Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

ARKA News Agency
Oct 14 2005
PROJECT OF ARMENIAN CAPITAL’S GENERAL DESIGN, RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES ARE TO BE DISCUSSED IN YEREVAN ON NOVEMBER 12, 2005
YEREVAN, October 14. /ARKA/. Discussion of the project of Yerevan
city general design and related environmental issues is to be held in
Yerevan on November 12, 2005, Armenian capital’s Municipality says in
its press release. The press release says more detailed information
will be available on Ecologic Information Center’s Internet site
M.V. -0–

GEORGIAN COUNTERINTELLIGENCE MAY PROBE ANTI-ARMENIAN POSTER INCIDENT
Imedi TV, Georgia
Oct 13 2005
[Presenter] The hour of revenge has come; Armenians, we are coming and
whoever stands in our way will die; even Russia will be unable to help
you because their time on our land is over – such posters appeared on
almost every house in the main street of Akhalkalaki [mostly ethnic
Armenian town in Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti region] in the last
two days. The authors of the posters call themselves Akhaltsikhe
[administrative centre of Samtskhe-Javakheti] Liberation Brigade.
According to the chief prosecutor of Akhalkalaki, Suren Barekyan,
evidence is being gathered and the case is being referred to the
counterintelligence service for further action.
All the posters have now been removed.
There have been no such incidents in Akhaltsikhe.
Van Baiburt, an ethnic Armenian member of the Georgian parliament,
has said that this is an act of provocation by people who do not want
peace in Georgia.
[Baiburt] This is an act of provocation. They think that Armenians
will now rise up. The likely aim of the perpetrators was to provoke
residents of Akhalkalaki into staging another rally, so that what
happened could be discussed.
[Question] Do you think Russia may be behind this?
[Baiburt] I am sure of one thing. Who else could have done it? Who
is against peace in Georgia?

MAZANDARAN’S INDUSTRIALISTS TO EXHIBIT PRODUCTS IN YEREVAN
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Oct 13 2005
TEHRAN – An exhibition of the products of Mazandaran’s industrial
plants and companies will be held in the Armenian capital Yerevan
from November 15 to 21.
An official from Armenia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries said
that a total of 80 food industries, chemical products and machinery
manufacturers will display their products in the 7-day fair.

BBC Radio 4 – 12 Oct 2005
The World Tonight
Sarah Rainsford in Turkey asks whether the prosecution of writers
and journalists there for raising the question of the Armenian genocide of
90 years ago raises questions over the commitment to freedom of speech.
Broadband needed to listen.
Fast forward to 22:23 for this report.
Listen to their nationalists with sinking heart (“I’ve got the human right
to ask for proof of the genocide”).
Also includes Hrant Dink interview.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
October 12, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]
U.S.: TURKEY EXERTS EXCESSIVE CONTROL OVER RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

Says Citizens Don’t Have Right to Practice Faith Freely
Washington, DC – A recent report by the United States Mission to the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) criticized
Turkey for exerting excessive state control over minority religions,
saying the Muslim country risks eroding the centuries-old Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Istanbul, as well as the historic Syriac and Armenian
Orthodox churches.

The report, which was delivered to the OSCE Human Dimension
Implementation Meeting in Warsaw on September 28, also called on
Turkey to clarify the legal status of 55 Protestant Churches that have
been unable to register in Turkey and are vulnerable to closure and
harassment.
“We regret that [Turkish]..authorities continue to inhibit the opening
of places of worship outside the Sunni Muslim mainstream and
systematically disregard the OSCE’s 1990 Bonn Document by
expropriating the properties of religious groups without
compensation,” the U.S. statement said.
Concurrently, the European Court of Human Rights is weighing a
decision on the property rights of two minority foundations in Turkey.
The Soorp Purgich Armenian Hospital Foundation and the Fener Greek
Boys High School Foundation filed cases against Turkey arguing that
they are in compliance with the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne.
The 1923 Treaty affords protection to foundations that provide public
services for religious minorities.
In both cases, property gifted to the Armenian and Greek foundations
were seized as the Turkish courts upheld orders declaring that the
bequest violated a decree disallowing non-Muslims from donating real
estate. If the court rules in favor of the foundations, hundreds of
buildings seized in the past may be returned.
“The Armenian Assembly commends the OSCE for continuing to closely
monitor religious freedom and minority rights in Turkey,” said
Assembly Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian. “Rather than
thwart freedom, Turkey must conform to EU standards where individual
freedoms are protected and respected.”
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.
###
NR#2005-102
Editor’s Note: The full text of the U.S. statement can be accessed at
the following link:
_28_05.pdf

NO PROBLEM AT CONTACT LINE
A1+
| 17:00:16 | 11-10-2005 | Politics |
In accordance with the agreement achieved beforehand with the NKR
authorities, the OSCE Mission held a planned monitoring of the
Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan armed forces’ contact-line in the
Agdam direction, in the area of the settlement of Yusifjanly.
>>From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring mission
was led by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
(PR C-i-O) ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Poland). The group comprised
Field Assistants of the OSCE PR C-i-O Olexandr Samarsky (Ukraine)
and Harry Eronen (Finland) and head of the OSCE High Level Planning
Group Colonel Toma~^ Strgar (Slovenia).
The monitoring passed in accordance with the planned schedule, no
violations of the cease-fire regime were fixed.
>>From the Karabakh party, representatives of the NKR Ministries of
Foreign Affairs and Defense accompanied the OSCE monitoring mission.

