Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

Reuters, UK
Sept 23 2005
RPT-Turkey condemns court stopping Armenia conference
Fri 23 Sep 2005 4:56 AM ET
By Jon Hemming
ISTANBUL, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Turkey’s government condemned a court
decision to stop a conference to discuss the massacre of Armenians
during World War One, calling it a blow to freedom of speech and a
mistake ahead of EU-accession talks on Oct. 3.
The European Commission in Brussels called the Istanbul court
decision “a provocation” less than two weeks before Ankara is due to
start entry talks with the 25-member European Union.
Turkey has always denied claims that Ottoman forces carried out
genocide against local Armenians during the war, but under pressure
from the European Union, has called for historians to debate the
issue, not politicians.
The Istanbul university conference aimed to do just that. But on
Friday, when the conference had been due to start, the debate was
political rather than academic.
“To prevent a meeting which has not yet happened and where it is not
clear what is to be discussed has got nothing to do with democracy,”
newspapers quoted Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as saying.
“Those inside and outside the country who want to obstruct us as we
go towards Oct. 3 are making their last efforts,” said Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. “There is no one better than us when
it comes to harming ourselves,” he added.
Late on Thursday, the court stopped the conference pending
information from the two universities which organised it on the
academic careers of the speakers, who was participating and who was
paying for it.
“It was cancelled because they did not know who was going to say
what,” the Sabah daily said.
The European Commission was not impressed.
“The absence of legal motivations and the (timing) of this decision a
day before the conference looks like yet another provocation,” said
Krisztina Nagy, the EU executive’s spokeswoman for enlargement, on
Friday.
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn previously called a Turkish
court’s plans to prosecute novelist Orhan Pamuk a provocation. Pamuk
faces up to three years in jail for backing allegations that
Armenians suffered genocide 90 years ago.
The Armenian conference had been postponed in May after a minister
accused its organisers of treason.
Turkey accepts thousands of Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman
forces, but says many Turks and Kurds were massacred by Armenian
partisans and their Russian allies in the fighting on Turkey’s
eastern fringes.
Turkey closed its border and cut diplomatic ties with neighbouring
Armenia in 1993 to protest Armenian occupation of the territory of
Azerbaijan, a regional Turkic-speaking ally of Ankara.

haGalil onLine, Germany
Sept 23 2005
Heviya Auerbach:
The Dialogue and Liberties of Civilizations
Contributions to the II. International Conference “EU,Turkey & the
Kurds”, Bruxelles – Kurdish writer Mehmed Uzun presents jewish exiles
Erich Auerbach and Walter Benjamin to the conference participants.
by Mehmed Uzun
Everybody seems to be looking at the topic from their own perspective
when it comes to question of the Turkey, European Union and the
Kurds. I would like to look at this topic in terms of dialogues and
freedoms.
It is possible to provide over thousands of examples corresponding to
liberties and dialogues of civilizations. However I, being a writer
will provide a different example. I am now working an a novel. The
name of this novel, which I am writing in Kurdish, is Heviya Auerbach
in Kurdish. In other words, Auerbachs Hope, in reference to Erich
Auerbach, the writer of one of western literature’s most important
works, Mimesis.
Born in 1892 Berlin, the linguist and literary historian Auerbach, a
German Jew, was forced into exile when the Nazis came into power. In
1935 the Nazis amended a racist law called “Zum Schutz des deutschen
Blutes” in order to ‘protect the German blood’. Consequently,
Auerbach who was teaching at the time as a professor in linguistic
and literacy was sacked forrn his teaching post in Marburg
University. Due to ever vocal and aggressive intent of the Nazis he
fled to Istanbul, Turkey in order to save his life.
During this time in the Republic of Turkey, the founder of the
republic and its absolute guardian, Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was
in the process of westernizing the country. Because of these efforts,
in Istanbul, Dar‑ül Fünun an education centre used during the
Ottoman era was shut down and in its place founded was the Istanbul
University.
Many Jewish academics who fled from Nazis found themselves working
within his newly formed university.
