Author: Vardanian Garo

"INFORMATION DAY" TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON OCTOBER 10

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 10 2006

YEREVAN, October 10. /ARKA/. An event, titled "Information Day",
will be held within the scope of Tempus Tacis educational program in
Yerevan State University (YSU) on October 10.

According to the information provided to ARKA News Agency by the Tempus
National office in Armenia on Monday, the event is aimed at revealing
priorities of cooperation of Armenian universities with EU countries,
consulting for receiving educational grants, as well as distributing
information about new possibilities and criteria of choosing programs.

Programs director of the Representation of the Eurocommission in
Armenia Irina Movsesyan, representative of the European Commission
Directorate-General for Education and Culture, as well as RA Deputy
Minister of Science and Education Ara Avetisyan and Rector of the
YSU Aram Simonyan will make speeches during the event.

Head of the Tempus Tacis National Office Lana Karlova will present the
activities and priorities of the organization, headed by hear in 2006,
and a representative of the European Educational Fund will conduct
a seminar on the theme of "How to Make Successful Offer/Financial
Aspects".

Among the participants of the event will be: teaching and
administrative staffs of universities, representatives of ministries,
local and international organizations, acting in the sphere of
education.

The event has been organized by the RA Ministry of Science and
Education, Representation of the European Commission and Tempus
National Office.

OFFICIAL SAYS SITUATION CALM IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA AFTER POLICE, PROTESTORS CLASH

Rustavi-2 TV, Georgia
Oct 9 2006

[Presenter] Shots were heard today in the centre of Akhalkalaki. At
about midday members of [opposition party] Industry Will Save
Georgia’s local branch and their supporters gathered outside the local
administration building. They were protesting against the results of
the local elections [on 5 October]. The police attempted to break up
the rally and that was when an unknown person opened fire. Clashes
then broke out. Two law-enforcement officers were wounded and several
people have been detained.

Local governor Goga Khachidze joins us live by telephone. Batono Goga,
what happened today in Akhalkalaki and was there shooting?

[Khachidze] I would like to tell you that at the moment Akhalkalaki
is completely calm. The situation is under control. As for this
incident, a certain group of people wanted to enter the local electoral
commission offices, which is illegal. Therefore, police prevented this
attempt and clashes broke out. As a result police and law-enforcement
officers were lightly wounded, as were some members of this group.

[Question] Did they have to be taken to hospital?

[Khachidze] I don’t have information about that.

[Presenter] One of the leaders of Industry Will Save Georgia, [MP]
Zurab Tqemaladze, says the incident was an act of provocation and
members of his party were only protesting peacefully against the
election results while carrying flowers.

[Tqemaladze] As an expression of peaceful protest, they went to the
local electoral commission offices and local administration building
carrying roses, to set out their position and call for the final
results to be clarified.

Of course, this was a peaceful protest but there was some kind of
provocation. It will now be established who did this and who was behind
it. Let’s see. I have spoken to the head of our local organization and
he said that they had nothing to do with the provocation and do not
intend to do anything similar. This will all be resolved peacefully.

[Georgian Imedi TV at 1100 gmt showed Industry Will Save Georgia MP
Gia Tsagareishvili saying: "As far as I have been informed, they were
holding a peaceful protest when some provocateur fired into the air.

Clashes broke out between protestors and representatives of the local
government. Now it is calm there and talks are taking place in the
local administration building where the local electoral commission is
located. This is a problematic region from this point of view. There
is an Armenian population there and this clash was between residents
of Akhalkalaki. We are monitoring the situation and will do everything
possible to make sure the situation is defused and resolved as soon
as possible."]

Dagblad Flevoland
October 6, 2006

Veel van de kritiek op Turks-Nederlandse politici grenst aan laster

door WIERD DUK

DEN HAAG – De boze geesten van de Kaukasus zijn de Nederlandse
politiek binnengeslopen. In het debat rond het standpunt van
Turks-Nederlandse politici over de Armeense genocide gedurende de
Eerste Wereldoorlog botsen twee werkelijkheden op elkaar.

