Author: Nahapetian Boris

EN ARMENIE, M. CHIRAC REND HOMMAGE A UNE HISTOIRE " TOURMENTEE "
par Natalie Nougayrède

Le Monde, France
1 octobre 2006 dimanche

A Erevan, le president francais evoque avec emotion la " memoire "
du genocide de 1915. Des personnalites francaises d’origine armenienne
l’accompagnent

A l’occasion de la première visite d’un president francais en Armenie,
Jacques Chirac devait, samedi 30 septembre, se rendre au monument
consacre au genocide armenien de 1915, a Erevan, la capitale. Il
devait ensuite prononcer un discours a l’occasion de l’inauguration
d’une " place de France ", dans le centre de la ville.

L’Elysee a voulu conferer a cette visite d’Etat de deux jours une
" forte valeur symbolique, axee sur la memoire ", indiquait-on dans
l’entourage de M. Chirac, avant le voyage.

M. Chirac, qui est accompagne d’une delegation de quatre ministres
et de plusieurs personnalites francaises du monde de la politique ou
de l’entreprise, d’origine armenienne, devait exprimer, samedi, son "
emotion devant l’histoire heroïque et tourmentee " du peuple armenien,
" dont le destin reste a jamais marque par le genocide dont il fut
victime, dans les convulsions de la première guerre mondiale et de
la fin des empires ".

Le president francais devait exalter les liens anciens rattachant
l’Armenie a la France, remontant au " temps lointain où Baudouin
de Boulogne, roi de Jerusalem, epousa Arda, princesse armenienne
". Il devait evoquer l’exil et l’installation en France de milliers
d’Armeniens après le genocide, et rendre par ailleurs hommage au
combat contre les nazis dans la France occupee des resistants du
groupe de Missak Manouchian.

La France est le seul pays occidental a avoir adopte, en 2001, une
loi reconnaissant le genocide armenien, objet de tensions recurrentes
avec la Turquie. M. Chirac a souligne, dans un entretien accorde a la
veille de son voyage au journal Nouvelles d’Armenie, que l’adhesion
de la Turquie a l’Union europeenne supposait que ce pays " penche du
côte de nos valeurs ".

" UNE DEMOCRATIE VIVANTE "

Lors de son discours sur la place de la France, le president francais
devait aussi appeler l’Armenie d’aujourd’hui, " jeune Republique
independante d’une antique nation ", a " bâtir une democratie toujours
plus vivante " et un " Etat de droit garant des libertes publiques ".

M. Chirac a dîne, vendredi, avec le president armenien, Robert
Kotcharian, qu’il connaît deja, pour avoir tente de peser dans les
difficiles negociations sur l’enclave du Haut-Karabakh, disputee par
l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan. La France est, aux côtes de la Russie et
des Etats-Unis, copresidente du " groupe de Minsk " de l’Organisation
pour la securite et la cooperation en Europe (OSCE), qui tente depuis
plus de dix ans d’aboutir a un règlement negocie. M. Chirac devait
plaider a Erevan pour que vienne " le temps de la paix ", et appeler
l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan a faire un " pas " pour debloquer l’impasse,
encore constatee en fevrier lors de pourparlers tenus dans le château
de Rambouillet.

La guerre du Haut-Karabakh (1988-1994), region d’où est originaire M.
Kotcharian, a fait environ 20 000 morts et près d’un million de
refugies. Elle s’est soldee par un cessez-le-feu fragile, en mai
1994, et l’occupation par l’Armenie d’importants pans du territoire
azerbaïdjanais, d’où la population a ete chassee, et dont des villes
et villages ont ete pilles. L’annexion de facto du Haut-Karabakh par
l’Armenie se percoit, a Erevan, par les devantures d’agences de voyages
proposant des excursions touristiques dans l’enclave montagneuse.

M. Chirac et son epouse devaient assister, samedi soir, a un concert
de Charles Aznavour, au centre d’Erevan, où le chanteur jouit d’une
immense popularite. Le president devait rencontrer dimanche le chef
de l’Eglise armenienne, le catholicos Karekine II, dans sa residence
d’Etchmiadzine. Environ 400 000 personnes en France sont d’origine
armenienne.