With aid from his close friends who he met in Germany Auerbach and
his family was able to settle in Turkey as a political refugee and
begin working as a professor of East Philology in Istanbul
University. Like other political refugees, Auerbach was obliged to
sign a formal government document; while residing in Turkey, it was
made clear that he was not allowed to involve himself in politics and
was barred from commenting an politics. He could not criticize the
politics of Turkish state. Auerbach stayed in Turkey until 1946, and
then moved to USA where he carried an with his academic work until
his death in 1957.
My novel is principally about Auerbachs life in Istanbul. This is
indeed a highly interesting one; excluded from a political life,
viewing everything from far, like a spectator; a life living in a
tight knit community of fellow emigrants sharing social, cultural and
intellectual relationships of a typical exile life. I also lived in
exile for many years. Therefore I understand that for the life of an
exile, the things that carry importance are anxiety, skepticism,
susceptibility and observations. They compare everything to their
country of exile and always analyze their life as an exile. How can I
carry on with life? How can I free myself from being a forgotten
nobody? Who am I? What do I have? What is the difference between my
life as an exile here and the citizens of this country? Do we have
similar or shared experiences? These sorts of questions are
plentiful, they are questions which never escape from the mind of
intellectual who lives in exile.
We know from his letters to his friends that the recluse Auerbach was
preoccupied with his books and files in his home in Bebek in the
Bosporus. Around him were Ottoman Kings, Sultans, Viziers and
Palaces, mansions, beach homes, Mosques and Minarets which would read
calls to prayers belonging to Sultanahmet and King, differing codes
and practices, struggling to understand discussions, old steel
merchants shouting their trade in Turkish and Ottoman, Turkish baths,
fishermen, the deep loneliness. Auerbach was always reminded of
these. On top of the worries such as anxiety, skepticism,
susceptibility and observations from these learning’s, Auerbach wrote
an indispensable novel in western literature called Mimesis.
Full of sadness, yearning, pain and loneliness in his life as an
exile and although he faced many obstacles with persistence and
patience, Auerbach was able to devote himself and his life to his
writing, which would then build the foundation of East and West
relations.
For those interested in understanding western civilization it is
imperative to read the book Mimesis which was produced in the heart
of the eastern civilizations that is Istanbul.
So why do I refer to Auerbach? My plight is completely opposite to
that of Auerbach’s. I am of Eastern origin from a Muslim family whose
ancestors trace back to Mesopotamia. I am product of Aegean,
Anatolian and Mediterranean cultures. In 1997 I fled from Turkey and
emigrated to West and settled as a political refugee in Sweden. Like
Auerbach I also lived the life of exile, I was intellectual trying to
stay alive and establish a path for myself. I became literacy writer.
Meeting the west, living in the west and writing modern Kurdish
novels enabled me to pursue a life for myself. I would have always
viewed things through an eastern culture and my writing would not
have been as successful as it is if I had not met the west.
The meeting point of all cultures, religions, languages,
civilizations is between the east and west. Don’t we recall dialogues
of languages, religions, civilizations and cultures when we talk
about civilization, history of man and deep root of world literature?
If there was no dialogue between us, would we be able to comment an
civilization, the history of man and world literature? In my opinion,
from the civilization of man until the present day, all the richness
and heritage is a product of the dialogue among us. To get
acquainted, to encounter, to meet, to observe, to compare and to be
together is always productive, efficient and fruitful. If I was to
comment an the history of literacy in world literature, the Gilgamesh
Saga and Homers Epic Poems are examples of the product of this
meeting of civilizations.
Obviously between the west and the east, the Christians, the Muslims
and Hebrew world, there have been great and bloody wars, disasters
and confrontations. However with regards to humanity, universally
everything is accelerating because of the integration of
civilizations and cultures. This is applicable to all religions,
cultures and languages as they recognize, rneet each other and share
sources with each other as has happened in religious texts.
