Author: Nalbandian Albert

HOW DASHNAKTSUTYUN WILL BECOME OPPOSITION

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun voiced another
threat through Armen Rustamyan, member of the ARF Supreme Body, that
it will become opposition. This happened on November 30 at the Friday
Club when the reporters asked if the ARF disagrees with the policy of
official Yerevan on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Armen
Rustamyan said Dashnaktsutyun views the problem in a package, and
since the package is not complete, he cannot state whether he agrees
or disagrees with the policy of the government.

"We are constantly withdrawing details from the package, losing the
essence and the logic of settlement of the issue. The components of
the package are interrelated and indivisible. In order to be able to
state if this question was given a pro-Armenian or a fair solution,
you need to see the entire package. We haven’t seen the package, this
is the problem. This package will be there, it will be published,
and everyone will start going into detail and assessing if in total
it is acceptable or not," stated Armen Rustamyan.

He disagrees that the present government stated on taking up power in
1998 that it will not return a patch of land. Armen Rustamyan said
no such statement was made. There were three principles: Nagorno
Karabakh cannot be an enclave, it must have a legal status equal to
that of Azerbaijan and guarantees of security. The representative
of the Supreme Body of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun says there have been
no controversies between the policy of this government and the
approaches of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. If controversies occur after
the situation becomes fully clear, Dashnaktsutyun knows what its next
step is going to be. "What will we be doing? What were we doing when
Levon Ter-Petrosyan was president? We will become opposition, because
we wanted to change the trajectory. We are saying that in 1998 the
trajectory changed, the national trajectory changed. This change of
trajectory is clear, it must be aimed at clear aims, the vector should
be visible," Armen Rustamyan said. If there is a difference of line,
Dashnaktsutyun cannot be inside or beside the government that follows
this trajectory.

"WE SPEAK ABOUT EACH OTHER, BUT NOT WITH EACH OTHER"

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[03:57 pm] 29 November, 2006

"Do you know where you are going? Are you sure where you are
going? Have you thought it over well enough?"

– these were the questions the confused Georgian frontier guard asked
the Azeri journalists who were coming to Armenia. The journalists
themselves told about it today in Armenia who explained half-jokingly
what results the mutual visits can have.

The representatives of Azerbaijan and Turkey have been in Armenia
since November 27. The visit has been organized by civic movement
"Alternative Start" according to which it is the fourth power that
forms the society, thus it is necessary to organize a dialogue between
Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan on the level of the journalists.

Representative of the Embassy of Great Britain who supported the
organization of the visit, mentioned that today the following principle
is applied, "We speak about each other, but not with each other"
which is supposed to change the philosophy of the meetings.

The guests are to meet students and journalists.

The Azeri journalists agreed that until now suchlike meetings
and visits have been organized in Armenia only. "Before 2001-2002
Armenians used to visit Baku where meetings were organized. During
the last meeting over 30 Armenians came. I don’t know what happened,
but after Heidar Aliev there were changes for the worse", mentioned
writer Alekper Aliev. He also added that "the image of an enemy has
not yet been eliminated".

Correspondent of newspaper "Anatolia" and radio TRT Nursul Erel
represented a report about the situation of the press and answered
the questions of the journalists.

First she tried to prove via a historical flashback that press has a
long history in Turkey, and then by the example of the covering of the
Armenian Genocide she tried to prove that there are no restrictions
on freedom of speech in the Turkish press.

The representative of Turkey has her own opinion on that historical
fact. "I personally think that there has been such a tragedy, but it
should not become a mania". According to Mrs. Erel, she was glad to
hear about the letter of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to the RA
Prime Minister asking to create a joint committee of historians in
order to investigate the documentation concerning the Genocide. "Don’t
you think it would be nice for historians to investigate the issue?",
the representative of Turkey asked the Armenian journalists with a
naivete not peculiar to journalists.

She also mentioned that she visited Armenia in 2001 and paid a visit
to the Museum of Armenian Genocide, and if there were a chance,
she would like to go there again.

ARGENTINE PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Diego Karamanukian in Buenos Aires

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 30 2006

The lower house of Argentina’s parliament adopted late Wednesday a
resolution recognizing the 1915-1918 mass killings and deportations
of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.

The bill overwhelmingly approved by the assembly declared April 24,
which sees annual commemorations of more than one million genocide
victims in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora, an official "day of
mutual tolerance and respect" among peoples around the world. It
gives Argentine citizens of Armenian descent the legal right to be
absent from work or university classes on that day.

There was no immediate reaction to the move from Turkey, which has
strongly condemned similar resolutions passed by about two dozen
other nations and insists that the mass killings did not constitute
a genocide.

The bill has to be approved by the Argentine Senate in order to become
a law. Officials in Buenos Aires say the upper house could discuss
it as early as next week.

Argentina is home to tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians, most of
them descendants of genocide survivors. They have long been lobbying
the authorities in Buenos Aires to officially recognize the genocide.

