Author: Vardanian Garo

ARMENIA WILL NOT WITHSTAND AZERBAIJAN’S ONSLAUGHT – PRESIDENT

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
posted Sept 5 2005

Baku, September 2, AssA-Irada President Ilham Aliyev has said
that Armenia will not be able to withstand Azerbaijan’s onslaught.
“Azerbaijan is very powerful and Armenia will not be able to withstand
its onslaught. But we do not want war, as it would kill scores of
people. I believe that sooner or later we will return our land. No
one should doubt this”, Aliyev told Turkey’s influential Hurriyet
newspaper. “Every Azerbaijani deeply believes that a day will come
when the occupied territories will be freed and Azerbaijan’s banner
will wave over Garabagh again.” Aliyev also commented on the results
of his Saturday meeting with the Armenian President Robert Kocharian
in the Russian Volga river city of Kazan. “There are no results
yet. Armenians are waiting for us to grant them independence. But
this is impossible. Preserving Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is
of primary importance for us.” The President noted that he told his
Armenian counterpart that Azerbaijan is ready to ensure security of
Armenian residents of Garabagh. “I underlined that Baku will not allow
the Armenian community to be endangered.” Aliyev emphasized, however,
that ‘they [Armenian armed forces] are not willing to free our land’.
The President said that during a recent phone conversation with the US
Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice said Washington wants the sides to
reach a conflict settlement. “I do not understand why Armenia, which
is an aggressor country, is not punished, although it is clear that the
Armenian lobby is strong. The current situation is utterly unfair.”
Aliyev said that after the talks, he sensed a softening in Kocharian’s
position, although this did not suffice for the conflict resolution.
“We have taken all the possible steps. However, Armenia is disregarding
the view of the international community. Over a million Azeri citizens
have been left without homes.” The President noted that the West
supports a speedy settlement of the conflict and Azerbaijan will do
its utmost to achieve this.*

AMBASSADOR FINLEY OUTLINES U.S. POLICIES ON SOUTH CAUCASUS

US Fed News
September 1, 2005 Thursday 4:54 AM EST

WASHINGTON

The U.S. Department of State’s International Information Programs
issued the following press release:

U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) Julie Finley briefly outlined basic U.S. policies on
several issues relating to the South Caucasus at a meeting of the
OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, September 1.

Among the policies she reiterated U.S. support for:

* Free and fair elections in Azerbaijan;

* Support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and “peaceful
settlement of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts in Georgia;”
and

* The work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to facilitate a peaceful,
negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Finley noted that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had called the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and “encouraged each president
to make the compromises necessary to reach such a settlement.” (See
related article.)

Finley noted that this was her first Permanent Council intervention
as the new U.S. ambassador to the OSCE.

Following is her statement to the Permanent Council:

(begin text)

United States Mission to the OSCE

STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO AMBASSADOR TALVITIE, EU SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

As delivered by Ambassador Julie Finley

to the Permanent Council, Vienna

September 1, 2005

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It almost goes without saying that this is my first Permanent Council
intervention as Ambassador of the United States to the OSCE. Allow me
to take a moment to thank you and your colleagues for the very warm
welcome I have received this past ten days. I look forward to meeting
those I have not yet met in person and working together in a spirit
of consultation and cooperation to address the many, many challenges
ahead.

I have long appreciated and valued the important role OSCE plays, and
can play. It is an honor for me to represent my country at this
important time when citizens in so many places are embracing the
principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act. In doing so, they
reap the benefits of secure, democratic futures. Still, we have
promises yet to keep, and the OSCE can help to bring bright futures
to places where people still yearn to be free and equal.

I can assure you, my friend President Bush shares my enthusiasm for
what OSCE has done and especially for what OSCE can do.

Mr. Chairman,

The United States warmly welcomes the return of Ambassador Talvitie
to the Permanent Council. We welcome the news that the European Union
extended his mandate for another six-month period, until February
2006. The Ambassador’s extraordinary experiences give him a unique
perspective on this region. We are heartened by his optimistic
report.