I would prefer looking at European Union, Turkey and the Kurdish
question from this angle. There is no need to deceive ourselves with
regards to Turkey, although there are a number of’ special
similarities. Turkey is not a western country. Turkey’s established
values, its cultural heritage, past, history, societal memory and
other such things are very different from western world. It is
difficult to say that the republic of Turkey has provided any
advancement for civilization, but Turkey as a country belongs to both
the Islamic and Ottoman civilizations. However, in the Islamic world,
Turkey is the closest country to the west.
The establishment of a positive relationship between the European
Union and Turkey and gradual course of becoming a respected member is
the norm of historical human dialogue. The differences between the
civilizations which are coming together should be seen ultimately as
part of the whole.
The union of such different is exciting, as such a dialogue will
create great opportunities that humanity cannot imagine and it will
enrich and strengthen our human heritage. It will rid us of our
mutual prejudices, lessen conflicts that arise from bad customs and
practices and increase the mutual human values.
I feel that the European Union‑Turkey project will be a great
chance for both sides. The European Union however, needs to prove and
show that it is not a wealthy Christian club, but is a modern,
democratic project. Turkey must also prove that it has capacity,
maturity and mentality to join such a civil, modern and democratic
dialogue.
3. However there is serious problem facing such a dialogue, this is
the character of the regime in Turkey. There is a truth, which is
circled around but never declared. This truth is that the Turkish
regime is militarist and ultra nationalistic. All criticism and
compliments aside, those are the fundemental chracters of the state
since the establishment of the Turkish Republic.
On this note, I must refer back to Auerbach. On 3rd January 1937,
Auerbach wrote a long letter from Istanbul talking about his thoughts
and observations of current affairs to his friend Walter Benjamin who
lived in exile in Paris. Within this letter in one section Auerbach
describes the regime as a “fanatical nationalism which is always
turning back an Islamic culture, an imaginary Turkish fundamentalism
observing Europe with abhorrence and admiration and at the same
taking the path of European civilization to shoot them with their own
arm. The result is a nationalism which had breached its limit and
which result in the destruction of its character”.
No other person can provide such an honest analysis of the chaotic
structure of the Turkish regime. The regime was in the past like this
and continues to be so today. Unlike in Europe, there has never been
a powerful aristocracy in Turkey (even during Ottoman Empire)which
would defend the continuity of historical heritage with a European
style Bourgeoisie or liberal social movement or a democratic civil
bureaucracy. There have always been two dominant powers in Turkey;
the Ottoman dynasty and the Armed Forces. Once the Ottoman dynasty
which was removed, there remained only one major power, the Armed
Forces, Pasha’s and the Generals. The Republic was formed by them,
and in all areas the true power remained with them. The leaders of
the Republic were with the Army and their control remains intact to
this day. Whenever someone has tried to loosen the control of the
Army through politics or the society, they were brought back into
line through hardship and violence. Three Army Junta’s have occurred
where as always the army carried out stiff surveillance and
inspection of civilians, Prime Ministers, ministers and
intellectuals, who were sometimes executed. Presidents, Prime
Ministers and dissenters were exiled to other regions, hundreds of
thousands of people were detained and the laws were always amended
according to Army’s will.
The Turkish Armed Force’s missions, position and how it expresses
itself does not compare with other European countries. In the western
world, the Army is always a government instrument, a component of
state bureaucracy, a tool of the democratically elected, parliament,
president or the ministers, which is government controlled. However
the Situation in Turkey differs; an paper it is like any in the
Western world but not in reality. In reality the Army is higher than
any elected institution. In Turkey the Army view itself as the
guardian, the protector and regulator of the state, the people and
the national sovereignty of the state. Under this principle, the
concluding last words always remain with others instead of the
rightly elected people who never regain any political respect. As a
result of this their political ideas and proposals are never carried
out to their wants or wishes. For example the Prime Minister Recep
Tayip Erdogan recently surprised the masses and carried out a very
positive political rise by visiting the biggest Kurdish city of
Diyarbakir. In this visit, like a true statesmen he admitted that a
solution to the Kurdish problem must be found and acknowledged that
the past governments did many wrongs but promised that his
administration would find a solution to this longstanding problem. On
this matter, the first reaction came fron the Army; everyone should
only preach the generally sanctioned politics. Following Erdogan’s
visit to Diyarbakir, violent confrontational fighting erupted all
over Turkey and more so in the Kurdish regions. In conclusion the
excitement generated by the Diyarbakir and the speeches made by the
Prime Minister were suddenly made insignificant.
