Category: News

Celebrating the Best in Russian Security
By Kevin O’Flynn, Staff Writer
Moscow Times, Russia
Feb 7 2005
Ruslan Kochetkov / For MT
Ultimatum performing at the ZUBR awards ceremony on Saturday, which
honored the best in the Russian security industry.
Everyone needs to feel like a star now and again, and in an industry
reliant on danger and close run-ins with death, security guards are
not much different.
More than 500 people packed the security industry’s version of the
Academy Awards ceremony on Saturday to cheer the winners in
categories such as best bodyguard and best fire protection equipment.
The entire industry seemed to have been given the night off for the
show, held at the School of Dramatic Art on Ulitsa Sretenka, where
there was no one at the door and nary any shaven-headed men talking
into their thumb.
Now in their second year, the security awards are known as the ZUBR
(for za ukrepleniye bezopasnosti Rossii, or for the strengthening of
the security of Russia) and are billed rather grandly as one of the
new “civil society initiatives used to cooperate with the government
in the fight against new threats.” The word zubr means bison, so all
the award winners went home with a large metal bison.
“I think the industry is worthy of having such events,” Vadim
Ignatov, a winner in the information defense awards, said after the
ceremony, still clutching his framed diploma. “It’s like those best
film awards, the Oscars.”
If the names of awards such as best product in the sphere of
information security and best product in the sphere of personal
defense and rescue did not quite trip off the tongue as easily as
best actor or best film, the organizers still tried to make it as
grand an occasion as possible. Representatives of accounting firm
KPMG came up on stage to affirm that the voting had been done
correctly. Security people are an untrusting bunch.
The ceremony was one of large pauses interspersed with large dashes
of pomp. It began with a short-skirted troupe of female drummers
marching around the stage as the Russian flag fluttered in the
background on two large video screens. An all-girl pop group,
Ultimatum, then mimed its way through a song extolling Russia.
Best bodyguard went to Sergei Shchetinin for winning a national
shooting contest. To receive the award for him, he sent Dmitry
Fonarev, the president of the National Bodyguard Association, who was
part of Mikhail Gorbachev’s security team when he was the Soviet
leader.
Even without the awards, those in the security business have a right
to be pleased. The industry was worth $2 billion last year, and the
market is growing by more than 40 percent a year, according to Sergei
Trapani, who handles international marketing for Grotec publishers,
which puts out magazines on security themes and was one of the
organizers of the award ceremony.
The security business is not just bodyguards and reinforced jeeps.
“It is all around us,” Trapani said, pointing to fire safety systems
in schools and apartments, and plans by the Moscow government to
require most apartments to have video equipment installed on doors.
Russia is one of the leaders in the bodyguard business, Fonarev said,
and foreign experts come here to see how Russians provide protection
against assassination and kidnapping. There are 17,000 bodyguards in
Russia, with an average monthly salary of 750 euros ($965), he said.
The main stars of the ceremony, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan and Audit Chamber head Sergei Stepashin, did not show up to
receive their awards. Stepashin could be seen Saturday attending a
similar Hollywood-inspired show, broadcast on television and with
many more all-girl groups than at the security awards, to celebrate
the 10th anniversary of the Audit Chamber.

BBC News, UK
Feb 7 2005
European press review
[parts omitted]
Little Turkish delight left
With France’s ruling UMP party at odds with its most prominent member
– President Jacques Chirac – on the prospect of Turkey’s full EU
membership, Paris’s Le Monde ponders one of the contentious issues
raised during a visit to Turkey by a delegation led by the president
of the French parliament, Jean-Louis Debre.
The paper quotes Mr Debre as telling Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan that “Turkey’s attitude to the Armenian genocide” of 1915
“poses a real problem for France”.
To which Mr Erdogan replied, it notes, that he was “disappointed”
with Paris’s position” and “did not know that 400,000 (dead)
Armenians could decide the referendum” Paris intends to hold on
Ankara’s membership bid.
“Despite this lively exchange,” the paper adds, “Mr Debre believes he
‘may have done some useful work’ on the Armenian question, since the
Turkish authorities say they are willing to ‘consider’ a proposal to
give access to its archives to an international commission of
historians”.

President: European aid could stand improvement
By Mary Makharashvili
The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 7 2005
Thank you for your assistance, but its current form is ineffective, was
President Mikheil Saakashvili’s challenge to Europe while delivering
the keynote address at the two-day conference on ‘South Caucasus in
the 21st century: Challenges and Opportunities,’ held on February
4-5 at the Marriott Courtyard.