–Boundary_(ID_CacbOB/D8JfO d7rtHa4q4A)–

EP REPORT DROPS GENOCIDE CLAUSE, CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION
By Selcuk Gultasli – Emre Demir, Strasbourg

Zaman, Turkey
Sept 28 2006

The Turkey report prepared by Dutch parliamentarian Camiel Eurlings
was adopted Wednesday at a European Parliament (EP) meeting, but it
included revisions.

There were 429 ‘yes’ votes, 71 ‘no’ votes, and 125 abstained. A clause
that would have set the recognition of the alleged Armenian genocide
as a pre-condition for Turkey’s EU membership and the proposal on a
privileged partnership for Turkey, rather than full EU membership,
were rejected. The non-binding report called on Ankara to accelerate
its reform process. Before the vote, the majority of Socialist,
Liberal and Green Party MPs asked for the withdrawal of the paragraph
on genocide. The proposal demanding the withdrawal of the genocide
clause was adopted with 320 ‘yes’ votes against 282 ‘no’ votes. The
report, referred to by some parliamentarians as "a lobby report,"
also called for the indirect recognition of the Assyrian and Pontus
Greek genocides. By adopting the report, the EP aims to influence
the content of the progress report to be released on Nov. 8.

It is the first time an EP report referred to the Greek Pontus and
Assyrian "genocides," as well as to the headscarf issue. The impact
of the efforts to make the document on the Cyprus issue more balanced
was limited. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies,
who went to the EP to hold meetings, noted that while the revised
report was more positive, the genocide paragraph was disturbing.

Rapparteur Eurlings, who cited the report as "balanced" was asked
a number of questions on the subject. Asserting that the report’s
references to the Pontus and Assyrian "genocides" were not calls
for genocide recognition, Eurlings stated that they were meant to
encourage Turkey to face its past.

Paragraph 50 of the report calling for recognition of the purported
Armenian genocide urges Turkey to open its Armenian border, improve
its bilateral relations and establish diplomatic relations with
Armenia. The same paragraph also proposes the investigation of the
"genocide" issue by a commission to be established under the auspices
of the United Nations The conclusion of the paragraph urges the
adoption of the same approach with regard to the "other minorities,"
in reference to the Greek Pontians and Assyrians. The paragraph, which
lacks quality and coherence, calls for the establishment of diplomatic
relations with Pontians and Assyrians, for whom no state exists..

The report, which rejects the clause that would set the recognition
of the Armenian genocide by Turkey as a membership pre-condition,
implies that Pontians and Assyrians were subjected to "genocide,"
just like the Armenians. Even though the amendment proposal submitted
by Greek MPs to recognize the Greek Pontus "genocide" was rejected,
the last two expressions in the report disturbed Turkey’s delegation.

The references made to those three "genocides" spurred a new debate
on how to read the report. Joost Lagendijk, the Turkey-EU Joint
Parliamentary Commission co-chairman, and Eurlings said that the
report did not make a call for the recognition of Pontus and Assyrian
"genocides," but aimed instead at encouraging Turkey to discuss its
past. Vural, an EP member of Turkish origin, strongly condemned
the expressions on "genocides." Because the report made indirect
references to the "genocides," it is most likely that the upcoming
EP reports will contain similar expressions.

EU Discusses Headscarves for 1st time

A headscarf proposal submitted by German and Dutch Green Party
members was adopted in Wednesday’s session. This is the first time
an EU document made reference to the headscarf issue. The proposal
does not specify a concrete resolution of the issue, but instead
expresses hope for a consensus on the controversy. The proposal
notes that there is an ongoing controversy in Turkish society on
the status of the headscarf and that there is no binding EU ruling
on this particular issue, but expresses hope for the realization
achievement of a consensus that would allow the wearing of headscarves
at universities. The EU Commission’s annual report did not make any
reference to the headscarf issue.

Turkish deputies who held meetings in Strasbourg in an attempt to
amend the report noted that the recently adopted report was "much
more positive" than the one adopted in early September. Saban Disli,
AKP Deputy Chairman responsible for foreign affairs, Murat Mercan,
Chairman of the Turkish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe, and delegation member Mevlut Cavusoglu said
the report was no more negative than previous ones, but there had
been a setback in overall relations.