The Army has its own political doctrine and it is compulsory for
everyone to abide by their chosen politics. The political opinion of
the Armed Forces is militarist in order make the Army the dominant
power. For this reason the political language of regime is not one
that is democratic but rather a militaristic and ultra nationalistic
regime.
The basic rules of governing the lives of people revolve around the
principles of aggression from enemies (internal and external),
defence, the nation and citizens.
The spirit of this Single‑minded system is governed by Ultra
nationalism. Since its beginning an excessively violent nationalism,
official views, thoughts and feelings have taken hold. With
Auerbach’s terms Turkey is not in peace with its history, it has an
unbalanced nationalism that has no roots. For it to exist it is a
necessity to stay alive and active towards the enemy, it should
always resort to violence and national vigilance. If the hazards from
internal and external forces cease to exist the Array will generate a
bogus threat for it to endure. To generate new threats, the roles
given to Kurds, Armenians and Greeks are that of internal enemies and
its neighbor’s external enemies.
As I have mentioned official views of Kurds in Turkey are one of deep
hatred, and their phobia of Kurds is evident; ultra Turkish
nationalism is nurtured by their abhorrence of Kurds.
Europe knows too well the devastation that Ultra nationalism and
militarism causes as it has experienced them the past 100 years.
In spite of everything, it is proven that Turkey’s
mind‑boggling political stance an the Kurds has been a pure
failure. The problem of the Kurds has always remained the Achilles
heel for Turkey. While the Kurdish problem in Turkey remains
unresolved in a civilized and democratic manner, it is evident that
it will remain frail, unequal and anti‑democratic.
It is evident that it is a major problem for Turkey to give the Kurds
unrestricted rights. What must be done is the question. Although it
might seem like a paradox, in my view, the European Union must do two
things:
The European Union must never desert Turkey; should not eliminate its
Support an the democratic powers in Turkey, and the Kurdish
nationals. If the European Union betrays the democratic struggles,
rights and freedoms in Turkey then it would be betraying the basic
core principles of what the European Union exists for. The forefront
of the European Unions agenda with Turkey should be to always be in
dialogue, always promote the path to a more democratic Turkey and to
achieve the position of a civilized partner within the organization.
Therefore its relationship with Turkey should not work in an
opportunist fashion and Linder no circumstances as I have mentioned
turn a blind eye to the two cancers that is militarism and Ultra
nationalism. In my view the European Project is not about the
development of the industries and laicism but combines the progress
of civilization, democracy and free will. If the West stands only for
secularism and technical development, then we could See the face of
colonialism, racism and fascism once again. But my understanding of
Western civilization is its splendid rights, freedoms, equality,
brotherhood and its focus an humanism. You do not achieve
civilization through bombs, blades and tanks, but through equality,
the freedom of the citizen and the mechanisms which provide rights.
With this the European Union should not betray the relationship with
Turkey and should not view the individual, absolute tyrant that is
the Army in a favourable way.
For these reasons the European Union and Turkey should continue to
convene, for the European Union to save Turkey from tumbling into the
murky world beyond its borders, to not accept the current condition
of Turkey, to move hand in hand to help Turkey achieve a country
which is governed by the rule of law, democracy, and humanity through
open dialogue.
Civilization is freedom, democratic dialogue required for future
civilizations.

ON THIS DAY – SEPT 22
News24, South Africa
Sept 22 2005
Today is Thursday, September 22, the 265th day of 2005. There are
100 days left in the year.
Highlights in history on this date:
1992 – Azerbaijani-armed forces mount an offensive against the disputed
enclave Nagorno-Karabakh.
2001 – Pope John Paul II visits Kazakhstan and Armenia and cautions
against allowing September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States
to create divisions between Muslims and Christians.
——
1499 – Turks ravage Vicenza in Italy.