SOCIAL SITUATION DISCUSSED
A1+
| 16:40:23 | 11-10-2005 | Official |
Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian held a working meeting with
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Aghvan Vardanyan.
The parties discussed draft budget of social and insurance programs
for 2006 providing for a sum 9 billion AMD exceeding that of the one
allocated last year.
The Minister also presented the process of fulfilling the
recommendations on rising the pensions of military and war
veterans. From January 2006 the amount of pensions will be as well
raised.
The President and the Minister discussed the system of benefits,
pension reform strategy and new bills submitted by the National
Assembly.

NKR MFA AND OSCE TO PROMOTE COOPERATION FOR PEACE AND STABILITY IN KARABAKH
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 23:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 10, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Masis Mayilian received head of the OSCE High Level
Planning Group, Colonel Tomaso Strgar (Slovenia), reported the NKR
MFA Press Service. T. Strgar, who is visiting Nagorno Karabakh for
the first time, presented the activity and prospective plans of the
High Level Planning Group in the region to the Deputy FM. In his
turn, M. Mayilian told the prehistory of the relations between the
NKR MFA and the OSCE, noting the effectiveness of the cooperation
established. At that the interlocutors stressed the importance of the
further strengthening of the interaction for establishing lasting peace
and stability in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict region. Field Assistants
of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Olexandr
Samarsky (Ukraine) and Harry Eronen (Finland) attended the meeting.

V. HOVHANNISIAN: 1915 GENOCIDE WASN’T TURKEY’S ONLY CRIME AGAINST ARMENIANS
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s letter to President of Armenia
Robert Kocharian was an attempt cleverly to cheat the international
community. Vahan Hovhannisian, the Vice Speaker of the RA National
Assembly, a member of the ARF Bureau, characterized in this way
the proposal of the Turkish party to create a joint commission of
historians to study the Armenian cause in his speech at the NATO
“Rose Roth” seminar held in Yerevan.
According to him, besides the 1915 genocide of Armenians living on the
territory of Ottaman Turkey, Turkey conducted another crime as well,
this time against the independent Republic of Armenia.
According to him, in 1919 the Republic of Armenia had a territory of
70 thousand square meters, but as a result of Turkey’s agression which
the Russian Bolshevics also supported, Armenia lost the marzes of Kars,
Ardahan, Surmalu as well as a considerable part of their inhabitants.
According to Vahan Hovahannisian, this crime was already an agression
against another state as a result of what the most part of those
problems arose which have caused an instability in the South
Caucasus today. All issues connected with the Armenian-Azerbaijani
and Armenian-Turkish relations were among those problems.
That’s why, according to the rapporteur, the mutual proposal of
Robert Kocharian, the President of Armenia, to create an interstate
commission instead of a commission of historians was more correct.
According to the NA Deputy Speaker, the interstate commission’s work
can have more practical result: “I think that’s why the proposal
remained without answer.”
According to Vahan Hovhannisian, ideas of penance and confession
which are in the basis of European values aren’t accepted by the
Turkish society. “Turkey which today attempts to become a member of
the European Union, should be ready for this from inside, the Turkish
society should still change itself.”
Welcoming Turk historian Halil Berktay’s position concerning the
Armenian cause, according to what, the 1915 events are qualified as a
genocide, Hovhannisian mentioned: “I think that it will be useful to
listen to his speech for those Armenian figures who, like the Turkish
state historiography, consider that the Armenian Genocide took place
as a result of the activity of the Dashnaktsitiun (Federation).
Touching upon Berktay’s idea that the Turkish society should be
supported in the issue of accepting the real historic truth, Vahan
Hovhannisian mentioned: “I think that the propaganda led by the Hai
Dat offices all over the world serves first for that purpose and
shouldn’t make nervous those Turk figures who themselves consider
that this way should be passed.”

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
11 October 2005
RA FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH HIS AUSTRALIAN COUNTERPART
Sydney, Australia – His Excellency Mr Vartan Oskanian, Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Armenia met with his Australian counterpart the
Hon. Alexander Downer MP yesterday in Canberra to discuss the prospect of
future relations between their respective countries. During the meeting,
the RA Foreign Minister familiarised Mr Downer on Armenia’s relations with
its neighbouring countries and both Minsters observed the possibilities of
strengthening bilateral relations and establishing trade and economic ties.
Throughout the course of the day, Mr Oskanian met with a number of
Government Ministers and Senators including the Hon Gary Hardgrave MP,
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Minister for Vocational and
Technical Education; the Hon Joe Hockey MP, Minister for Human Services;
Senator the Hon Sandy MacDonald, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for
Trade; and Senator Marise Payne, Chairman of the Armenian-Australian
Parliamentary Friendship Group.
In the evening, Mr Oskanian attended a dinner at Parliament House given by
the Australian Foreign Minister. Among Government Ministers and fellow
parliamentarians was Attorney General, the Hon Philip Ruddock MP who was the
first Australian Government Minister to visit Armenia in 2003 and the Hon
Joe Hockey MP who will make an official visit to Armenia in November. Also
at the invitation of the Minister was a group of Armenian-Australians that
included His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand. The RA Foreign Minister
returned to Sydney the same evening.
Today, Mr Oskanian attended a breakfast at Parliament House in New South
Wales hosted by Ms Gladys Berejiklian MP, Member for Willoughby. He later
met with the Hon John Watkins MP, Deputy Premier of NSW, Minister for
Transport, and Minister for State Development.
After a busy scheduled morning, the RA Minister enjoyed a relaxing luncheon
cruise on Sydney Harbour departing Sydney in the afternoon to continue his
official duties in the Asia-Pacific region that will see him meet with his
counterparts in Indonesia and Singapore over the coming days.