Although the president’s speech on Friday was closed to reporters,
conference attendees confirmed the president’s sentiment, some
agreeing, others questioning and some clarifying his request for
Europe to be a more active partner for Georgia.
Commenting on the president’s words, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Salome Zurabishvili said that the president was neither expressing
anger nor complaining in his speech. She said that the president
“simply pointed out some facts” and that it is “necessary that Europe
transform its projects into more concrete assistance.”
“Yes, earlier there was always readiness and assistance from Europe
to assist, but they did not target concrete problems,” Zurabishvili
told The Messenger.
She added that Saakashvili highlighted the example of penal reform.
Instead of sending numerous experts to analyze the situation, he
implied Europe would be better off to build prisons.
The president’s words resonated with many attendees. Director of
the Danish Institute for International Studies Per Carlsen told The
Messenger, “the president was totally right.”
“The European Union has been very, very slow in recognizing the
neighborhood of the Caucasus and that it is a part of Europe. It
has to do much more to play a positive role in the reform process in
Georgia and, of course, hopefully in Armenia and Azerbaijan as well,”
Carlsen added.
President of Project on Transitional Democracies Bruce Jackson,
however, saw the president’s speech as part of his general, vocal
appeal to the international community for support. In his speech,
Jackson said, President Saakashvili was challenging Europe to move as
quickly as the United States has done on things like the Millennium
Challenge Account.
“The president admires what the EU has done on the neighborhood
policy because oftentimes decision making in Brussels is very slow,”
Jackson said.
When Saakashvili visits the United States, Jackson said, “he is always
challenging my government to do more and I think today he was also
challenging our European allies to do better.”
“One thing about Mikheil Saakashvili is that he is a man in a hurry,”
Jackson said.
In an interview with The Messenger, President of the POLICY Foundation
(Russia) Vyacheslav Nikonov described the European Union as “a very
bureaucratic institution.” He said, “all the assistance programs are
to spend money inside Europe on feasibility studies, conferences,
but not on real assistance.”
“That is quite understandable as we in Russia deal with the same kind
of situation. That is just Europe,” he said. “They do not spend much
money on outside purposes. They like to spend money on themselves.”
Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council Gela Bezhuashvili
backed up the president’s statement, saying Europe lags behind the
United States in terms of aid to Georgia. “Of course U.S. assistance
to Georgia is greater than Europe’s and it is more oriented to concrete
results,” Bezhuashvili told The Messenger.
Security in the Caucasus
More than 140 policymakers, political scientists, researchers and
high level government officials from 31 countries as well as the
representatives of different international organizations including
the EU, NATO and OSCE participated in the conference. The Georgian
Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS) organized
the event under the support of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF,
Japan).
“We are trying to find out which direction the South Caucasus is
heading in and what concrete steps need to be taken,” Vice-President
of GFSIS Temur Yakobashvili told The Messenger on Thursday.
President of GFSIS Alexander Rondeli noted the conference “is of great
important” because it includes not only Georgia, but the entire South
Caucasus region.
“When issues are discussed in the context of the South Caucasus
and when at the same time representatives of United States, our
neighboring countries and leading countries of Asia attend it, this
means that the region is the focus of the interest,” Rondeli said in
an interview with The Messenger.
One of the main topics of the conference was security in the South
Caucasus region.
Asked how secure the Caucasus region is, National Security Council
Secretary Bezhuashvili said that Georgia is currently analyzing
security in the Caucasus region.
“There are quite a lot of dangers in this region but the majority
of them are in the economic sphere and not in the military one,”
Bezhuashvili said.
“There are the issues of human trafficking, drug smuggling, and
criminal issues. But what is more important is that during this year
Georgia take steps that set an example for others on how difficult
situations can be dealt with in a short period of time,” he said.
The absence of the late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, who was scheduled
to speak on Friday, gave attendees even more to worry about. Vice
President of GFSIS Yakobashvili said the tragic fact “clearly shows
that our state is quite weak with regard to institution building.”
“The death of such an important figure as Mr. Zurab Zhvania may have
quite a serious impact not only in Georgia, but also in the region as
well. I mean that he was a person that was respected not only within
the country but also by the leaders of many countries and was playing a
solid and positive role in international relations,” Yakobashvili said.
“The security of state official is always directly connected with
a country’s political security. The main thing is that the change
of authority does not bring radical changes to the country. For
this to happen, institutional building of the country is needed,”
Yakobashvili concluded.