1550 – Holy Roman Empire fleet captures vessel Port of Africa at
Mehedia in Tunis, naval headquarters of Turkish corsair Dragut.
1609 – The king of Spain orders the deportation of the baptised former
Muslims known as Moriscos.
1711 – Rio de Janeiro is captured by the French.
1792 – French Republic is proclaimed and revolutionary calendar goes
into effect.
1828 – Tshaka, King of the Zulus, is assassinated by his half-brothers,
Dingane and Mhlangana, who stab him to death. Dingane assumes the
throne.
1862 – US President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation
Proclamation, declaring all slaves in the Confederate States free as
of January 1, 1863.
1914 – A German submarine sinks three British cruisers in one hour
off the Dutch coast; The German cruiser Emden shells Madras in India.
1927 – Slavery is abolished in Sierra Leone in Africa.
1940 – The Vichy French governor-general concludes an agreement
that makes Indochina the largest Japanese military staging ground in
southeast Asia.
1943 – The German battleship Tirpitz is disabled by British midget
submarines in a Norwegian fjord.
1949 – The Soviet Union explodes its first atomic bomb.
1955 – Hurricane Janet, the most violent Caribbean hurricane of the
season, causes almost 600 deaths around the islands.
1960 – A US Marine Corps DC-6 plane en route from Japan to the
Philippines crashes in the ocean 290km south of Okinawa. All 29
passengers are killed.
1965 – A cease-fire is declared in the war between India and Pakistan,
but both sides subsequently violate it.
1970 – Arab chiefs of state send envoys to meet with King Hussein and
Yasser Arafat to persuade them to find a way to contain the fighting
between the Jordanian Army and Palestinian guerrillas.
1974 – Official death toll in hurricane that swept Honduras is put
at 5 000.
1975 – Sara Jane Moore fails in an attempt to shoot US President
Gerald Ford outside a San Francisco hotel.
1980 – Iraqi tanks enter Iran, marking the beginning of the Iran-Iraq
War as a full-scale conflict.
1986 – Two hijackers seize Soviet airliner at Ural Mountains airport
and kill two passengers before security agents recapture plane and
shoot the hijackers.
1987 – The first United States businessman to be convicted under
the Anti-Apartheid Act is sentenced to four months’ imprisonment for
trying to sell military aircraft manuals to the SA Defence Force.
1988 – The government of Canada apologises for the World War 2
internment of Japanese-Canadians and promises compensation.
1989 – FW De Klerk takes over as president of South Africa.
1990 – Jordan’s King Hussein appeals to United States in televised
message to withdraw its troops from Saudi Arabia to avert “death,
destruction and misery.”
1991 – Armed opponents of Georgia’s president seize the republic’s
broadcasting studios and try to forge an anti-government coalition.
1992 – Azerbaijani-armed forces mount an offensive against the disputed
enclave Nagorno-Karabakh.
1993 – Abkhazian rebels in Georgia shoot down second passenger plane
in two days, killing 80.
1994 – Nato aircraft strike at Serbian targets near Sarajevo after
UN troops patrolling the city came under machine-gun and rocket fire.
1995 – America’s Time Warner Inc and Turner Broadcasting System Inc
announce a merger with Time Warner purchasing TBS in a deal valued
at $7.5 billion, creating the world’s largest media company.
1996 – Typhoon Violet veers into the North Pacific after killing seven
and setting off landslides that paralysed transportation in Japan.
1997 – US President Bill Clinton, speaking at the United Nations,
announces he will submit to the Senate a treaty banning all nuclear
explosions.
1998 – Troops from South Africa and Botswana cross into Lesotho and
storm the royal palace, touching off a gunbattle with protesters.
2000 – The Court of Appeals in London rules to separate conjoined
twin girls against the wishes of their Roman Catholic parents. The
operation is certain to cause the death of one of the girls, and is
therefore forbidden by their religion.
2001 – Pope John Paul II visits Kazakhstan and Armenia and cautions
against allowing September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States
to create divisions between Muslims and Christians.
2002 – An appeals court in the Hubei province of China overturns
death sentences imposed on five members of a banned Christian sect
in December 2001, and orders a retrial.
