Author: Nahapetian Boris

KOCHARIAN CONGRATULATES ARMEN JIGARKHANYAN ON 79TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 3 2005

YEREVAN, October 3. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharyan has addressed
a congratulatory message to Artistic Director of the Moscow Drama Armen
Jigarkhanyan on his 70th birthday anniversary. In his message the RA
President pointed out that due to his great talent and devotion Armen
Jigarkhanyan enjoys great popularity. “Your art has become a kind of
criterion of mutual enrichment of Armenian and Russian cultures,”
the message says. The RA President wished Armen Jigarkhanyan good
health and success in life and in creative activities.

Armen Jigarkhanyan is a People’s Artist of Armenia and Russia. He
played roles in over 200 films and his name in included in the Guinness
Books of Records P.T. -0–

OFFICE OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC IN THE USA
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 223-4330
Fax: (202) 315-3339
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site:

PRESS RELEASE
October 3, 2005

FIFTY-NINE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO SUPPORT NKR
ASPIRATION TO LIVE IN FREEDOM

On the occasion of the 14th anniversary of Nagorno Karabakh’s
independence, over fifty Members of Congress joined with the
Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Frank
Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), in sending a letter
to President Bush, calling attention to `the important progress
being made by the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh,
towards freedom, peace and prosperity.’

The September 28 letter outlined the difficult road taken by the
Artsakh people to secure their freedom and to build a democratic and
economically viable country. It went on to cite the parallels in
the U.S. and Nagorno Karabakh commitment to freedom and democracy.
The congressional letter said, in part: `A de-facto independent
state, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is a country of proud citizens
committed to the values of freedom, democracy and respect for human
rights. We, as Americans cherish and defend these same values at
home and internationally. . . Above all, the Unites States should
unequivocally support the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to
decide their own future.’ The full text of the letter is provided
at the end of the release.

`We thank our congressional friends for defending the values of
freedom, democracy and prosperity,’ said NKR Representative in the
United States Vardan Barseghian. `These universal values are dear to
the people of Artsakh as we continue building a rule-of-law,
democratic country, contributing meaningfully to peace and stability
in the strategic South Caucasus region.’

`We call on the United States and other nations to recognize the
independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, thereby affirming the
right of the people of Artsakh to live in freedom without fear of
violence, oppression, and persecution,’ stressed Barseghian.

The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is
based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia
and the public representing the official policies and interests of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

* * *
(The following is the full text of the congressional letter sent to
President George W. Bush on September 28, 2005)

September 28, 2005

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write to draw your attention to the important progress being made
by the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, towards
freedom, peace and prosperity. The United States has played a
critical role in Nagorno Karabakh’s progress, offering crucial moral
support for the Nagorno Karabakh democracy movement, providing
desperately needed humanitarian assistance, and working for peace
within the OSCE Minsk Group. As we champion freedom for all peoples
around the world, we should also continue supporting the aspirations
of people of Artsakh to live in freedom, particularly in the
strategically important South Caucasus.

The path to freedom has not been easy for the people of Nagorno
Karabakh. Following a peaceful demand by Karabakh’s legislative
body to reunite the region with Armenia in 1988, Azerbaijan launched
an ethnic cleansing campaign against individuals of Armenian decent.
As a result, thousands of ethnic Armenians were killed, while some
400,000 fled Azerbaijan to escape killings. On September 2, 1991,
the people of Nagorno Karabakh, consistent with the laws in force at
the time, declared their independence. The Declaration of
Independence noted Azerbaijan’s policies of discrimination against
the Armenian people, the resultant need to restore friendly
relations between Armenian and Azerbaijani people and respect for
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In response, Azerbaijan
launched an all-out war against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, which
killed thousands, destroyed Nagorno Karabakh’s economy and forced
some 450,000 Azeries to flee from territories around Nagorno
Karabakh. The consequences of a devastating war and an ongoing
Azerbaijani blockade have all failed to break Nagorno Karabakh
people’s determination to live in freedom.