U.S. arrests visa official over bribes in Armenia
The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 7 2005
Piotr Parlej, former Consular Associate of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan,
was arrested in California on Thursday, February 3, and charged with
bribery and visa fraud during his work in Armenia. The indictment
charges that from on or before April 2004, through on or about January
13, 2005, in Yerevan, Parlej and accomplices engaged in a conspiracy to
commit bribery and visa fraud, and to obstruct and impede – “by craft,
trickery, deceit, and dishonest means” – the United States Department
of State in “its lawful function of reviewing and controlling the
issuance to qualified foreign nationals of visas authorizing their
entry into the United States.” The U.S. Embassy in Armenia, stated
that it wished “to thank the Armenian authorities for their cooperation
in this investigation and in particular would like to commend the
National Security Service of Armenia for their invaluable assistance.”

noticias.info (press release), Spain
Feb 7 2005
SECRETARY RICE: Interview With Metehan Demir of Turkey’s Kanal-D TV
/noticias.info/ Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Ankara, Turkey
February 6, 2005
QUESTION: Welcome to Turkey again.
SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.
QUESTION: What do you think about the recent Kurdish statements about
breaking away from Iraq as an independent state? Can you declare
clearly that the US will not tolerate any division of Iraq and will
not allow any unilateral changes by the Kurds in the status of
Kirkuk? And do you believe that Turkey might intervene in Kirkuk if
such a decision is taken by the Kurds?
SECRETARY RICE: The United States has been absolutely clear that we
are committed to a united Iraq. That we are committed to an Iraq in
which all parties and all groups – whether Turkmen or Kurds or
Shiites or Sunnis – are all welcome, And other minorities too, all
welcomed, all represented, all respected within a unified Iraq. The
United States believes strongly in the territorial integrity of Iraq,
and we’ll work with the parties to make certain that is the outcome.
We also believe that Kirkuk needs to be a city in which all Iraqis
are welcome. And we know its history. We know that Saddam Hussein,
through his dictatorship and his methods, contributed to tensions
about Kirkuk. But it is a city that really must represent all Iraqis.
QUESTION: It shouldn’t have a special status?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, it’s going to be up to the Iraqis to decide in
their democratic state how Kirkuk is administered. But it really must
be a place where all Iraqis are welcome and respected.
QUESTION: Turkey has been very critical of Washington that the US is
not keeping its earlier promises in fighting the PKK, which is
already officially declared as terrorist by Washington. Do you plan
to take a concrete step against the PKK presence in northern Iraq or
is there any policy change by the US on the issue?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, the very fact that the PKK is declared as a
terrorist organization in the United States means that there are
certain things that the United States is obligated to do. For
instance, we are obligated to do what we can to deal with their
financing so that they don’t receive moneys in any way that the
United States can stop it from happening.
We of course understand and are thoroughly committed to the fact that
terrorism should not come from the territory of northern Iraq. And we
are in a trilateral arrangement, mechanism, with the Iraqis and with
Turkey to deal with the threat of the PKK. We will do everything that
we can. The security situation is difficult still in the country, and
there are at this point some limits on what we can do. But it is not
because of a lack of commitment to dealing with the PKK, and we will
do so because they are a terrorist organization and ought to be dealt
with as a terrorist organization.
QUESTION: Iran seems to be the number one issue on President’s Bush
agenda in his second term especially. How do you see neighboring
Turkey’s role in connection with developments in Iran?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, Iran will be one of many issues for the
President’s agenda and since the President’s agenda deals with a
broader Middle East and reform in the Middle East, part of the
problem is that Iran is out of step with that effort at reform in the
Middle East.
Turkey, on the other hand, is one of America’s strongest partners in
the broader Middle East reform, a functioning democracy, Islamic
people here who are faithful and devout, but devoted to democracy.
That is the hope for the Middle East more broadly. So Turkey has a
very important role to play in helping to create, helping to support
those in the Middle East who want a different kind of Middle East. In
terms of Iran, we all have to be very firm with Iran – that its
support for terrorism is unacceptable, that its efforts to build a
nuclear weapon under cover of civilian nuclear power is unacceptable.
I think Turkey will be a strong ally in that.
