeans with
the potential material benefits they might gain if they accept Ankara
as a full EU member. Europe would also be able to benefit from
Turkey’s excellent ties with the Muslim world. With its proximity to
central Asia, Turkey can act as a conduit for European exports to the
burgeoning markets of the region. Thanks to its ample natural
resources and skilled labor force, Turkey is an ideal destination for
investors keen to establish bases from which to compete with cheap
Asian manufacturers.
The Turks have been trying to reassure Europe of their seriousness in
becoming true Europeans. They have radically altered their judicial
code, bringing it more into line with European laws (in spite of the
potential negative fallout this might have on the political parties
which instigated such changes), and greatly restricted the role
traditionally played by the Turkish military in political affairs.
The media has been given more freedoms, and the Turkish government
succeeded in gaining control of the country’s large budget deficit
and in keeping inflation below ten percent.
But all this has had little effect in reassuring ordinary Europeans
whose point of view was recently expressed by Austrian minister Franz
Fischler: ‘Turkey is oriental in culture and Asiatic in location. Its
entry into Europe might well detriment the direction of European
strategy.’ The fact that part of Turkey lies in Europe is neither
here nor there.
In an opinion poll recently conducted by Time/CNN, 56 percent of
French people expressed opposition to Turkish entry while in Holland
the figure was 41 percent, in Germany 46 percent and in Britain 52
percent. A Dutch MP spoke for the opposition camp when he said: ‘It
cannot happen. Turkey is a Muslim country that has no place in
Europe. I would prefer countries like Canada and Australia joining,
but not Turkey.’
Among the more vehement opponents of Turkish EU membership is Italian
writer Orianna Fallaci. In a recent book The Power of Reason, Fallaci
calls for restricting and reducing the Muslim presence in Europe.
‘Europe,’ she writes, ‘is no longer Europe, but Eurabia.’ The
intricate social fabric of the old continent has been altered such
that Europe has become a Muslim colony.
Such opinions have been steadily gaining ground in Italy, which has
borne the brunt of illegal Muslim migration mainly from North Africa
and Albania.
Responding to such extreme positions, Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul says: ‘We are only talking about starting talks. These
talks will take a long time, perhaps years. We are realists and
accept that fact.’ Determination and reassurance in equal measure.
Turkey has been trying to gain entry into Europe for more than forty
years, and has been rebuffed several times. The latest breakthrough
does not mean that Turkish membership of the EU is guaranteed by any
means. Turkey still has a long and uncertain road to travel.
–Boundary_(ID_tIQEzhuN1s7LKYorB2w89Q)–