Wie door de Kaukasus reist, leert snel de historische gevoeligheden
kennen die in deze regio worden gecultiveerd. Net als op de Balkan is
de geschiedenis hier niet weggestopt in musea, maar leeft ze verder
in verhalen en herinneringen, die van generatie op generatie worden
overgeleverd. Met de feiten neemt men het niet zo nauw. Legenden en
mythen hebben in deze folklore dezelfde waarde – en soms meer
betekenis – als concrete historische gebeurtenissen.

In deze context wantrouwen hele bevolkingsgroepen elkaar: Russen en
Tsjetsjenen, Georgiers en Osseten en ook Armeniers en Azeri’s, welke
laatsten door de Armeniers gemakshalve ‘Turken’ worden genoemd. Voor
de Armeniers geldt ‘de Turk’ (die zijn woongebied niet alleen in het
huidige Turkije heeft, maar in grote delen van de Kaukasus en
Centraal-Azie) als de aartsvijand. De Turkse volkerenmoord op de
Armeense minderheid is voor de inwoners van het straatarme,
christelijke Armenie een reeel bestaand trauma. Zelfs de oorlog met
buurland Azerbeidzjan wordt beschouwd als een strijd tegen ‘de
Turken’ omdat de Azeri’s taalkundig en cultureel nauw aan de Turken
verwant zijn.

Blokkade

De Turken steunden de Azeri’s, onder meer door een economische
blokkade tegen Armenie in te stellen. In de jaren ’90 leidde het
Armeense isolement tot schrijnende toestanden. Naast armoede en een
gebrek aan voedsel en medicijnen leden de Armeniers onder een
ernstige energiecrisis. Woningen werden verwarmd met kaphout en na
enige tijd waren de bomen uit het straatbeeld van de hoofdstad
Jerevan verdwenen. Vele bejaarden, kinderen en zieken overleefden
deze ellendige situatie niet.

Het Armeens-Turkse conflict af te doen als louter historisch is dus
onjuist. Getuige de economische blokkade is de vete hoogst actueel.
En ze houdt nu ook de Nederlandse politiek in haar greep.

Feiten

Het debat over de Armeense genocide dreigt te leiden tot een boycot
van de Tweede Kamerverkiezingen door oorspronkelijk Turkse kiezers.
Zij zijn kwaad omdat drie aspirant-Kamerleden van Turkse afkomst van
de kieslijsten van CDA en PvdA werden geschrapt omdat deze kandidaten
de volkerenmoord op de Armeniers niet bewezen achten. Dit druist in
tegen het officiele standpunt van alle partijen in het parlement.

Volgens de Turkse critici hebben de kandidaten ‘recht op hun eigen
mening’. In hun beleving, waarin mythevorming en nationale trots
concrete historische gebeurtenissen kleuren, is deze eis
waarschijnlijk legitiem. In het rationele Westen echter is men gewend
om te oordelen op basis van feiten. Wat de Armeense massamoord
betreft zijn die door historici onderzocht.

Op basis van die bevindingen werd geconcludeerd dat in 1915 en 1916
in het zuidoosten van Turkije genocide werd gepleegd.

Maar: veel bronnen zijn ‘vervuild’, de documentatie is niet volledig
en ook de Armeniers waren geen lieverdjes. Van Turks-Nederlandse
politici te eisen dat zij volmondig erkennen dat een geplande
volkerenmoord werd uitgevoerd, is voor een aantal van hen een brug te
ver gebleken.

Dat andere politici van Turkse afkomst, onder wie Nebahat Albayrak,
de nummer 2 van de PvdA, niet bezwijken onder de druk uit eigen
kring, laat zien hoezeer zij in de westerse samenleving zijn
geintegreerd. Toch wordt Albayrak, die niks anders beweert dan haar
partijleider Wouter Bos, verweten moedwillig ‘te schipperen’. In de
Volkskrant werd zij beschuldigd van het verkopen van ‘kletskoek met
een nare bijsmaak’ en in Trouw klonken soortgelijke geluiden. Dit
grenst aan laster. Het zou eerlijker zijn om Albayrak en haar Turkse
collega’s, die moeten opereren in het hierboven geschetste
mijnenveld, te prijzen om hun persoonlijke moed.

What to do about Georgia?

Reuters AlertNet, UK
Oct 6 2006

What to make of the latest spat between Georgia and Russia, following
Georgia’s arrest of four Russian military officers accused of
spying? It needs to be taken seriously, say two scholars in an
International Herald Tribune commentary.