QUESTION: In an interview with Larry King, Secretary of Defense Don
Rumsfeld said recently that Turkey’s decision last year that did not
allow the transfer of American Fourth Infantry Division from Turkey
to Iraq was one source of problems today because, he said, he says,
exceptional number of Sunnis were captured or killed. That’s why he
says this is still fomenting the insurgency in Iraq. Does the U.S.
still have the negative impacts of last year’s Turkey’s decision?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, it was certainly a disappointing decision given
our long alliance and the need to transport American forces, and I
think we made no secret of that. I think whatever the relationship
was to what happened subsequently is really speculative but we are
moving on in our relationship. If we were not moving on, it would not
be the case that the United States has been so strongly supportive of
Turkish accession to the European Union or the support for the
Turkish economic reforms and its IMF program. We are moving on. We’ve
got a lot of work to do together and that’s what I am here to talk
about.
QUESTION: Maybe this could be a follow-up question. Both Turkey and
the US describe the relationship as a strategic partnership. What Dr.
Rice in your view makes this a strategic partnership?
SECRETARY RICE: What makes it a strategic partnership, first of all,
is a long history of having a relationship that is devoted to a more
secure, stable balance in the world. Turkey was an important fighter,
an important ally in the Cold War as we overcame the division of
Europe and brought down imperial communism. Turkey is of course a
member of NATO, the most important and most successful strategic
alliance. And it was NATO’s job in the past to prevent the spread of
Soviet power, to give cover to democratization in Europe. NATO is now
involved in trying to spread stability and democracy to others parts
of the world. So Turkey has been in control of the ISAF in
Afghanistan, for instance, turning Afghanistan – a place that was the
primary territorial source of Al-Qaeda terrorism – into a state that
will be peaceful and fighting terror. That’s really what it means to
be a strategic ally. It means cooperating around the world to make
the world more stable, to fight terrorism, and indeed to spread
liberty and democracy.
QUESTION: How do you see Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s
critical remarks on the United States regarding the ongoing
operations in Iraq?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, we’ve had a discussion of Iraq, and I think
that the Iraqi people and their election last Sunday gives us an
opportunity now to look ahead to how we are all going to support a
democratic Iraq, an Iraq that is unified and an Iraq that is at peace
with its neighbors.
And for all of us, we need to say to our publics, as I’m having an
opportunity, thanks to you, to say today, this is a fundamentally
strong and important relationship. It is critical to the security and
the future of both the United States and Turkey. We have to speak up
for the importance of this relationship. Friends will sometimes
disagree, but when we disagree, we have to do so from a basis that
still understands the vital importance of this relationship, that it
allows us to do things like support each other in places like
Afghanistan, to support Turkish accession to the European Union, to
support Turkish economic reform through the IMF. That’s what friends
do. And so even when we have our disagreements, we need to be very
clear that this relationship is very much worth it.
QUESTION: Does the Pentagon foresee, or does the United States
administration foresee, more of a role for Incirlik airbase, because
there has been a lot of speculation. Maybe from your position it
would be very useful to clarify what is the US idea on Incirlik
airbase?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, first of all since Incirlik is a Turkish
airbase, anything that we do we would, of course, have to do with
Turkey. We will have discussions, broad discussions about how the
changed circumstances change our needs. But some of the things that I
have seen about major basing of American aircraft and so forth, I
think that is really not on the table.
QUESTION: Do you think that further steps should be taken to reward
the Turks in Cyprus who said to yes last year to the referendum in
the name of a solution on the island while the Greek Cypriots said no
to this referendum. Many promised, many heavyweights in the world
promised — including the US and the EU — to take better steps to
make Turks’ position better, but nothing is specifically done so far.
Do you have more plans for the Turkish Cypriots?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, we are looking at what we can do to ease the
isolation of the Turkish Cypriots because we, like everyone else,
were disappointed that the Annan plan was not adopted. We have taken
some steps, direct aid for instance to the Turkish Cypriots, but
there are probably other things that we should look at doing. We
should get back to trying to find a way to unify the island.
QUESTION: One short question and the last one. What should be done
for solving the dispute between Turkey and Armenia? Does the U.S.
plan any special initiative this year to solve this problem?
SECRETARY STATE: Well, we would certainly hope that Turkey and
Armenia would find a way to bridge the differences. We know the very
difficult history here. And we recognize the difficult history. But
we are a long time now into the future. And on the basis of
democratic development and the economic development and the need for
stability, we would hope and encourage the parties to find ways to
bridge their differences.
QUESTION: How long will it take for Turkey to become a full member of
the European Union? In your opinion.
SECRETARY RICE: Well, unfortunately we are not members of the
European Union So we can’t say. We’ve been supporters of Turkey’s
accession and of that happening as quickly as possible. Obviously,
there are standards that Turkey needs to meet. And the European Union
is well within its rights to say that there are certain things that
need to be done in order to bring about Turkey’s accession. But I
think we’ve been a supportive as anyone for that accession to take
place. And given that we are not a member, it really is up to Turkey
and the European Union to find a way for it — with Turkey doing what
it needs to do and with Europe being welcoming of a Turkey that
really does have a rightful place in the world.