Where East still meets West
By H.D.S. Greenway |
Boston Globe, MA
Dec 24 2004
COME WALK through the ancient streets of Istanbul in the cool days
of an approaching winter. There is a bit of snow on the ground,
and the sun dances on the Bosphorus, that narrow body of water that
traditionally separates Europe from Asia.
When I first visited this thrilling city nearly 50 years ago, I
thought to myself then that this was where the Orient begins. There
is nothing more exotic and lovely than the sounds of the muezzins atop
their minarets calling the faithful to prayer from the most beautiful
mosques in all Islam. Later, when I was living on the shores of the
China seas, Istanbul seemed to represent where the West begins. And
both of those impressions are equally valid today.
In olden days one had to take a ferry to cross over the Bosphorus
onto the Asia shore. Today there are two graceful bridges, perhaps
symbolizing the recent decision of the European Union to begin the
accession process that would expand the borders of Europe to Persia
and the steppes of Central Asia.
As Christmas approaches, however, one begins to realize that Istanbul
is still alive with Christian churches, left over from the Byzantine
days of Constantinople. Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate
the birth of Christ on Dec. 25. The Greek Orthodox celebrate it too,
but since they use the Gregorian calendar, rather than the Julian,
their Christmas will come in early January. The Armenians will also
wait until January.
And in the season of Hanukkah there are synagogues to drop into,
albeit two were bombed in terrorist incidents that also damaged the
huge Panayia church of the Orthodox. Jews were welcomed by the Ottoman
sultan after their expulsion from Spain in 1492, and many still speak
Ladino, which is to the Jews of Spain what Yiddish is to the Jews
of Eastern Europe. When I asked a friend where he learned Spanish,
which Ladino closely resembles, he said: “In Spain 500 years ago.”
There was a day when Istanbul coursed with different religions,
nationalities, and sects, and the streets were filled with the babble
of a dozen tongues. For this was the capital of one of the world’s
great polyglot empires, and Istanbul was among the world’s most
cosmopolitan cities. But with the fall of the Ottomans and World War I,
all that ended. Armenians in the east were transported and massacred
on the suspicion that they were consorting with the Russian enemy —
a genocide which Armenians around the world have never forgotten.
In the West huge numbers of Balkan Muslims were shipped east into
Turkey, even if they spoke no Turkish, and Christians were shipped west
even if they spoke nothing but Turkish. This was done by international
treaty, the Treaty of Lausanne, under which the Jews, Greek Orthodox,
and Armenians were given a recognized status in the new Turkish state
which emerged from the Ottoman ruins.
The Turks nominally hold to it, but life has not always been easy.
During the Second World War, for example, the impoverished Turkish
state, which remained neutral, demanded a wealth tax. Since Christians
and Jews were for the most part well off, the burden fell to them
more than on Muslims. And if you could not pay up immediately you
were sent to labor camps in the East.
Thus after World War II, many Jews emigrated to Israel. Many of the
Greeks moved to Greece, and Armenians left for the four corners of
the world. The old cosmopolitanism of the Levant ended.
The Greek Orthodox patriarchate for all the Greek world still remains
in Istanbul, another holdover from Byzantium, but the Turkish state
has not always been forthcoming with the rights of Christians to
build and repair churches and train their clergy. New laws, however
are being readied to make the lot of Christians and Jews easier as
Turkey prepares itself for the European Union. And of the few who
remain many have prospered.
One has to look to London and Paris now for the same diversity that
Istanbul once stood for. The end of empire for Europe meant the influx
of those over whom the Europeans once ruled. But in Istanbul most
of the vibrant minorities went elsewhere. That a few remain at all,
however, says something for this city and this country in a region
where tolerance is in such short supply.

Jean-Pierre Raffarin : « Il n’y a pas automaticité de la négociation à l’adhésion »;
Le Figaro
22 décembre 2004
ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE L’intervention du premier ministre à l’Assemblée
Voici les principaux extraits du discours prononcé hier par
Jean-Pierre Raffarin à l’Assemblée nationale.
« Le président de la République a fixé la position de la France : oui
à l’entrée de la Turquie à terme, si elle remplit les critères
d’adhésion à l’Union européenne. Pourquoi ? Parce que, si les
conditions sont réunies, ce sera l’intérêt de la France et de
l’Europe. Ce choix nous engage. Ce n’est pas un choix d’opportunité,
c’est un choix qui s’appuie sur une vision de la France et de
l’Europe.
« Nous proposons à la Turquie de faire sa véritable révolution
européenne. Notre projet européen réunit un projet de paix et de
stabilité, un projet pour la démocratie, les libertés et les droits
de l’homme, un projet de développement économique et social. C’est
sur ces valeurs que la Turquie devra répondre.
« Rien ne condamne la Turquie à l’exclusion éternelle de l’Europe.
Aujourd’hui, nous voulons résolument qu’elle penche du côté européen.
N’ouvrons pas à nos portes un foyer d’instabilité tourné contre une
Europe qui aurait refusé l’espoir.
« Négociation n’est pas adhésion. Il n’y a pas, contrairement aux
caricatures que j’ai entendues, automaticité de la négociation à
l’adhésion. Le processus va être long et durer au minimum dix ans, et
peut être quinze ou vingt. Pour une raison simple : ni l’Europe ni la
Turquie ne sont prêtes aujourd’hui à une adhésion. En Europe d’abord,
et en France en particulier, il faudra du temps pour faire partager à
tous les acteurs concernés l’intérêt de la candidature turque.
Evidemment, La Turquie doit consolider sa démocratie, progresser en
matière de respect des droits de l’homme et des minorités, avec
notamment les tragiques questions arménienne et kurde, confirmer le
processus de réconciliation nationale qui a été engagé avec la Grèce
et régler la question de Chypre dans l’esprit de réconciliation qui
caractérise l’esprit européen.
« Il va de soi, s’il s’avérait que la Turquie ne veut pas ou ne peut
pas adhérer à l’ensemble de ces réformes, que l’Union lui proposera
un lien partenarial en lieu et place de l’adhésion. La possibilité
d’arrêter les négociations est maintenue.
« Toute nouvelle adhésion fera l’objet d’un traité qui sera
obligatoirement soumis, pour ratification, à référendum. Le peuple
souverain aura le dernier mot. »
–Boundary_(ID_mPnm8ZL7hkQJKaxdeRkB7A)–