The situation in the Southern Caucasus is already heating up, write
Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman, authors of "Ethical Realism: A Vision
for America’s Role in the World". The Russia-backed Georgian province
of South Ossetia is set to hold referendum on independence in November
and Georgia is angry about this. On the other hand, the Georgians now
have a trained and equipped army for the first time since independence
thanks to U.S. help.

"…the stage may be set for an armed clash with grave repercussions
extending far beyond the Caucasus, and affecting above all the future
of the Middle East," warn Lieven and Hulsman.

Then there is the question of Kosovo. Russian President Vladimir
Putin has already warned that granting independence to Kosovo would
set a precedent for solving disputes over independence in Abkhazia
and South Ossetia. Western governments don’t agree.

Lieven and Hulsman reproach the West for its different approaches to
conflicts such as Kosovo, Georgia, Palestine and Nagorno-Karabakh,
while each time proclaiming "adherence to ‘universal principles’".

That is why both Russia and the West should apply "’a community of
reason’, shaped not by legal but by rational and moral constraints,"
they say.

This, of course, would not be acceptable to legalists in the West,
but they should think twice before in effect encouraging new fighting
and ask themselves this: Is it worth risking a U.S.-Russian clash just
so Georgia can rule South Ossetia? Is the West prepared for body bags
from a future Caucasian conflict?

The fact that the Russian army officers were released by Georgia
absolutely doesn’t mean that the tensions between two countries have
eased, says Karel De Gucht, chairman-in-office of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, in a commentary in St Petersburg
Times, sees the arrest of the four Russians by Georgia as "an attempt
to escalate a dispute with Moscow to a level where Western powers
will have no choice but to intervene". It warns that there are no
quick solutions to the problem.

The paper makes a series of recommendations for both sides: Georgia
should become such a prosperous country that South Ossetia and
Abkhazia stop dreaming of being part of Russia; it should also offer
concessions to the separatist regimes in the provinces to avoid any
serious military clash. Russia, for its part, should not seek regime
change in Georgia as this may lead to the country becoming a failed
state and fertile ground for insurgent groups that would target Russia,
the paper concludes.

PRESS RELEASE
COALITION IN SUPPORT OF KASHATAGH
New Website and On-Line Petition
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website:
New York, USA

October 3, 2006

Dear Fellow Armenians,

As you read these lines the Armenians in Kashatagh (Lachin)need our
immediate help.

After the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, local officials in Armenian and
Artsakh called for Armenian to move to Kashatagh and made promisies of
financial and material assistance to all those who heeded the call to
resettle in Kashatagh. Today, those promises have not been kept.

As a result, livings conditions in Kashatagh are bad and getting worse.
Thus, Armenians who moved there are now leaving. If this situation
persists, there will be no Armenian presence in this strategically
vital region that lies between Armenia and the Republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenians in the diaspora, as well as in Armenia and Artsakh, cannot
remain silent when faced with this sad reality. We need to forcefully
voice our concerns and demand an adequate degree of accountabilty from
those responsible.

To publicize the situation a new website devoted to KASHATAGH has been
created:

On the website an ON-LINE PETITION has been posted. This petition is
addressed to the Presidents of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. It calls
on these officials to immediately take all possible steps to rectify
the socio-economic situation in KASHATAGH and stop the exodus of
Armenians from the region.

All concerned Armenians are urged to sign this important PETITION and
circulate it as well.

Collectively, the Armenian people can make a difference for the
Armenians of KASHATAGH

DISPLEASURE OVER END OF GEORGIAN CHILDREN STUDY IN RUS SCHOOLS
by Eka Mekhuzla

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
October 4, 2006 Wednesday 01:12 PM EST

Georgian Education Minister Kakha Lomaya expressed displeasure over
the decision to end the studies of children, Georgian citizens, in
Russian schools belonging to the Russian Defence Ministry in Tbilisi,
Batumi and Akhalkalaki.

Lomaya told reporters that children, Georgian citizens, who attended
schools belonging to the Russian Defence Ministry in Georgia would
go to nearby schools in charge of the Georgian Ministry of Education.

Lomaya also said that teachers, Georgian citizens, who worked in those
Russian schools and who can work there no longer would be employed
in schools of the Georgian Ministry of Education.