Neighboring Uruguay, which also has an influential Armenian community,
did so several years ago.

report/en/2006/11/E128E6CA-5419-4B90-A885-7B807728 C5A5.ASP

BARTHOLOMEW I HOLDS GREAT SWAY IN TURKEY
By Brian Murphy, AP Religion Writer

Associated Press
Nov 29 2006

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is the spiritual
leader of the world’s more than 250 million Orthodox Christians and
is often called the "first among equals" of the Orthodox religious
leaders.

He has no direct authority over the various autonomous Orthodox
churches, which are mostly broken down along national and cultural
lines. But Bartholomew carries great sway as caretaker of Orthodox
spirituality in Istanbul, which was the capital of the Christian
Byzantium and known as Constantinople before the city fell to Muslim
armies in 1453.

The Orthodox branch of Christianity — centered largely in Eastern
Europe, the Balkans and Russia — split from the Vatican nearly 1,000
years ago amid disputes that included the extent of papal authority.

Smaller Orthodox communities can be found throughout the world, notably
in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Australia and North America.

Bartholomew, 66, was born on the Turkish island of Gokceada, known
as Imvros by Greeks, and became a deacon in 1961 and a priest in 1969.

He was elected as ecumenical patriarch in 1991.

He has led many religious-based initiatives, including environmental
trips to focus attention on the state of the world’s seas and rivers.

Those excursions, which bring together religious leaders, scientists
and researchers aboard ships, have earned him the nickname "the
Green Patriarch."

Bartholomew also has fostered talks between Muslims and Roman Catholics
aimed at improving relations between the groups, and has been a strong
supporter of expanding Orthodox ties with the Vatican.

Bartholomew’s role, however, is complicated by Turkish views that
reject his global status and declare him only the head of the tiny
Greek Orthodox community in Turkey. He has also pressed Turkish
authorities to change rules governing non-Muslim religious institutions
that led to the closure of a Greek Orthodox seminary near Istanbul
more than 20 years ago.

Turkey requires that the patriarch be a Turkish citizen, which
has sharply limited the pool of potential successors because of the
dwindling Orthodox population in Turkey. There are an estimated 2,000
Greek Orthodox among Turkey’s nearly 90,000 Christians, which include
about 65,000 Armenians and 20,000 Roman Catholics.

Regnum, Russia
Nov 24 2006

Gryzlov: Closing Upper Lars check-point has both political and
technical reasons

Deterioration of the Russian-Georgian relations creates difficulties
from economic point of view, Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Tigran Torosyan stated on November 23 at a meeting with Russian State
Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov.

As REGNUM was informed at the Armenian parliamentary press office,
Tigran Torosyan stressed during the meeting that closing of Upper
Lars check-point led to considerable economic problems for the
Armenian side. He stressed that settlement of conflicts using
forceful methods is unacceptable in the modern world. According to
the Armenian parliament’s speaker, constructive position and
discussion of certain proposals should become the basis for
stabilization of the Russian-Georgian relations instead of mutual
accusations.

In its turn, Boris Gryzlov stressed that a draft statement containing
assessment of the situation is being discussed at the State Duma. He
informed that the abovementioned statement is planned to be passed in
early December 2006. Gryzlov stressed that the Russian side has kept
its word – it withdraws Russian military bases from the Georgian
territory; they will be completely withdrawn in 2008. Gryzlov pointed
out that the Russian side does the utmost in order to improve its
relations with Georgia; however, at the same time, it will not allow
a military clash in the conflict zone. Mentioning the Upper Lars
check-point, the Duma speaker explained that temporary closing of the
check-point has both political and technical reasons because there
was necessity of strengthening the check-point. Armenia will have no
such problems after the works are finished.

AZG Armenian Daily #225, 24/11/2006

Visit

ARMENIAN AND CYPRUS GOVERNMENT SIGN COOPERATION
AGREEMENT AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME

The governments of Armenia and Cyprus signed a
cooperation agreement against organized crime in
Nicosia, on Thursday. The agreement was signed within
the framework of RA President Robert Kocharian’s state
visit to Cyprus. Before signing the document, Mr.
Kocharian and Cyprian President Tassos Papadopoulos
held a face-to-face meeting, which was followed by
enlarged Armenian-Cyprian negotiations. The presidents
emphasized that they expect the bilateral relations
between our countries will develop and get more
active.

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THE HEARTHS OF DISOBEDIENCE INCREASE
[07:56 pm] 23 November, 2006

«When a child I couldn’t understand how could a few
Turks displace over 10 000 Armenians and murder them.
But today, I already understand it. Nowadays we
counter the same phenomenon», announced Arkadi
Karapetyan, president of «Erkrapah» Union during the
first conference of Civil Disobedience Movement.

Mr. Karapetyan claims that we must forget about our
political views, preferences and unite as the moment
is pressing. «To give you a full picture of my
personality, I can add that I have got a house in
Yerevan, but I don’t have my business. I just want to
proceed the deal we initiated in Artsakh», said Mr.
Karapetyan.

In his words it is time to act and not to speak.

There were also other guests at the conference. They
maintain that today’s chaos is determined by the fact
that the current regime is constantly breeching human
rights.

Susanna Haroutyunyan, president of «Armenian Mothers»
NGO, claims that disorder reigns in all marzes of
Armenia. Each marz is ruled by some criminal
representative. Each day thousands of crimes are
committed at our sight but no one bears responsibility
or is punished for his wrongdoing.