QUESTION: Secretary Rice, thank you very much for being with us. It
was a nice opportunity. Many thanks and enjoy your trip.
SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.
–Boundary_(ID_hKl6D1V6pyJgnMy0r9xKKg)–

Armenians celebrate their culture
By: Tim Kane, The Record02/07/2005
Troy Record, NY
Feb 7 2005
LATHAM – About 60 Armenians celebrated the sixth annual Vartanantz
Day Sunday, honoring a 5th century military hero who is as important
today as he was 15 centuries ago.
“His self-sacrifice is an example for the community today,” said
Raffi Tapalian, the master of ceremonies for the celebration. “What
he did to keep the culture alive back then is reminder to us about
never forgetting our past today.”
In the face mounting Persian armies, Vartan led an Armenian army that
was out numbered by an 8-to-1 margin. While the Armenians lost the
battle, they won the war, but not in a military sense, Tapalian said.
Inflicting a high number of casualties, Vartan’s underdog troops
forced the Persians to rethink their plan to annex Armenia. Rather
than fight, Persian leadership decided it was best to let the Armenian
to live in peace and practice Christianity.
“Despite the odds, Vartan decided to stand for his beliefs and
was able to keep the community together,” Tapalian said. “Today,
we face assimilation as a threat to our history and traditions. We
must hold on.”
Not remembering the past is what the Turkish want Armenians to do
about the 1915 genocide that killed 1.5 million, Tapalian said.
Forgetting the genocide will only lead to others, he said.
Participants at the observance at the Masonic Lodge on Old Loudon
Road were served a hearty roast beef lunch and heard about a dozen
children from the Armenian after-school program sing religious songs
in Armenian.
Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian, the honored guest at the event, told the
group he really didn’t feel too much like an honored guest, but more
like a regular guy.
“I’m one of you,” Tutunjian said. “I think it’s important to preserve
the culture. I was reviewing videos the other day from my family and
realized how important it is to keep the past alive.”
Keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Mihran Kupeyan told the audience that Vartan
was 65 years old when he accepted the commander-in-chief position,
sending a message that it’s never to late to be involved.
“He was basically ready to die and leave his life on the battlefield,”
Kupeyan said, adding that his heroics stand as one of the key turning
points in the 3,000 years of Armenian history.
The Knights and Daughters of Vartan has several dozen members among
an Armenian community of 2,500 in the Capital District. The civic
organization does a variety of charitable and education endeavors,
but the main task is raising money for schools in Armenia.
So far, the chapter has raised nearly $23,000 for School 2 in
Getasten village in Armenia, where 692 children attend school. That
has translated to $200,000 in actual money received by the school
due the World Bank matching any funds at a 9-to-1 ratio.
Overall, the national organization has sent nearly $9 million to
Armenia since 1988 when the program was started to reconstruct the
country after a devastating earthquake.
Another focus of the group is maintaining awareness of the 1915
“holocaust” carried out by Turkey. In 2002, the group started an annual
observance at the steps of the state Capitol. This year, members will
observe the date inside with a resolution by the Legislature.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE PRESIDENT OF «ARMENIA-LADA» KILLED
A1 Plus | 13:52:51 | 07-02-2005 | Social |
Rafael Shahmouradyan, the President of «Armenia-Lada», was killed in
Tolyati, Russia. It might be useful to remind that on May 24 last
year Shahmouradyan’s life was made an attempt on. He was shot from
a car of «NIVA» mark.
Rafael Shahmouradyan, whose survival was like a miracle, said after
coming to his senses that he had serious doubts that the organizer of
the attempt was Andranik Manoukyan, RA Minister of Transportation and
stockholder of «Armenia-Lada». On June 2 last year Andranik Manoukyan
had said in an interview to the newspaper “Aravot”, “The accusation
has no connection to reality”.
–Boundary_(ID_L+sU9LycJMBKiov7KC4cig)–

RIA Novosti, Russia
Feb 7 2005
The CIS and Baltic Press on Russia
[parts omitted]
ARMENIA
The media are critical of a PACE resolution on Yukos.
Newspapers fear the United States might seize the initiative from
Russia in the Karabakh settlement. However, Armenian newsmakers
criticize Russia’s role in efforts to improve Armenian-Turkish
relations.