2003 – The UN and UNAIDS, its Aids programme, issues a progress report
on how member nations were adhering to commitments made during a
June 2001 UN special session on HIV/Aids. It finds that the goals
set by the UN will not be met in many countries unless there is a
significant increase in global commitment.
2004 – The US military drops an espionage charge against a Muslim
interpreter accused of spying at the camp for terror detainees at the
US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It is the third Guantanamo
spy case of the year to fall apart.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOOTBALLER TO APPEAL TO COURT
A1+
| 15:22:21 | 22-09-2005 | Sports |
Former footballer of the Armenian national team Albert Sargsyan is
going to bring a suit against the Football Federation of Armenia over
the rejection to return his foreign passport.
Recently Sargsyan, who is in Russia at the moment, has received a
trauma and has to go to Europe for treatment. As reported by some
Russian media, the footballer cannot leave Russia without his passport.
The Armenian Football Federation has not reacted to the information
yet, however it promised to make a formal statement.
To remind, Albert Sargsyan refused to take part in the composition of
the national team. First the footballer had some discrepancies with
Bernard Kazoni, then he started voiced discontent with Henk Wisman.
To note, Albert Sargsyan is leading among the footballers as regards
the number of yellow and red cards received.

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Sept 20 2005
PARTICIPATION OF NKR IS ESSENTIAL
`The participation of Karabakh in the talks is not an end in itself.
We will take part in the talks; there are prospects that they will
prove effective. Considering the standpoint of the Azerbaijani
authorities, I cannot see such prospects at the moment,’ said the
foreign minister of NKR Arman Melikian at the press conference at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 16. `Political circles in
Armenia imply that in the upcoming stages of the peace talks Russia
will come up with initiatives. How realistic are these forecasts and,
generally, is the standpoint of Russia on the resolution of the
Karabakh conflict favourable for the Armenian party?’ `In this or
that stage of the talks for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict
the interested parties are always lively, however the resolution of
the issue is never reached. What is the current situation in the
talks like?’ In answer to these questions of the reporter of Azat
Artsakh the foreign minister said that any step forward is
commendable and today there already exists a formed format of
negotiations in which Russia has also been involved. `If Russia
wishes or insists on the participation of NKR as a party in the
talks, our attitude towards this approach will be positive,’ he said.
As to the settlement of the issue, according to Arman Melikian it is
not probable in the near future because reaching a resolution
requires a long time. In connection with the report of the
International Crisis Group the foreign minister said already certain
approaches have been formed. `The authors of the report also think
that the report was intended to assist to the peace process and will
probably be used by the OSCE Minsk Group mediators and other
organizations. There are principles in the report, which absolutely
contradict to our approach but there are also others which we
consider objective and practical. In my opinion, we have no right to
underrate the role of the report and will attend to it absolutely
seriously. After a thorough study we will present our written
interpretation which must be rather lengthy,’ said the foreign
minister, In answer to the question of the reporter of Liberty
concerning the meeting in Paris, Arman Melikian said that the meeting
in Paris was intended to sum up all the existing opinions on the
talks. According to him, the representatives of different European
organizations closely related to the NKR issue took part in the
discussions. In fact, different organizations seem to have become
aware of the fact that without the direct involvement of NKR it will
be very difficult to seek for ways of resolution. The foreign
minister informed that at the recent meeting the NKR National
Assembly enacted a number of laws referring to foreign policies,
including the law on international agreements. In his opinion it will
become a fundamental document underlying the establishment of
official relationships between NKR and other countries. `We also
intend to join a number of conventions. Therefore it is necessary to
overcome certain inner legislative controversies,’ said A. Melikian,
adding that besides the work to be done in the internal legislative
environment the main task is to set up direct relations with the
representatives of different countries. He stated that at the moment
he is not authorized to give any information about these relations,
taking into account the possibility of a negative reaction abroad.