Mr. Haroutyunyan was indignant at the Prime Minster’s
announcement that Armenian can live on the 11 000 AMD
pension. «Even the mouse of the Prime Minster cannot
live on that sum».

Today, Vachagan Hakobyan, president of «Protector of
the Right to Property» NGO also joined the
disobedience movement members. «Let’s ally and combat
these robbers with joint efforts», offered Mr.
Hakobyan.

Academician Rafael Ghazaryan was among the movement
representatives too. By the way, he has been seriously
ill for a few months. «I am abandoning this world but
so far I don’t see the country I longed to have».

The current authorities lead the country to collapse.
No justice is administered. And when people see that
their hopes are frustrated they become disappointed. I
call on you not to surrender and to struggle till the
end. I am glad that such movement was launched in
Armenia», ended the academician.

On November 27 at 12:00 the Civil Disobedience
Movement will hold a meeting opposite the
Constitutional Court in connection with the frauds and
fabrications of the Constitutional amendments.

Interfax, Russia
Nov 23 2006

UKRAINE SIGNS MILITARY COOPERATION PLANS WITH AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA

Brest, 23 November: The Ukrainian and Azeri defence ministries have
approved a cooperation plan for 2007. It was signed by Ukrainian
Defence Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko and Azeri Defence Minister Safar
Abiyev.

The plan envisages holding six joint events by the two defence
ministries: three in Ukraine and three in Azerbaijan.

Among the events planned are the Ukrainian defence minister’s visit
to Azerbaijan in 2007 and a visit of the Azeri chief of General Staff
to Ukraine.

The plan envisages the continuation of active work to set up an
international centre for training aviation personnel and aviation
specialists in Baku, with Ukraine taking an active part. The centre
will train aviation personnel to counter acts of terrorism.

The cooperation plan also envisages sharing experience in military
education.

[The Ukrainian and Armenian defence ministers also signed a
cooperation plan for 2007 in Brest, the UNIAN news agency reported at
1410 gmt. The plan envisages joint participation in exercises, in
particular See Breeze-2007 in Ukraine. It also includes a visit of
the Armenian chief of General Staff to Ukraine and joint training for
peacekeeping operations.]

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 22 2006

Turkish premier to go to Lebanon to meet premier, wants Palestinian
unity

["PM ERDOGAN CRITICAL ON EU DEADLINE" – AA headline]

ISTANBUL (A.A) -22.11.2006 -"We are not used to policies aiming to
corner Turkey by imposing deadlines," Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said on Wednesday, while commenting on the position of EU rotating
President Finland, which gave Turkey till December 6th to open its
ports and airport to Greek Cypriot vessels and aircraft.

Replying to questions of reporters after taking the floor at the 10th
International Business Forum (IBF) organized by the Independent
Industrialists’ & Businessmen’s Association (MUSIAD) in Istanbul,
Erdogan said, "we have done what we should do. The others (EU
countries) should now fulfil their duties."

-TURKISH TROOPS IN LEBANON-

Erdogan said he would probably visit Lebanon in December to inspect
the Turkish troops deployed in the region, and to meet Lebanese PM
Fuad Siniora.

Commenting on assassination of Lebanese Minister of Industry Pierre
Gemayel, Erdogan said, "it is the time for unity and integrity. This
is of utmost importance for Lebanon, as well as for Palestine."

-GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS –

When a journalist recalled that, "there are now initiatives in the
USA, similar to those in France, trying to make a crime the denial of
so-called Armenian genocide," Erdogan said, "We will be in an effort
to influence the members of US Congress psychologically. Everyone
should take into consideration the (importance of) strategic
partnership between Turkey and the United States.

The ties between us is not ordinary and cannot be wasted or left
aside. We will of course launch initiatives."

ISTANBUL TRADE CHAMBER, FRENCH ENVOY MEET TO BOOST TIES

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 20 2006

Istanbul, 20 November: A consultation meeting on boosting relations
between Turkey and France was held by Istanbul Chamber of Trade (ITO)
on Monday [20 November].

French Ambassador to Turkey Paul Poudade, representatives of French
companies in Turkey and ITO members attended the meeting.

ITO Executive Board Chairman Murat Yalcintas said: "We feel sad over
the decision of French National Assembly on the bill criminalizing
denial of so-called Armenian genocide. Not politicians, but historians
should write the history."

Stating that this bill harmed relations between Turkey and France,
Yalcintas noted that they held this meeting to boost economic,
cultural and friendly relations between the two countries.

On the other hand, Poudade noted that there were deep-rooted and
significant relations between Turkey and France.

Recalling that Turkish and French authorities aimed to increase
trade volume to 15bn euros in three years, Poudade underlined that
commercial relations and mutual investment should be continued.

Poudade stressed that the mentioned bill would not be approved, because
the (French) parliament would recess till the presidential election.

Stating that Turkey’s EU accession negotiations should continue,
Poudade noted that Europe could establish dialogue with Islam countries
through Turkey.

Poudade stressed that if Turkey joined the EU, problems in the Middle
East would be minimized.