>From Wednesday, children of Georgian citizens no longer attend three
Russian schools belonging to the Russian Defence Ministry in Tbilisi,
Batumi and Akhalkalaki, Itar-Tass learned from the Russian troops
group in the Transcaucasia.

Representative of the Russian troops group said such was the decision
of the Russian Defence Ministry. "From now on children of Georgian
citizens should study in other schools in Georgian territory.

This decision has no national connection. It equally applies to all
children of Georgian citizens – Georgian, Russian, Armenian – and of
people of various other nationalities who studied in these schools,
Itar-Tass was told.

The decision may be connected with the gradual decrease of the number
of pupils. Fewer children continue going to these schools with the
stage-by-stage withdrawal of Russian servicemen from Georgia. The
Russian military base at Akhalkalaki will be closed before October 1,
2007. (Heavy equipment and armaments have already been withdrawn from
the base.)

The base at Batumi and the headquarters of the Russian troops group
in Tbilisi will end functioning in 2008. These schools will be closed
upon the Russian servicemen’s withdrawal.

Some 3,000 schools of the Georgian Ministry of Education now function
in Georgia. Most of them are Georgian schools, and there are also
some 100 Russian schools and several hundred Armenian and Azerbaijani
schools.

THERE IS NO DISCORD AMONG THE CO-CHAIRS

A1+
[09:31 pm] 03 October, 2006

The OSCE Minsk group has not finished its work, claim the
Co-Chairs. Today they announced that the Armenian and Azeri Foreign
Ministers will meet in Moscow on October 6.

The Co-Chairs are a little indignant at yesterday’s meetings in Baku
and the interpretation of the Azeri mass media. US Co-Chair Mettew
Bryza says that he couldn’t sleep the whole night after seeing his
announcement on GUAM in the press. According to the Azeri press
data, Mr. Bryza said that GUAM countries can render assistance to
OSCE Minsk group in Karabakh conflict settlement. Today Mr. Bryza
read his opinion on the GUAM in front of the Armenian journalists;
"GUAM member countries are not OSCE members."

Bernard Fassier, French Co-Chair says that he didn’t announce in
Baku that Karabakh cannot participate in the negotiation process at
present. He didn’t answer the same question in Yerevan either. He
didn’t exclude the possibility that peaceful troops may be located
in vacated territories by 2006.

Tomorrow the Co-Chairs will leave for Karabakh. Mr. Bryza assured that
the Co-Chairs are of the same opinion on all questions, and there
is no discord among them. "I can assure that the Karabakh conflict
settlement has not a military solution," said Mettew Bryza. Bernard
Fassier said that unless Armenians and Azeris are ready to live side by
side as neighbours, the Karabakh conflict won’t be settled. As for the
time when the conflict will find its final solution, Mr. Fassier said,
"Let’s live and see."

STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN ACTION PLAN WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF ENP SIGNED

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Action Plan to be
implemented within the framework of the European Union New Neighborhod
Policy (ENP) gives Armenia a possibility to be involved in a more
intensive political dialogue with EU, including around issues of
security, and to take part in integration processes in the economic
sphere. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian declared this at the
October 2 ceremony of signing a statement on Armenian Action Plan
within the framework of ENP.

He reported that the main document on RA Action Plan will be signed
in Brussels, at the annual meeting of EU-Armenia Cooperation Council.

The Minister stressed that the main document to be signed within the
framework of ENP also proposes developing regional cooperation, as well
as according to it, Armenia assumes responsibility to achieve peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In Oskanian’s words,
the term of document’s fulfilment is 5 years. "This is a process that
will last 5 years and it is a precise guide for us what to do in the
next 5 years for our public to become more democratic and our state
more stable," RA Foreign Minister declared.

"We are where we are today thanks to the reforms we have started since
1991 and today we are gathering its fruits. But we still have a long
way to pass," V.Oskanian declared.

The Foreign Minister of EU presiding country, Finland, Erkii Tuomioja
also took part in the signing of the statement on the Armenian Action
Plan within the framework of ENP. The latter expressed the hope that
this program will be fully implemented. "If this program is implemented
successfully, we will be very open for the South Caucasian countries
to deepen their relations with EU for even more," the Finnish Foreign
Minister mentioned.

E.Tuomioja attached a special importance to the forthcoming
parliamentary elections in Armenia mentioning that the international
community will attentively follow them. E.Tuomioja expressed the hope
that the elections will be democratic.