`Hopefully, the international recognition of NKR will be achieved in
the near future,’ said the foreign minister of NKR. Once again
touching upon the report of the International Crisis Group, it was
said that the authors of the report pointed out that Armenia had not
occupied any area of Azerbaijan. It is emphasized in the report that
the armed forces in the territory of NKR are subject to the NKR
authorities. As to the confidentiality of the talks and the principle
expressed in the report of ICG, according to the minister, the
governments of the parties should try to prepare their peoples,
offering them some model of resolution of the issue; however, since
the resolution is has not been outlined yet, it is too early to talk
business. `The worst thing about the negotiations is that they speak
about the Azerbaijani refugees and only occasionally mention the
Armenian refugees from Shahumian or Getashen; but they never remember
about the huge number of people who were compelled to leave
Azerbaijan. The issue of refugees should not be biased. The principle
of equivalence should underlie the talks,’ said Arman Melikian. In
connection with the upcoming parliamentary election in Azerbaijan the
foreign minister mentioned that the possible change of the power may
bring about inner disorders in Azerbaijan, which may threaten our
borders as well. `To be honest, I see no prerequisites for such
changes in Azerbaijan,’ he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

National Assembly of RA (press release), Armenia
Sept 16 2005
Statement by Artur Baghdasaryan, President of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
The involvement of the parliaments in settling global issues has
become imperative. In the context of democratization and spread of
democracy the role of parliaments is important for several reasons,
among which I may specify the following: first, democracy is the
shortest and the most efficient way of meeting the challenges of the
millennium – terrorism, violation of human rights, hunger and
poverty. Strong parliament means developed and viable democracy. In
this respect, it is significant to guarantee in the state legislation
on the constitutional level the power of the parliament and reject
any attempt of its restriction. Parliament, to my mind, is the
institution most closely related to the people. Open parliament means
that we strive for a parliament directed by the principle of
transparency, ready for cooperation and open to the world. In this
respect, it is imperative to develop inter-parliamentary cooperation
as one of the best ways to achieve spread of democracy.
Active dialogue between all democratic institutions and individuals
provides us with an opportunity to coordinate our activities in the
framework of joint goals and projects. We are ready for collaboration
and open for any democratic initiative. Unfortunately, our
Azerbaijani colleagues use all possible floors only to reprimand and
denounce Armenia, instead of speaking about development of democracy
in the region, advance of cooperation and establishing good relations
with neighbors. Everyone knows what the reality is. The Karabakh
conflict was about the fight of the Karabakh people for their right
for self-determination and freedom, which it managed to gain through
a war that was unleashed by Azerbaijan itself.
Presently, we are going through a 10-year-long peace process, which
is actively combined with the efforts of the international community
seeking a solution to the Karabakh issue. Armenia has always been
advocating for regional cooperation as a confidence-building measure.
In this context, any destructive policy aimed at isolating any of the
countries of the region is unacceptable and would be threatening the
stability in the region. And the current issues should be resolved
through a constructive dialogue and not aggressive calls, which
should stay in the past.
In this view, I would like to mention the active dialogues we have
had in our region, where different aspects of resolving our problems
were discussed, In years 2003-2005, I had meetings with the speakers
of the parliaments of the Southern Caucasus. According to the
memorandum signed, the Southern Caucasus Parliamentary Assembly will
start its activity on January the 1st , 2007. I am certain, it will
contribute greatly to resolution of problems in Southern Caucasus and
we will have a conflict-free and democratic region.
The process of democratization is one of the challenges inside our
country as only a democratic country can have a progressive society
committed to the principles of justice, equality and freedom. We
understand the necessity of this process in the social and political
life of our country and we can say that the National Assembly has
taken important steps in this direction having adopted Electoral Code
and implementing constitutional reforms, which will stand for
democratization of power, as well as for just, transparent and
democratic elections. We are certain that only just and transparent
elections can provide ground for investments and bring trust towards
our country. They say a ballot is stronger than a bullet. We will be
happy to present our tradition, culture and democracy to the
international community. I agree that our democracy is still young.
But being young doesn’t mean being amateur. We should share our
vision with the world and adopt the valuable experiences of other
democratic countries.