Since their independence, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have
steadily progressed on the path of democracy and conducted regular
elections, which were praised by international observers as free,
fair and transparent. While strengthening its democratic
institutions, Nagorno Karabakh has also successfully transitioned
from a Soviet-inherited centrally-planned economy to a market
economy. Despite significant setbacks, Nagorno Karabakh has largely
restored its infrastructure and introduced reforms to encourage
private enterprise and foreign investments.

The United States is proud to support a nation whose citizens are
eager to enjoy democratic rights and freedoms, develop their
economy, and create a better future. The U.S. direct humanitarian
assistance to Nagorno Karabakh has contributed significantly to
rebuilding Karabakh’s war-torn economy. Yet, more needs to be done.
Humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabakh should be continued and
also expanded to include a development component to meet the
challenges of Karabakh’s fledging market economy.

With its democratically elected government, capable armed forces and
an independent foreign policy, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic clearly
satisfies the international criteria for statehood. Throughout its
14-year history of independence, Nagorno Karabakh has proven to be a
reliable partner of the international community. Nagorno Karabakh
has contributed meaningfully to peace and stability in the strategic
South Caucasus, a goal the United States shares.

A de facto independent state, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is a
country of proud citizens committed to the values of freedom,
democracy and respect for human rights. We, as Americans, cherish
and defend these same values at home and internationally. We stood
with Nagorno Karabakh when its people challenged the legacy of the
Soviet totalitarianism, contributing to the democratization of the
former Soviet Union and to the end of the Cold War. This policy
should continue through expanded dialogue with the democratically
elected leadership of Nagorno Karabakh and an increased U.S.
humanitarian and development assistance. And above all, the United
States should unequivocally support the right of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh’s to decide their own future.

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

Sincerely,

[signed]

Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA),
Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Capuano
(D-MA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Ben Chandler (D-KY), Jim Costa
(D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Anna Eshoo
(D-CA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett
(R-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rush Holt
(D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Jesse Jackson
(D-IL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Mark Kirk
(R-IL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Nita Lowey (D-NY),
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney
(D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Thaddeus McCotter
(R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan
(D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Candice Miller (R-MI), Grace
Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone, Jr.
(D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), George Radanovich (R-CA), Mike Rogers
(R-MI), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby
Rush (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw
(R-FL), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Hilda Solis
(D-CA), Mark Souder (R-IN), Ted Strickland (D-OH), Christopher Van
Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), and
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

* * *

NOTE: A PDF version of the letter is available upon request.

This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic in the USA on behalf of the Government of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. The NKR Office is registered with the U.S.
Government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional
information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington,
D.C.

RALLIES AGAINST TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP HELD IN ISTANBUL

Pan Armenian News
03.10.2005 02:37

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Mass rallies against Turkey’s EU membership were
held in Istanbul. Tens of thousands of nationalists marched along the
streets shouting out anti-European slogans like “We do not believe
EU”, “No to EU, no to U.S., long live to independent nationalist
Turkey.” The rallies proceeded without incidents and police did not
interfere. The special meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers held in
Luxemburg was fruitless, since the parties failed to agree on the
terms for Turkey’s accession to the EU.

The issue will be once again discussed today.

EU FAILS TO BREAK DEADLOCK ON TURKEY

TVNZ, New Zealand
Oct 3 2005

Related Articles

Austria blocks EU Turkey agreement
Turkey: full EU membership only option

The start of Turkey’s historic accession talks with the European Union
was in jeopardy on Monday after EU foreign ministers failed to overcome
Austrian demands that it be offered an alternative to full membership.

EU president Britain said ministers would try again for a deal on
Monday morning but acknowledged that the planned 5 pm (1500 GMT)
opening ceremony was uncertain and could well slip.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said a planned review of Croatia’s
progress towards EU entry talks had been postponed and would have to
wait until Turkey was sorted out.

“It is a frustrating situation, but I hope and pray that we may be
able to reach agreement,” Straw told a post-midnight news conference
after five hours of tough wrangling with Austria.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn played down the threat to
Turkey’s 42-year-old entry bid, saying: “I am confident we will have
a positive outcome and start negotiations tomorrow.”

But a Turkish official said nerves in Ankara were “extremely stretched
… Every minute that passes is making things more bitter and it
won’t be nice starting negotiations with all these bruises.”