As it is preoccupied with own problems, Russia’s interest in Armenia
will dwindle soon, some newspapers predict. The opposition papers
criticize Russia for its support of the Armenian authorities.
Newspapers are worried about that will happen to Armenia in view of
the further difficulties between Russia and the U.S.
“The Iraq issue became a kind of watershed for Armenia: we will
either continue pursing a Russia-oriented policy or withdraw from
Russia’s zone of influence. (Pakagits. 26.01.2005)
Russia’s base in Akhalkalaki is great support for the local Armenian
community, contrary to what Tbilisi has declared on the matter, write
the papers.
AZERBAIJAN
Russia has lost influence in Georgia and Azerbaijan, which have
emphasized their pro-American positions, write Azerbaijani
newspapers. Seeking to restore the balance of forces, Russia might
allegedly support an Armenian military assault (which is under
preparation) against Azerbaijan. “The Karabakh conflict has been used
by Moscow from the very beginning as an instrument of pressure both
on Azerbaijan and Armenia, renewed warfare is not just speculation in
the present circumstances.” (Ekho. 27.01.2005)
A statement made by Yury Merzlyakov, Russia’s co-chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group, who proposed treating Nagorny Karabakh as an equal party
to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, has stirred a new wave of
accusations of “a pro-Armenian position” against Moscow.
The opposition media believe a “velvet revolution” is quite possible
in Russia after the Kremlin lost much of its authority as a result of
failures in Georgia and Ukraine.
“Russia’s current economic situation can prompt the people to rise
one day and stage another ‘Bolshevik’ revolution.” (Eni Musavat,
28.01.2005).

Nagorny Karabakh conflict: China supports Azerbaijan
Kazinform, Kazakhstan
Feb 7 2005
Beijing. February 7. KAZINFORM. /Talgat Baimukhambetov/ – In the end
of the previous week Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov
accomplished his official visit to China during which he held talks
with Vice-PM of the Council of State of the Chinese Republic Huan
Tsu and Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Chzhaosin.
In the Embassy of Azerbaijan to the Chinese Republic our correspondent
was told the chief issue of the talks was the upcoming visit of
Azerbaijan President Ilkham Aliyev to China at the invitation of
Chinese Chairman Hu Tszintao. But the concrete date was not informed.
The two states’ officials also touched upon a number of issues
concerning trade and economic cooperation and possible signing
of a number of agreements on double taxation, reduction of customs
imports, and attraction of investments and development of partnership
in different spheres of economy. The Chinese party expressed support
of the Azerbaijan in its entering the WTO and confirmed readiness to
arrange expert level consultations on construction of the Tbilisi-Kars
railway within TRASEKA program.
A separate issue of the discussion was the problems of sovereignty
and territorial integrity of the states. Elmar Mamedyarov confirmed
adherence of the Azerbaijani government to the policy of “unified
China” in Taiwan and Tibet issues. In reply China confirmed its
support of Azerbaijan in regulation of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorny
Karabakh conflict.

ASBAREZ Online
TOP STORIES
02/07/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) French Parliament Head Raises Genocide, Cyprus Issue During Turkey Visit 2) Rice Holds Talks in Turkey, Gives Assurances over Iraq 3) Azeri Officer's Trial to Begin on February 8 4) Three Men Arrested After Deadly Shootout in Yerevan 5) CBC Radio Provides Platform to Armenian Genocide Deniers, Say Canadian Armenian Leaders 1) French Parliament Head Raises Genocide, Cyprus Issue During Turkey Visit ANKARA (Combined Sources)--Heading a French delegation to Turkey last week, French Parliament Speaker Jean-Louis Debre addressed the Armenian genocide and Cyprus issues during his meetings with Turkish officials. With France's ruling UMP party at odds with its most prominent member--President Jacques Chirac--on the prospect of Turkey's full EU membership, Debre raised the contentious issue of the Armenian genocide during a meeting with Chairman of the EU Commission in the Turkish Parliament Yasar Yakis and other parliamentarians. Debre proposed that an independent international institution conduct research on the Armenian Genocide, stating it would be the only fair way to affirm the facts. An article in Paris's Le Monde addressed the issue, quoting Debre as telling Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that "Turkey's attitude to the Armenian genocide" of 1915 "poses a real problem for France." According to Le Monde, Erdogan's response was that he was "disappointed" with "Paris's position" and "did not know that 400,000 (dead) Armenians could decide the referendum" Paris intends to hold on Ankara's membership bid. Turkish authorities, the newspaper reported, expressed willingness to "consider" a proposal which would give an international commission of historians access to its archives. Addressing the Cyprus issue, Debre said although it is impossible to stay indifferent to the request of a country with a population of 71 million to join the EU, questions such as Cyprus and Turkey's human rights record must be solved. During a joint news conference with Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Debre assured that both the Armenian genocide and the Cyprus problem were discussed with Erdogan. "Everything works more comfortably as long as people are in peace with their own history," Debre said. During his visit, Debre also met with Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan. Archbishop Mutafyan expressed, "Together with all the other non-Muslim minorities in Turkey, our Patriarchal See and the Turkish Armenian community support the accession of Turkey into the European Union." He added that Armenians also support the process in hopes that it might bring the long-awaited peace not only between Turkey and Armenia, but also among all countries in the region. 