The United States is watching the election process in Azerbaijan with
great interest. We appreciate the progress made to date. As we have
stated on many occasions, the United States strongly supports free
and fair elections in Azerbaijan. Secretary of State Rice spoke with
President Aliyev about this just last week. We look for guarantees
that those who campaign will be free of harassment and intimidation.
We look for guarantees that parties and candidates will have equal
access to the media. And we look for guarantees, that in the
post-election period, the voters of Azerbaijan will see the honest
results of their voting – in the cities, towns, and villages.

Mr. Chairman,

We support fully the continuing work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to
facilitate a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. In her recent phone calls with Armenian President Kocharian
and Azerbaijani President Aliyev, Secretary Rice encouraged each
president to make the compromises necessary to reach such a
settlement. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs have indicated a desire to
brief the full Minsk Group in the near future on the progress of the
negotiation process.

Mr. Chairman,

The United States supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and
continues to support peaceful settlement of the South Ossetia and
Abkhazia conflicts in Georgia. We remain concerned that the situation
in South Ossetia is tense. We call on both sides to fulfill previous
agreements to bring greater stability to the situation on the ground.
We urge both sides to engage in a direct dialogue to restore
confidence and begin discussions toward the resolution of the status
of South Ossetia within Georgia. We believe that economic cooperation
and confidence-building measures have an important role to play and
are encouraged by progress in this regard. We urge the international
community, and particularly the Russian Federation, to lend support
to such efforts.

Thank you.

URL for this article:
,,SB112560 766090929456,00.html

Wall Street Journal

REVIEW & OUTLOOK

My Name Is Orhan
September 2, 2005

Supporters of Turkey’s efforts to get closer to Europe — count
us among them — cringed at the news that the country’s best-known
novelist faces prison time for speaking his mind.

By now, most Turks are familiar with Orhan Pamuk’s February interview
with the Swiss daily, Tages-Anzeiger. “Thirty thousand Kurds and
one million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody but me
dares to talk about it,” said the 53-year-old author of “My Name Is
Red,” which made his name abroad. He was referring to the two-decade
struggle against Kurdish separatism and, more controversially, the
1915 slaughter of Armenians at Ottoman hands.

Mr. Pamuk’s fiction touches on sensitive issues; his most recent novel,
“Snow,” explores the clash between radical Islam and secularism. But
his controversial foray into nonfiction suggests that the other
tension in Turkish life today is between conservative nationalism and
Western-style democratization. The massacre of Armenians is a major
flashpoint. That history isn’t openly discussed in Turkey which,
perhaps not coincidentally, maintains that genocide didn’t take place.

Turgay Evsen, a prosecutor, on Wednesday charged that the novelist
broke a law against “public denigrating of Turkish identity.” Mr.
Pamuk faces three years in prison, if convicted.

Privately, diplomats point out that the indictment was a politically
motivated attempt to hurt Turkey’s chances at the EU. While most
Turks back the reforms required by the EU, a powerful minority —
from within the traditionalist military to the extremist Islamists —
would love to torpedo their country’s progress toward the Western
world. The government was furious at the timing of the indictment,
which came a day before EU foreign ministers met to discuss whether
accession talks can begin, as planned, October 3.

It would be bitterly ironic if the Pamuk case turned the EU more off
Turkey. The author has repeatedly argued that continued European
engagement is the best guarantor of Turkish democracy. “Just the
belief of membership has changed many things,” Mr. Pamuk said in
July. Of course, his current predicament also serves to remind that
Turkey has a way to go, which is no surprise.

Turkish officials are on shaky ground in defending section 301/1 of
the penal code — adopted in June at EU urging — that ensnared Mr.
Pamuk. The European Commission yesterday expressed “serious concerns”
that the law doesn’t sufficiently protect freedom of expression.
Well, as long as zealous prosecutors can use the laws to infringe
basic freedoms, Turkey can’t really call itself a proper democracy.

ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER WELCOMES CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
1 Sep 05

[Presenter] Asked by journalists at the Vazgen Sarkisyan Military
Institute to comment on the parliamentary discussions on constitutional
reforms, Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan said that the
remarks of the opposition bloc were not unexpected.

The Armenian defence minister pointed out that the submitted proposals
were acceptable. The minister said that it is the duty not only of
the coalition, but also of every branch of power today to explain the
gist of the constitutional amendments to the people so that people
know how to vote.

[Sarkisyan] The constitution is the main document that should be
amended in the course of time. There is no country that has not
amended its constitution. It is impossible. If something changes for
the better, this is already progress. These amendments are acceptable
to me.

FAON News

Federation of Armenian Organizations in The Netherlands (FAON)
April 24 Committee For Recognition and Commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915
Address: Weesperstraat 91 – 2574 VS Den Haag
Tel. 070 4490209
Contact: M. Hakhverdian
Website:
E-mail: [email protected]
K.v.K. 27

A report by I. Drost of the meeting of Standing Committee on European
and Foreign Affairs of the Dutch parliament with the minister of
Foreign Affairs Mr. Ben Bot on the meeting of European Foreign
Ministers beginning of September, where the EU negotiation framework
with Turkey will be discussed. At this meeting Mr. Bot declared that
the negotiation framework for Turkey includes Armenian Genocide
issue.

Bot: Negotiation Framework for Turkey includes Armenian genocide

The Hague, 1 September 2005 – Yesterday, in a Parliament meeting,
Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot assured the members of parliament that
the matter of the Armenian genocide is already a part of the
framework for negotiations with Turkey.

Mr. Bot said so in reaction to the urgent request of several factions
to adopt the recognition of the Armenian genocide in the negotiation
framework. In this context he referred to the commitment of good
neighbourly relations and undertaking to resolve any outstanding
border disputes in a peaceful settlement, as mentioned in the draft
negotiation framework.

On Chritian Union MP Rouvoet’s explicit question if he understood
correctly that facing the own history and in particular the Armenian
Genocide are also meant in this wording, Mr. Bot answered in the
affirmative. He also confirmed that this is the European approach of
this matter and that Turkey is very much aware of this requirement.

Mr Bot did not expect any problems, like we have now with Cyprus, as
a result of the implicit wording, because it is the standing approach
within EU and EU itself is master of the ratification process.
Finally, the Minister gave the guarantee that he himself will always
be committed to these statements.

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE TO VISIT ARMENIA AND AZERRBAIJAN

A1+

| 18:56:15 | 01-09-2005 | Politics |

September 6 OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel will visit Baku and then Armenia. The purpose of the
visit is to discuss the outcomes of the meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents in Kazan.

During the regional visit the OSCE Chairman-in-Office will meet with
the Presidents of both states. He is also expected to discuss the
upcoming parliamentary elections with the Azeri officials and watch
the preparations for the referendum on the Constitution in Armenia.

BIRD’S-EYE VIEWS
By Susan Goodman

Jerusalem Post
Aug 30 2005

When we decided to take some aerial pictures of the Temple Mount
a voice from the control tower roared at us, ‘Are you out of your
minds?! You can’t fly over the Temple Mount. You’ll cause a world
war!'”

This was one of the hazards mentioned by Moshe Miller in taking the
photographs for Jerusalem of the Heavens: The Eternal City in Bird’s
Eye View.

Flanked by desert and surrounded by hills and valleys, a mixture of
old and new, Jerusalem is breathtakingly photogenic from an elevated
perspective. In this book, by Moshe Miller and Yehuda Solomon, the
camera soars above the city revealing a broad canvas of patterns and
textures formed by people, buildings and landscape.

Other times the camera hovers only a few meters above the ground,
bringing us intimate pictures of the faithful preoccupied with
religious ritual – the distance doesn’t remove us from the scene but
enables the camera to observe without intruding. We see a Franciscan
monk about to turn a page of his book, and the Armenian Catholic
archbishop washing the feet of children. The rich religious pageant
of this city is laid before us with great artistry and sensitivity.