With Austrian voters overwhelmingly hostile to Turkey entry, Foreign
Minister Ursula Plassnik waged a lone battle demanding that the EU
spell out an alternative to full membership, not only in case Turkey
did not meet the criteria but also if the EU felt unable to absorb
the vast, populous, poor Muslim state.

Diplomats said the 24 other members insisted they could not make
any change to the central principle that the shared objective of the
negotiations would be accession.

“Isolation and pressure is never going to work in politics. It’s not
going to work inside the European Union, certainly not. The Union
should have and must have a different style,” Plassnik told reporters
after three tense meetings with Straw.

Asked whether Austria was prepared to veto the start of talks, she
said it took all 25 member states to agree.

Walk away?

Outgoing German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer warned his colleagues
that Turkey might walk away if the EU watered down the terms on offer
any further.

“If you want to open negotiations, you have to remember we have to
have someone to open them with,” a diplomat quoted him as telling
the meeting.

The EU has already irked Ankara by demanding that it recognise Cyprus
soon and open its ports and airports to traffic from the divided
Mediterranean island.

The European Parliament compounded Turkish irritation last week by
saying Turkey must recognise the 1915 killings of Armenians under
Ottoman rule as an act of genocide before it can join the wealthy
European family.

Fanning Turkish anxiety, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy
cast doubt in a radio interview on whether Turkey would ever join
the EU, saying the talks might end in an enhanced partnership instead.

Douste-Blazy, who stayed away from Sunday’s meeting and was not due
to be present for Monday’s planned start of talks, told Europe 1
radio that Turkey was a long way from having the same values, laws
and human rights as the European Union.

“I think it will be very hard for Turkey because we will be asking
a lot. We’re asking it to change its laws,” he said.

Straw told reporters he did not want to contemplate the possibility
of an Austrian veto. “Clearly that would represent a failure for the
EU,” he said before the meeting. “This is a crucial meeting for the
future of the European Union.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has made clear he will not
fly to Luxembourg until he has seen the negotiating mandate approved
unanimously by the EU.

EU diplomats had hoped Austria would ease its stance after voting
ended in regional elections in Styria province. Chancellor Wolfgang
Schuessel’s People’s Party lost power there for the first time since
1945 despite his brinkmanship on Turkey.

Schuessel has informally linked the Turkish issue to a demand that
the EU open accession talks immediately with Austria’s largely Roman
Catholic neighbour, Croatia.

But those talks have been frozen until Zagreb satisfies UN war crimes
prosecutor Carla del Ponte that it is cooperating fully in the hunt
for a fugitive indicted ex-general.

In an apparent effort to increase pressure on Austria, Straw postponed
a planned meeting with Del Ponte and the Croatian prime minister on
Monday until there was agreement on Turkey.

WAM – Emirates News Agency, United Arab Emirates
Oct 1 2005

Armenian embassy’s building to be constructed in UAE

Oct 1, 2005 – 11:05 –

Abu Dhabi 1 October, 2005 (WAM)–The foundation stone for the first
Armenian embassy’s building in the UAE, was laid down today by the
Armenian Minister of Foreign Affaires, Vartan Oskanian, who was
accompanied by Abdullah Rashid Al Nuaimi , Director of Protocol in
the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affaires and Arshak Poladian, Armenian
ambassador to the UAE.

Oskanian lauded the wise leadership of President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa
bin Zayed Al Nahyan as well as UAE-Armenia ties of cooperation, which
he described as ” continually growing”.

He said the forthcoming structure would be the first Armenian
building the entire Gulf region and would be considered a symbol of
cooperation and fraternity between the UAE and Armenia.

The ceremony was attended by heads of Arab and foreign diplomatic
missions in the country and members of the Armenian community.

AZERBAIJAN TO WIN ‘IF WAR STARTS IN 10 YEARS’

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 29 2005

Azerbaijan will get victory if military action with Armenia resumes
in ten years, but stands no chance at winning now, says a survey held
among 24 American and European experts by the Assembly of American
Armenians. 40% of respondents said Azerbaijan will be victorious owing
to the increase in its oil revenues if the hostilities are launched
in 2015.