EU, NATO TREAT FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS AS NEXT PHASE IN EXPANDING THEIR INFLUENCE
RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 22 2004
MOSCOW, December 22 (RIA Novosti) – The European Union and NATO
are treating the former Soviet republics as the next phase in the
efforts to expand their influence, Konstantin Kosachev, the head of
the international committee of the State Duma, the lower house of
parliament, told reporters on Wednesday.
Mr. Kosachev said the EU and NATO “are beginning to divide the CIS
states into more preferable and closer partners in the integration
process and less preferable ones.”
Mr. Kosachev said Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia were among the former.
Belarus and five Central Asian states are not prepared to take part in
the integration processes, according to the MP. Mr. Kosachev believes
Azerbaijan and Armenia are somewhere in between the two groups.
Mr. Kosachev believes the situation is unfavorable for Russia. “The
West used to stake on democratic changes in Russia as the means of
implementing joint projects, whereas today its motto is: ‘if we did
not succeed in democratizing Russia, let us demonize it.'”
Mr. Kosachev said the European Parliament and the OSCE had subjected
Russia to constructive criticism recently, as well as accused it of
the “sins” other countries could afford.
While working to turn Russia into some rogue state, the EU and NATO
are getting Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia more energetically involved
in the integration processes.
“This shows that the EU and Russia have failed to implement their
major project of creating a common European space with no dividing
lines,” said Mr. Kosachev.

NEW RESOURCE CENTER ECMI TO SERVE POPULATION OF JAVAKHK
AKHALKALAKI, December 20 (Noyan Tapan). The presentation of the new
resource center of the Akhalkalaki office of the European Center
on National Minorities Issues (ECMI) was held in Akhalkalaki on
December 14.
According to Mikael Gertoft, manager of the program of the Akhalkalaki
Office of the center, the resource center will serve the population
of Javakhk. The center will render free computer and internet
services here. The resource center will provide the population with
a library. According to the “A-Info” Agency, they will also have an
opportunity to use the halls of the resource center for the holding
of seminars and conferences.

AZERBAIJAN, TURKEY: RELATIONS STRENGTHENING
[December 20, 2004, 22:11:24]
Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Dec 20 2004
Speaker of Azerbaijan Parliament (Milli Majlis) Murtuz Alaskarov has
received Chairman of Religious Affairs Vagf of Turkey Ali Bardakoglu,
December 20.
Mr. Alaskarov said thanks to the heads of states of two countries the
bilateral relations are constantly strengthening. Reciprocal visits
of Presidents of both countries have set up favorable ground for
further development of links. The parliamentarians of both countries
successfully cooperate on the international organizations. And this
visit of Chairman of
Religious Affairs Vagf of Turkey will serve development of links of
the religious structures.
Chairman of Azerbaijan Parliament informed on the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorny Karabakh conflict, expressed deep gratitude for support of
the fair position of Azerbaijan in this question.
Speaker Murtuz Alaskarov also stated that the negotiations on admission
of Turkey to the European Union are in focus of Azerbaijan people. The
question should find its positive settlement, he said.
The existing fraternal relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan have
certain influence on the links in other fields and every visit makes
its contribution to this cause, Mr. Ali Bardakoglu underlined.
Turkey’s admission to the European Union is important for all Turkic
countries and we hope for best, he added.
Also were exchanged views on a range of issues of mutual interest.