Watson: Turkey Deserves Better Report

Speaking to Zaman immediately after the vote, Liberal Party leader
Graham Watson said that he preferred to abstain from voting since
he did not approve the report. Noting that Turkey deserved a more
embracing and positive report, Watson further said that the majority
of the Liberal group abstained in the voting session based on its
unbalanced content. Citing its unbalanced approach with regard to the
Cyprus issue and references made to the Assyrian and Pontus "genocides"
as the most disturbing aspects of the report, Watson noted that the
European Union should help Turkish society discuss the issue of the
alleged Armenian genocide.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF ARMENIAN ARMY COMMENTS ON ARREST OF RUSSIAN
OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS IN GEORGIA

Yerevan September 28

Before commenting on the Sept 27 arrest of 4 officers and 11
civilians from Russia (among them 5 Armenians) on suspicion of
espionage, one should find out what actually happened, says the chief
of the General Staff of the Armenian army, Gen. Mikayel Haroutyunyan.

Commenting on the statements by some Georgian officials that the
arrested people acted on the instruction of the Armenian authorities,
Haroutyunyan says that they should first present proofs.

In his turn, the advisor of the Russian Embassy in Armenia Igor
Gromyko says the arrest is one more anti-Russian provocation. He says
that Russian FM Sergey Lavrov has already suggested discussing this
problem at the OSCE and the UN Security Council. "I can’t comment on
the fibs of the young Georgian politicians. Perhaps, somebody is
trying to aggravate Armenian-Russian relations," says Gromyko.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 28, 2006 Thursday 10:03 PM EST

Chirac begins first visit to Armenia

French President Jacques Chirac will begin the first-ever three-day
state visit to Armenia on Friday and will participate in the opening
of France Square in Yerevan.

Chirac will have one-on-one talks with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan, which are to be followed by a joint press conference.

On Saturday a gala concert will be held in central Republic Square in
Yerevan, which will mark the beginning of the Year of Armenia in
France.

Chirac is also to visit the memorial to the victims of 1915 genocide
in the Ottoman Empire, and St. Echmiadzin where he will meet
Catholicos Garegin the Second.

This is the first visit of the French head of state to Armenia.
Chirac is accompanied by Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy,
Transport Minister Dominique Perben, Minister of State Christian
Jacob, Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres.

EU ENVOY URGES TURKEY TO OPEN BORDER WITH ARMENIA

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan,
27 Sep 06

Yerevan, 7 September: "The decision to keep the Turkish-Armenian border
closed has no justification," the EU envoy for the South Caucasus,
Peter Semneby, has said in an exclusive interview with Mediamax
news agency.

"I think that the issues with Turkish-Armenian relations should have
been settled a long time ago. We have told the Turkish authorities
that the decision to keep the Turkish-Armenian border closed has no
justification. At the same time, solution of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict will most likely rapidly result in the opening of the border,"
Semneby said.

LONDON ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHER EDMOND TERAKOPIAN AWARDED "WORLD PRESS PHOTO" PRIZE

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 27 2006

ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Exhibition of
photos of 2006 winners of the "World Press Photo" international most
famous annual photo exhibition has opened in the exhibition hall of
the Prague University from September 8. The traditional Prague prize
was this year for the first time given to famous London Armenian
photographer Edmond Terakopian.

E.Terakopian photograthed on July 7, 2005 a worker with injuries got
from the explosion taken place in the London underground and with
bloody bandage. He got with this photo the 3rd prize in the "Important
News" nomination of the "World Press Photo-2006" competition. And
this photo was awarded the annual city prize in Prague.

According to the Istanbul "Marmara" daily, during those July days
of 2005, ten English and international periodicals published in the
first page that photo of Edmond Terakopian. On the occasion of the
Prague prize, Edmond Terakopian was also given possibility to present
separately his 12 works as well which were dedicated to consequences
of the terrorism act taken place in London on July 7, 2005.

The "World Press Photo" exhibitions started in Prague from 1990 and
the Prague prize was also fixed on the initiative of Mayor of those
years Jaroslav Goran. This year the prize was given by present Mayor
Pavel Bem.

It is mentioned that this is Edmond Terakopian’s 8th international
prize. He was already proclaimed this year the best photographer of
the year during the annual awarding of the British press. And he also
got a special prize of British photographers-editors in March 2006,
in the "News Photographer of the Year" nomination.

4448 professional photographers from 122 countries of the world
participated this year in the "World Press Photo" awarding, presenting
83 thousand 44 photos. 63 photographers from 25 countries also got
prizes. Finbarr O’Reilly, a Canadian correspondent of the Reuter agency
got the main prize. In a photo taken in Nigeria he pictured a face
of a mother and a hand of a child waiting for humanitarian aid food.