Only 4% predicted that Armenia will gain victory. The experts’
assessment seems plausible considering that by 2015, key economic
projects in the South Caucasus region will enter a full swing,
with Azerbaijan acting as a key player. Armenia, isolated from these
projects, will increasingly lag behind, at least in terms of economic
potential. Besides, amid Azerbaijan’s increasing military budget,
which will reach the entire state budget of Armenia in the coming
years, as mentioned by President Ilham Aliyev, a considerable outflow
of Armenians from their country is observed. Emigration threatens to
turn this country into a low-populated area over the next ten years.

The internal and external political situation in Azerbaijan and Armenia
is also expected to change over the mentioned period. Even if both
countries enter the road of democratic development simultaneously,
Azerbaijan, considering its extensive economic potential, will
be able to withstand possible political turmoil more easily than
poverty-stricken Armenia. The situation with the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper Garabagh conflict is likely to be very different than the
current one as well. The United States’ pressures on Russia over
the next ten years threaten to completely drive Moscow out of the
Commonwealth of Independent States in terms of its influence, while
Yerevan will lose military and political support of its powerful
ally. Considering the probability of Iran’s weakening in the face of
possible US military action and the increasing influence of Turkey
in light of its future admission to the European Union, Armenia will
face challenges over the next ten years. Time is therefore playing
more into the hands of Azerbaijan rather than Armenia. Nonetheless,
42% of the survey respondents said Armenia will get the upper hand
if war starts soon. 29% of the poll participants indicated that both
sides will lose in the confrontation, while the rest of them were
unable to give an unequivocal answer. The experts involved in the
survey also believe that it will be impossible to turn Upper Garabagh
into autonomy within Azerbaijan. 5 experts said Garabagh will gain
independence or be annexed to Armenia, while 15 respondents said its
status will remain uncertain for many years to come.

ANATOLIAN TOLERANCE EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD
By Abdullah Ozyurt, Osman Balci

Zaman, Turkey
Sept 27 2005

zaman.com

Calls of brotherhood marked the First Hatay Meeting of Civilizations
where the leading representatives from different religions
participated.

Ecclesiastics who spoke at the meeting emphasized that Anatolia has
hosted several civilizations and tolerance calls spreading from these
lands can embrace the whole world.

On the first day of the meeting organized by the Society for the
Protection of Universal Values in Hatay and opened by Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan the other evening, the dignitaries of
Islam, Christianity and Judaism expressed that dialogue and tolerance
was the only alternative in order to live in peace.

Professor Ali Bardakoglu, head of Religious Affairs Directorate,
said ways of living together in peace should be found.

Bardakoglu, during his speech, in which he pointed out that religions
are based on basic ethic virtues, said the following:

“The first man and Prophet Adam and the light of prophet hood that
started with him have always called the humanity to peace, friendship
and brotherhood. This call has always been refreshed. Therefore,
the meeting of civilizations means the human beings’ are returning
to their essence and recognizing themselves. What we have here is
not the meeting of the religions on a certain basis but it is people
of different religions, cultures and beliefs coming together on the
basis of peace. ”

Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew reminded that a different
tension is currently being experienced in the world, starting from
the last 10 years of the last century.

Bartholomew stressed a healthy dialogue cannot be built on distrust
and hearsay.

“Religions cannot be behind terrorist attacks. We tried to inform
in the correct manner on all platforms the public opinion that has
acted against Muslims at times. We never suspect the rightness of
things we do and continue our efforts in this field.”

Hatay has served as a model to the world

The Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, Mesrob II expressed the pleasure
he had for the Meeting of Civilizations being held in Hatay.

“The stones of Hatay are the silent witnesses of this history. Hatay
is implementing the model of peace and tolerance the world and humanity
strongly needs, thus serving a model to the world.”

Rabbi Izak Haleva, the chief rabbi of Jews in Turkey, said every
individual has the right of freedom.

“It is a fact that those who escaped from oppression to certain
regions cannot be forced to return to their former homes and that
they cannot be sent back there is determined by divine commands.”

In the session entitled “Contributions of Religions in Civilizations”
held in the frame of the first Hatay Meeting of Civilizations
activities, citizens belonging to all religions should be able to
live in peace and have well-intentioned manners, it was emphasized.