2) Rice Holds Talks in Turkey, Gives Assurances over Iraq ANKARA (AFP)--US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who held talks with Turkish leaders in Ankara, was quick to assure wary ally Ankara that its concerns over the future of neighboring Iraq are not being ignored. Rice, on a whirlwind tour of eight European capitals, Israel, and the West Bank, met with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and was also to hold talks with her counterpart Abdullah Gul. Rice's visit follows harsh warnings from Ankara that Washington is turning a blind eye to Kurdish moves in northern Iraq aimed at paving the way for future Kurdish independence in the region. The accusations come at a time when the two NATO allies are already struggling to repair their ties in the wake of a severe diplomatic crisis prior to Iraq's invasion in March 2003, when Ankara stunned Washington by denying US troops access to Turkish territory to attack Iraq from the north. "The United States favors a unified Iraq in which the rights of all Iraqis are represented and respected," Rice told NTV television Sunday, with voice-over translation into Turkish. While shaping their post-war nation, the Iraqis have the responsibility to create a country that will live in peace with its neighbors, she said. The prospect of major Kurdish political gains in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk following the January 30 elections has irked Ankara, which suspects that the Kurds want the ethnically mixed city to become the capital of an independent Kurdish state. Such a state, Ankara fears, would fuel moves towards independence among the restive Kurds of adjoining southeast Turkey, sparking regional turmoil. Rice told NTV that it was up to the Iraqis to decide on the future status of Kirkuk, but stressed that the ethnically volatile city, which is also home to Turkish-speaking Turkmens, should be a place where "all Iraqis will live together without fears." She also sought to assure Ankara that Washington was "very determined" to ensure that Turkish Kurd rebels holed up in the mountains of northern Iraq are prevented from using the region as a springboard for violence against Turkey. Ankara has long been frustrated with US reluctance to take military action against the guerrillas, who found refuge in the enclave prior to the US-led invasion of Iraq and who last summer ended a five-year unilateral ceasefire with Turkey. She said trilateral security meetings between Turkey, Iraq, and the United States should continue and that the parties should also seek to use non-military measures, such as cutting off sources of finance for the rebels. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), to which the rebels belong, is considered a terrorist organization by Washington. Rice stopped short of pledging military action against the PKK, highlighting the difficult security situation in other parts of Iraq. Bilateral differences over Iraq are believed to have increased anti-US sentiment in Turkey, a strictly secular Muslim nation which Washington has often praised as a model for co-habitation between democracy and Islam. However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has often led the criticism towards Washington, insisted that Turkish-US ties remained strong. "Our ties continue with the same maturity and in a positive spirit...at the level of strategic partnership. We have confirmed this between ourselves," he told reporters after talks with Rice late Saturday. The toughening US policy towards Iran, another troubled neighbor of Turkey, and efforts to revive the Middle East peace process were also expected to be high on Rice's agenda here. Rice was to hold a news conference with Gul later on Sunday before flying out to Israel, her next point of call. 3) Azeri Officer's Trial to Begin on February 8 BAKU (Combined Sources)--The murder trial of Azeri senior lieutenant Ramil Safarov will begin on February 8 in Budapest, Hungary. Safarov is being tried for the February 19, 2004 slaying of Armenian serviceman Gurgen Margarian. Safarov's attorney, Adil Ismayilov, said that a Hungarian lawyer will join the case during the next two days in order to help fend the charges. Margarian's family will be represented by Nazeli Vardanyan and Gabriela Kaspar. The Armenian serviceman's lawyers will also represent Hayk Makuchyan--a member of the Armenian military who Safarov attempted to murder. The Azeri officer is being charged with Article No. 166.2 of the Hungarian Criminal Court--first-degree murder and attempted murder--for which he could face 10 years to life imprisonment. In an attempt to partially curb Safarov's responsibility, Bilal Mirzalioghli