There are two ways of spreading light: you can light a candle or you
can be the mirror that reflects it.
Thank you, Mr. President

Upcoming AmCham Conference in Armenia
BISNIS Events
September 19, 2005
Event announcements included in this broadcast:
1.) AmCham in Armenia: “A Common Future” in Yerevan, Armenia, October
15-16, 2005
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database,
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AmCham in Armenia: “A Common Future”
October 15-16, 2005
Yerevan, Armenia
Organized by: AmCham in Armenia.
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OSKANIAN: PEOPLE OF KARABAKH FOUGHT AND WON RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION
Pan Armenian News
19.09.2005 08:30
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 18 Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian has addressed the UN Assembly General 60th session, RA Foreign
Ministry reported. The Minister spoke about the Millennium Development
Goals finding the combat against poverty and economy development
extremely important. In his speech the Minister also referred to the
regional conflicts and the course of their settlement. He has mentioned
that “in case of regional conflicts preaching of military solutions
is not only unreal but also reflects the absence of democracy, human
rights and the perception of civic society”. Speaking about the rights
of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, he underlined, “Self-determination
is the right of every person. The people of Nagorno Karabakh have
fought and won the right of self-determination. In order to win
it, they have fought the political and military aggression of a
government which was not elected by them and which tried to suppress
them by force. The fight for their rights was no their choice. Their
rights were neither abstract nor exaggerated. They wanted what most
of us have, that is the right to live in their houses on their lands
peacefully. Despite everything, they reached their aim. From that time
on they have shown their ability of governing and developing democratic
institution”. Finding the realization of Millennium Development
Goals, the Minister noted that we are responsible for the coming
generations. And our answer to ourselves and to our children must be
the united effort, united measures and united answers on the part of
United Nations. The UN can still be the answer, said Vartan Oskanian.

ARMENIAN FM HOLDS WORKING MEETING WITH OSCE MF CO-CHAIRMAN STEVEN MANN
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 16 2005
YEREVAN, September 16. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
has held a working meeting with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairman, US
representative Steven Mann. The Minister also held meetings with
Belgian Special Representative to the OSCE Pierre Chevalier. The
RA Foreign Minister presented to chevalier various aspects of the
Armenia-OSCe cooperation, regional and economic developments, as well
as the process and prospects of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. P.T.

Kommersant, Russia
Sept 16 2005
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
In Moscow Like in New York
// Mini summit was called for unrecognized republics
The conference `Parallel CIS: Abkhazia, Pridnestrovie, South Osetia,
Nagorny Karabakh’ finished its work yesterday in Moscow. The
representatives from unrecognized states of post-Soviet space
gathered in Russian capital to share the experience of the struggle
fro independence. The separatists were explained that it is not
effective anymore to mention their historical connections with
Russia. They have been offered to arm themselves with human rights
postulates and use them against Moldavia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The conference was held in hotel Arbat. The Institute of CIS
Countries, which organized the summit, announced that the leaders of
Pridnestrovie, Karabakh, South Osetia and Abkhazia will be present at
the conference. Coincidentally, the mini summit in Moscow was held in
the same time as the UN world summit in New York.
Modest Kolerov, head of the Department of Inter-Regional and Cultural
Liaisons at President’s Administration of RF, gave an opening speech.
He explained why Russia is so worried about former Soviet republics.
According to him, Moscow has a right to protect interests of the
compatriots. The law considers as a compatriot everyone, who was born
in USSR or Russian Empire.
Kolerov also criticized a bit his compatriots gathered in Arbat for
the conference. As a main tactical mistake of unrecognized countries,
the Kremlin official called their endless arguments about the
historical connections with Russia. `Of course, you can continue to
mention historical closeness with Russia, but it is not important
anymore – especially for the West,’ Kolerov said. Instead, he offered
audience to fight their opponents with different weapon – postulates
of the human rights. `They (human rights-Kommersant) cannot be
ignored by either side,’ Kolerov stated.
For some reason, nobody from the announced leaders of unrecognized
republics showed up to hear the Kremlin strategist.
by Vladimir Soloviev