Pope Benedict XVI who sent a congratulatory message to the meeting
said important missions await the men of religion to find a solution
to the problems caused by globalization and for peace of all mankind.

The pontiff, who in his message underlined the organization of such
a meeting is important for the history of Christianity, said, people
of different religions have lived in Antakya together in peace for
centuries and that this situation should serve a model to the world.

Meanwhile, the tight security measures that were taken around the
hall where the meeting took place attracted much attention.

FINLAND NOTICED ARMENIA

A1+
| 13:40:43 | 27-09-2005 | Official |

By invitation of Robert Kocharian Finnish President Tarja Halonen
arrived in Armenia on a two-day visit.

During today’s meeting the Presidents discussed the Armenian-Finnish
relations, EU-Armenia and exchanged views on number of regional and
international problems.

Mrs. Halonen welcomed the inclusion of Armenia in the New Neighborhood
program and noted that Finland attaches importance to the relations
with the Transcaucasian states, especially taking into account the fact
that next year Finland is assuming presidency in the European Union.

Later the Armenian-Finnish talks were continued in an expanded
composition. The parties discussed the priority lines of economic
cooperation and the possibilities of their activation.

ARMENIA RECEIVES 10 NEW FIGHTER JETS FROM RUSSIA

Associated Press Worldstream
September 26, 2005 Monday 10:16 AM Eastern Time

Armenia has received 10 new Russian-made fighter jets, the deputy
defense minister said Monday.

The jets are Sukhoi Su-27s, Defense Ministry spokesman Seiran
Shakhsuvarzian said. Officials, including Armenian Deputy Defense
Minister Artur Agabekian, did not provide further details on the deal.

While many other ex-Soviet republics are looking increasingly toward
closer integration with the West, Armenia has remained loyal to
Russia. It hosts a Russian military base, which has become even
more important for Moscow after neighboring Georgia pushed for the
withdrawal of Russian troops.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
September 23, 2005, Friday
14:47:17 Central European Time

Loophole allows Armenian genocide conference to go ahead in Turkey

ANKARA

An academic conference in Istanbul looking into the events of 1915
during which hundreds of thousands of Armenians were killed is set to
go ahead despite a court injunction, after organizers discovered a
legal loophole in the court order on Friday.

The injunction bans the conference venue but not the meeting itself,
which is now to take place Saturday at a new location.

The events of more than 90 years ago are still a sore topic in
Turkey. Armenian historians claim that as many as 1.5 million
Armenians were killed when they rose up in revolt against the
crumbling Ottoman Empire during the First World War and that the
massacres constituted genocide. The official Turkish line is that
while many Armenians may have died in the struggle it was not
genocide.

More than a dozen European countries have passed resolutions
specifically stating that the events of 1915 did constitute a
genocide and that Turkey should accept this and make appropriate
apologies.

In a decision blasted by the Turkish government and E.U. officials,
the Istanbul 4th Administrative Court, acting on a request from a
nationalist group called the Lawyers Union Foundation, ordered that
the conference be cancelled.

But it emerged on Friday that the order only applied to Istanbul’s
Bogazici and Sabanci universities where the conference was to take
place and not other universities in Turkey.

Bilgi University, also in Istanbul, later announced it would allow
the conference to take place on its campus on Saturday, a day later
than originally planned.

“The court decision has not only trampled upon academic and
university autonomy as it is universally understood but also
trespassed very strongly on freedom of expression … as well as the
Turkish constitution itself,” Halil Berktay, a member of the
organizing committee told reporters Friday.

This week’s postponement is the second delay to hit the conference.
Organizers cancelled the original May 25 date after Justice Minister
Cemil Cicek described the gathering as a “stab in the back”.

Cicek has since tempered his comments and on Friday said that the
conference could go ahead but told NTV television that he didn’t
regard the timing as appropriate.

The controversy comes two weeks after prosecutors filed charges
against Turkey’s internationally famous author Orhan Pamuk for
“denigrating the country” when he told a Swiss news magazine that “a
million Armenians were killed”. Pamuk faces up to three years
imprisonment if found guilty.

The conference organisers expect protests from ultra-nationalists and
the gathering is likely to take place under tight security. dpa cw sr