The authors write about the difficulties they encountered with
religious authorities when preparing this book. “The muezzin forbade us
to photograph the Aksa mosque, while the Greek Orthodox clergy didn’t
want us to shoot the Roman Catholic ceremonies the ultra orthodox Jews
were of course infuriated when we drew our cameras on the Sabbath.”

However, they also pay tribute to those who helped organize photographs
of religious activity and identify rituals. At the back of the book
are short explanations of the content of each photo and these give
us further understanding of the spiritual diversity that is the focus
of much of this heavenly book.

You’ll find another book of aerial photographs, Skyline Jerusalem,
in most Jerusalem bookstores. The pictures were taken by two former
Israel Air Force pilots, Duby Tal and Moni Haramati. The book can’t
boast the artistic merits of Jerusalem of the Heavens, but does
offer us a “peek into different neighborhoods” from a new angle. I
especially like the pairs of photos showing the same scene in golden
summer sunshine and also in winter white.

It was a photo by these two former pilots which inspired a painting
by Martin Rink of White Storks flying peacefully over the Holy City
– a true bird’s eye view. The painting is reproduced at the end of
Flying with the Birds by Yossi Leshem and Ofer Bahat.

Wedged between the Syrian-African Rift to the east and the
Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel lies directly on the route of
500 million birds migrating between Europe and Africa – producing a
real risk of bird-plane collisions.

This unusual book is the result of an extensive study into bird
flight patterns over Israel. The research enabled the Israeli Air
Force to reduce these midair accidents by changing the location of
training flights.

With its extensive descriptions of worldwide animal migrations and bird
flight, Flying with the Birds includes some remarkable photos of planes
sharing Israeli skies with flocks of birds. Most of us rarely glimpse
these millions passing overhead, some of them at altitudes as high
as 7 km. The landscapes below look little more than an indistinct blur.

Far above the birds, at heights of about 700 km, the satellites watch
over us. For the ultimate bird’s eye view of your street and home,
log on to This free Google Earth program
enables you to zoom in on almost any part of the Earth’s surface. You
can even rotate and tilt the angle of view. It’s an absolutely stunning
piece of software.

ARDSHININVESTBANK (ARMENIA) HOLDS “CHILDREN’S SUMMER” CHARITABLE
ACTION AT YEREVAN “ZATIK” CHILDREN’S HOME

YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. The Ardshininvestbank (Armenia) held the
“Children’s Summer” charitable action at the Yerevan “Zatik”
children’s home, press-service of the bank reported ARKA news Agency.
The bank provided over AMD 2mln for this action. Upon the agreement
between the management of the “Ardshininvestbank” and the directorate
of the children’s home 130 inmates of the children’s home were
supported in acquiring clothes and writing-materials before the
upcoming school year within this action. The bank’s management also
decided to grant two computers to the children’s home, to organize
the vacations of the inmates at the Water Land and dinner parties at
“Zatik” and Water Land.
The Ardshininvestbank has been engaged in chartable actions during
almost the three years of its activities. Its most significant
actions are donations to the construction of roads in Armenia and
Artsakh, sponsoring the Armenian team in Olympic Games in Athens,
sponsoring the Armenian teams in international chess competitions, as
well as providing stipends for the students of the four higher
educational institutions of Armenia.
The “Ardshininvestbank” CJSC obtained a license for banking activity
(N83) from the Central Bank of Armenia on February 27, 2003. Its
founder is the Russian “International Business Center” financial and
industrial group. A.A. -0–

Armenian opposition leader urges people to reject constitutional reforms

Iravunk
23 Aug 05

Excerpt from Piruza Meliksetyan report by Armenian newspaper Iravunk
on 23 August “I will address the people on 29 August. Serious
preconditions will be created for a change of power in November”

Political figures often think it is a thankless task to make forecasts
or refrain from them. In the meantime, the secretary of the Justice
bloc, Viktor Dallakyan, made an exception and said that in November
domestic political events will develop in three directions. First and
foremost, tension will mount around the constitutional referendum
which will find a solution in November. Here is an interview with
Viktor Dallakyan.