Armenian official calls for Iran’s fuel
MehrNews.com, Iran
Dec 19 2004
TEHRAN, Dec. 19 (MNA) – Khachaturian, the governor-general of
Armenian Siunik Province on Sunday called for Iran to provide fuel
and fertilizers required by the farmers of his province. According
to ISNA, Khachaturian visiting governor-general of the Iranian East
Azarbaijan Province, Mohammad Ali Sobhanollahi said that Iran-Armenia
ties and East Azarbaijan-Siunik relations should be in the way to
represent a model for other provinces.
“We attempt to carry out the previously made contracts between the
two provinces coupled with fulfilling duties in implementation of
contracts signed by presidents of Iran and Armenia”, he stated.
The Armenian governor-general also said that dam construction and
the third electricity transmission line are among projects that are
presently being implemented between the two countries.
In his part, Sobhanollahi said, “Our cooperation in agricultural,
medical, and sanitary fields has been started, as presently Siunik
exports cement and meat to East Azarbaijan. In return, we can help
Siunik modernize its agricultural sector.”
In conclusion, the Iranian governor-general called for the
re-establishment of Tabriz-Yerevan airline as well as removing the
impediments in expansion of ties between the two provinces.

SERGE SARGSIAN: ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN MILITARY ALLIANCE HAS NO ALTERNATE
Azg/arm
18 Dec 04
Serge Sargsian, minister of defense of Armenia, stated yesterday
that the Armenia-NATO relations will develop so far as “they do not
contradict the Collective Security Treaty (CST)”.
There is no need to include the NATO membership in Armenia’s foreign
policy agenda today but this does not mean that we should not develop
our relations with the Organization, Sargsian said during a round
table organized to discuss issues of regional security.
The Yerevan-Brussels relations mark obvious progress during the
last few years. Speaking of the range of Armenia-NATO relations,
Sargsian said that Armenia has participated in 47 arrangements and
5 military exercises of the Organization in 2004 and is going to
increase these numbers.
Armenian political leaders, Russian and US representatives took part
at the round table. Serge Sargsian took time to speak of Armenia-NATO,
Armenia-Russia, Armenia-EU relations as well as the systems of regional
security separately.
“The Armenia-Russian military alliance has no alternate today”,
he said adding that the Armenian-Russian relations cannot hinder
Armenia’s integration into Europe especially in case when Russia
and Europe come closer. The minister noted that the Armenian-Russian
military cooperation is fixed on 6 dozens of pages.
Serge Sargsian highlighted Armenia-EU relations as key one. Our
country exports 40 percent of its goods to Europe. He underscored
the “brilliant military cooperation” of Armenian-Greek peacekeepers
in Kosovo.
The minister of defense noted that Armenia is the only country in the
South Caucasus that manages to implement balanced policy. He thinks
cooperation in the region will be one day possible and reminded that
such European states as England, France and Germany have history of
century-long enmity but today they are allies.
Levon Mkrtchian, representative of the Armenian Revolutionary
Party, added to more trends of cooperation to those mentioned
by the minister. He singled out relation with Iran and the Arab
world. Mkrtchian reminded two facts from the past: firstly, Iran
provided the only road to Armenia when it was blockaded from 3 sides,
secondly by taking a neutral stance in the Karabakh conflict, Tehran
prevented it to turn into a religious one, something Azerbaijan
strived for.
By Tatoul Hakobian