Asadov, Chief Psychologist of Azerbaijan, has asked that the defendant undergo a psychological examination. Safarov told the count during his previous trial that he was in an "unconscious" state during the murder. Medical examinations, however, indicate that he was fully aware of his acts. 4) Three Men Arrested After Deadly Shootout in Yerevan YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Armenian prosecutors announced on Monday the arrest of three unidentified men suspected of taking part in a late-night gunfight in Yerevan that left one person dead and two others seriously wounded. The spokesman for the Prosecutor-General's Office, Gurgen Ambarian, refused to identify the suspects and comment on possible reasons for the shootout. The deadly incident occurred late on Friday in the city's southern outskirts mainly occupied by Soviet-era idle factories. Television pictures from the scene showed a bullet-holed car and spent cartridges strewn on the ground. More than a dozen cars were reportedly parked in the deserted area when the gunfire erupted. Police said three young men were rushed to a nearby hospital as a result. One of them, aged 30, died shortly afterward, while the two others were reported to remain in a critical condition on Monday. A spokesman for the national Police Service, Zarzand Gabrielian said that two people who participated in the shootout turned themselves in over the weekend. He said one of the men surrendered a Kalashnikov rifle and a pistol. It was unclear whether they were among the detainees mentioned by the prosecutors' spokesman. Gabrielian revealed that investigators searched the apartment of the murdered man and found an arsenal of firearms and ammunition, including eight Kalashnikovs. He added that law-enforcement authorities have already "established the identity of a number of suspects" and have already begun to "interrogate their relatives." But he declined to give further details of the case. 5) CBC Radio Provides Platform to Armenian Genocide Deniers, Say Canadian Armenian Leaders MONTREAL--The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) demonstrated a lack of judgment when it failed to invite representatives of the Canadian-Armenian community to its Feb. 6, Sunday Edition radio program during which, following discussions of a book on the Armenian genocide, only the Turkish Embassy was allowed to present its side. "It's regrettable that deniers of the Armenian Genocide [Turkish Government] have been provided with a platform while the representatives of the Canadian-Armenian community have not been offered the opportunity to respond to the Turkish Government's propaganda," commented Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) president, Dr. Girair Basmadjian. In a 25-minute segment, host Michael Enright interviewed Prof. Taner Akçam, the author of "From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide." Following the interview, Enright read a lengthy statement by the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa. No such statement, however, was requested from the Armenian Embassy of Ottawa. Akçam is one of many Turkish historians to recognize publicly the mass killings and deportation, in 1915, of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. His book represents a scholarly attempt to document the Armenian genocide from the perpetrator's, rather than victim's, perspective. In the interview, Akçam stated that he has been refused posts in Turkish universities because of his recognition of the Armenian genocide. "We commend the CBC and thank Michael Enright for their decision to shed light on the Forgotten Genocide of the 20th century, and Prof. Akçam's scholarly research. At the same time we were surprised and disappointed to hear Enright read the Turkish Embassy's statement that was, as usual, full of historical fabrications and misinformation--the usual official stance of successive Turkish governments. To us, it is a sheer error of judgment to confront an honest academician with a baseless political onslaught, without even giving a chance for the author to respond," said Dr. Basmadjian. The Canadian-Armenian community leader said that it was unfortunate the CBC provided an opportunity for such a statement from the Turkish Embassy while not affording Canadian-Armenians the same opportunity. "Moreover, the statement was an outright insult to the author, Dr. Akçam, who did not lack courage to express the historical truth. The Canadians of Armenian origin representing survivors of the said Genocide are commemorating the 90th anniversary this year, are insulted by such statements on a respectable broadcasting corporation such as the CBC," added Dr. Basmadjian. The program also omitted the fact that the Armenian genocide has officially been recognized by the Senate and House of Commons of Canada in 2002 and 2004 respectively, and by the provincial legislatures of Ontario and Quebec dating back to 1980. "Genocide denial out of ignorance or a false sense of "balanced journalism" or "political correctness" is irresponsible and only serves to promote revisionist policies...Do we provide Holocaust deniers with such courtesies or platforms?" asked Dr. Basmadjian. The ANCC is seeking an apology from the CBC to its Armenian listeners and a promise to afford equal time to the Armenian Embassy in Canada. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. --Boundary_(ID_xIG4LZzrsw3QnSEkr897aw)--