[Correspondent] Whom will this solution favour?

[Dallakyan] I think it will be in favour of the people.

[Correspondent] Does this mean that you forecast at least a change of
power in November?

[Dallakyan] I forecast that the people will once again say “no” to the
so-called constitutional reforms submitted by the illegitimate
president and political forces supporting him, which creates serious
preconditions for a change of power. Incidentally, this procedure will
be quick enough.

[Correspondent] There are political figures who do not doubt that the
municipal election will be the basis of a revolution.

[Dallakyan] It is indisputable that the municipal election will create
some tension, and I think the ruling coalition will experience serious
domestic problems.

[Correspondent] From which point of view?

[Dallakyan] From the point of view of sharing “delicious pieces”. The
forces, which issue fine-sounding statements on a free and fair
election, have already shared the seats in election commissions among
themselves. This circumstance also shows that as usual, the
authorities will choose the way of rigging and falsifying the
municipal election.

I think there will be some tension over the scandalous privatization
of some facilities. I mean the power distributing grid and the concert
and sports complex.

[Correspondent] Do you neglect the settlement of the Karabakh conflict
as a factor that creates tension?

[Dallakyan] I do not rule out this circumstance either.

[Correspondent] Nevertheless, how can you explain that in the course
of the intensive developments around the constitutional reforms, the
Karabakh problem has not only been put on the back burner but also
seems to be forgotten at all.

[Dallakyan] If we carefully analyse problems related to the
constitutional reforms and the Karabakh conflict, we shall find out
that they are intertwined. Moreover, according to my observations,
there are structures (including European ones) which try to support
Kocharyan in the constitutional reforms in order to get compromises on
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict instead.

That’s to say if Kocharyan succeeds in the constitutional reforms
(which I think is possible only through falsifications), his decisions
concerning the Karabakh problem will be legalized to some extent. To
be more accurate, his decisions will be considered so.

Therefore, pressure on him in the Karabakh problem is simultaneously
accompanied with efforts to help him implement the constitutional
reforms.

[Passage omitted: Dallakyan says that public money is being wasted in
casinos in Europe]

[Dallakyan] I think the people is resolute to get rid of the
authorities. In my opinion, the major goal of the opposition must be
to say “no” to the package of constitutional reforms proposed by
Kocharyan and his entourage through a national movement [as published]
and to transform the November referendum into a procedure of
overthrowing Kocharyan.

[Correspondent] Does this mean that you will publicize this idea from
the parliamentary rostrum on 29 August?

[Dallakyan] I have already made this idea public. I shall address the
people on 29 August.

Xinhua General News Service
August 23, 2005 Tuesday 2:30 PM EST

Danish Foreign Minister says EU could expand further

STOCKHOLM

The Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Per Stig Moeller suggested
that the EU could come to include Turkey or countries further east,
Ritzau news bureau reported on Tuesday.

“From the Pyrenees in the west to the Caucasus in the east, that
could be the extent of the EU one day,” Moeller said, adding a union
that includes countries such as Armenia and Georgia is not
unthinkable.

Discussing whether Turkey is still a candidate for membership is thus
irrelevant, according to Moeller.

“It was already decided in 1999 that Turkey is a candidate, but it
can only join if it has the economic basis for it. We don’t know that
yet, and a future membership won’t be decided by politicians until
2018,” said Moeller at a meeting in the west coast city of Esbjerg.

Moeller emphasized that a different Turkey than the one we know today
would be offered membership, or it might be offered a status in the
EU that distinguished it from being a full member.

Much could happen in the future, according to Moeller, such as a
conflict between Europe and Islam. In that case, he said he would
prefer to have Turkey as part of the union rather than outside.