LABOUR PARTY STILL AHEAD IN THE NETHERLANDS
Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada
Oct 1 2006

– The opposition Labour Party (PvdA) could become the largest political
organization in the Dutch Second Chamber, according to a poll by
Maurice de Hond. The survey suggests that the PvDA, led by Wouter Bos,
would secure 43 mandates in this year’s election to the Second Chamber.

The Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA) is second with 38 seats, followed
by the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) with 31 seats,
and the Socialist Party (SP) with 16 seats. Six other political
organizations would send legislators to the Second Chamber.

The poll shows a one-seat drop for both the PvdA and the SP, while
support for the VVD increased for the fourth consecutive week.

In the January 2003 election, the CDA elected 44 lawmakers to the
150-seat Second Chamber. CDA member Jan Peter Balkenende has acted
as minister president since July 2002. In early 2003, Balkenende
established his second coalition government with the VVD and Democrats
66 (D66).

In June, a controversy over the way integration and immigration
minister Rita Verdonk dealt with the case of Somali-born lawmaker
Ayaan Hirsi Ali forced the collapse of the government. D66 lawmakers
supported a no-confidence motion introduced by the Green Left (GL)
against VVD member Verdonk.

On Jul. 5, the legislative election was scheduled for Nov. 22. In
the period leading up to the ballot, Balkenende will lead a minority
government.

On Sept. 28, the CDA and the PvdA decided to withdraw three candidates
from their lists because they refused to explicitly acknowledge the
Armenian genocide. The politicians-Ayhan Tonca and Osman Elmaci of
the CDA, and Erdinc Sacan of the PvdA-are of Turkish origin.

PvdA chairman Michiel van Hulten explained the rationale, saying,
"Erdinc Sacan is a talented man aged 27 who is trapped between two
cultures and is unwilling to choose. We regret the necessity of taking
this decision."

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next parliamentary election?

(Results presented in seats)

Sept. 24 Sept. 17 Sept. 10

Labour Party (PvdA) 43 44 45

Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA) 38 38 39

People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) 31 30 29

Socialist Party (SP) 16 17 17

Green Left (GL) 7 7 6

Christian Union (CG) 6 6 6

Party for Freedom (PvdV) 3 3 3

Reformed Political Party (SGP) 2 2 2

One Netherlands (EN) 2 2 3

Democrats 66 (D66) 2 1 1

International Periscope

Newsweek

Oct. 9, 2006 issue – Georgia: Russian Rumble
Could Russia and Georgia soon be at war? After Georgian authorities
arrested four Russian military officers last week and charged them
with spying and terrorism, both sides have been doing a very good
imitation of preparing for full-scale conflict. Georgian Interior
Minister Vano Merabishvili claimed that the Russian Army was
mobilizing in North Ossetia, and was preparing troops for action at a
Russian base in Akhalkalaki, inside Georgia. Calls for "decisive
action" came from Moscow parliamentarians as hundreds of nationals
were evacuated from Tbilisi.
How did relations get so bad? The two neighbors have been at
loggerheads ever since the pro-U.S. Mikhail Saakashvili took power in
Tbilisi in 2003.The Georgian president has moved his country rapidly
toward NATO membership, and in apparent retaliation, Russia banned
Georgian imports. And in recent months, Russian-backed separatists
inside Georgia have stepped up operations, further heightening
tensions.
Still, for all of last week’s saber rattling, it’s unlikely that war
will break out. Instead, Russia has chosen to protest to the United
Nations… where Saakashvili recently accused the Kremlin of a
"gangster occupation" of two breakaway Georgian provinces, Abkhazia
and South Ossetia. That could play into Georgia’s hands. If the United
Nations becomes involved in resolving Georgia’s territorial conflicts,
Moscow’s jealously guarded role as chief peacekeeper in the former
Soviet Union will be eroded. Also, Tbilisi reckons it standsa better
chance of ultimately recovering its wayward regions with the United
Nations in charge. Still, provoking Russia is a dangerous
tactic. There are powerful war parties in both Moscow and Tbilisi who
are spoiling for a fight. If it comes, there’s little doubt that
Georgia will come off worse against a Russian Army flush with oil
money and confidence.
-Owen Matthews