PARLIAMENT KNOCKED DOWN GOVERNMENT BILL

Panorama.am
15:23 27/09/06

The extraordinary session of the National Assembly did not adopt the
draft bill "On alienation of property for public and state needs"
collecting only 62 votes.

Earlier the opposition urged the government to take the draft back
suggesting organizing parliamentary hearings and propose a better
version.

Justice Minister Davit Harutunyan said, "The parliament may decide
to adopt the law in three hearings, if it decides to do so, but we
think it may also be adopted in two hearings." Anyway, the bill
did not pass only because it did not collect four more necessary
votes.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S TURKEY REPORT

Turkish Press
Sept 27 2006

Turkish MPs: The Report Is Better Than The Report Prepared By Foreign Affairs Commission

STRASBOURG – Turkish MPs from Justice & Development Party (AKP)
expressed their views on the Turkey report which was approved by the
European Parliament today and said the evaluation report is better
than the report prepared by Foreign Affairs Commission.

AKP Deputy Chairman Saban Disli, Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly (PACE) Turkish delegation leader Murat Mercan and Turkish
Parliament EU Adjustment Commission Chairman Yasar Yakis spoke at a
joint press conference after EP’s decision, on Wednesday.

AKP Deputy Chairman Disli said that they met representatives of EP
in Brussels and Strasbourg prior to EP’s decision. "We relayed them
the message that, it wouldn’t be beneficial to anyone to accept the
report prepared by Foreign Affairs Commission," Disli added.

Disli mentioned that they succeeded on their attempts and the lawmakers
dropped their demand that Turkey must acknowledge the so-called
Armenian genocide before it can join the European Union. He also
expressed his gladness on the refusal of French lawmakers proposal
for Turkey’s privileged partnership to the EU.

Saban Disli said that the report is not worse than the prior reports
and he added "however, there are parts of the report that bothers us.

We expect them to act fairly especially on the Cyprus issue. We hope
them to take a decision that rewards Turkish Cypriots"

Disli stated that for the first time EP documents mentioned that
Turkey’s economy is going well.

Meanwhile, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Turkish
delegation leader Murat Mercan said that the claims on Turkey’s reform
period has slowed down are not true. "It is in our hands to change
this misunderstanding" he added.

"MASS MEDIA AND INTERSTATE RELATIONS IN CAUCASUS" CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA ON SEPTEMBER 29

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 27 2006

YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Organizational committee of the "Mass
Media and Interstate Relations in Caucasus" conference informed
ARAK News Agency that the conference would be held in Armenia on
September 29.

Armenian Ambassador in Russia Nikolay Pavlov, Alexander Babinsky,
deputy chief editor of RIA Novosti, as well as Rector of
Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) university Armen Darbinyan will make a
speech welcoming the participants of the conference.

During the plenary session the following people will make speeches
as well: namely a member of the Scientific Council of the Moscow
Carnegie Center Alexei Malashenko with a report on the theme of "Media
Community: Overcoming Xenophobia", author and presenter of "Special
File" program on TVC TV-channel Leonid Mlechin – "Russian television:
Formation of National Stereotypes", Director of Russian and Asian
programs of the U.S. Institute of World Security Nikolay Zlobin –
"Caucasus Theme in the Context of the World Politics and Security",
head of scientific projects of the Association of Researchers of
Russian Society Gennady Bordyugo and others.

Representatives of the mass media, political scientists and
conflictologists from Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan will
take part in the conference.

The event is organized by RIA Novosti and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
university.

Dutch Parties Expel Candidates for `Armenian Genocide’ Denial
By Cihan News Agency
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
zaman.com

Three Turkish candidates have been expelled from their parties in the
Netherlands due to their refusal to accept so-called Armenian
genocide, which the Armenians claimed the Turkish committed during the
World War One (WWI).

Ahead of general elections to be held in the Netherlands on Nov. 22,
on Tuesday two separate Dutch parties removed three Turkish-origin
politicians from their lists of candidates to run for a seat in the
parliament.

The Christian Democrat Appeal (CDA) officials decided to expel Ayhan
Tonca and Osman Elmaci from the party because they denied the
existence of the so-called Armenian genocide. The Labor Party of the
Netherlands also expelled Erdinc Sacan for the same reason.

CDA candidates Tonca and Elmaci are expected to hold a press
conference about the issue on Wednesday.

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