ERDOGAN WON’T CHANGE KEY LAW DESPITE EU PRESSURE
Written by The Media Line Staff
The Media Line, NY
Oct 31 2006
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not caved in to the
European Union’s pressure to cancel article 301 of the penal code,
Reuters reports.
Article 301 makes it a crime to insult Turkishness. This article
was used against scholars, journalists and writers, including Nobel
literature prize winner Orhan Pamuk. Pamuk opposed the Turkish official
line that no preplanned massacre of Armenians took place in 1915.
Erdogan said his government had no plans to change the law.
Nevertheless, Erdogan encouraged the EU to come up with suggestions
for amending article 301, and said Turkey “will consider” them.
A poll conducted at the end of September revealed a massive decline in
the Turkish people’s wish to join the EU. The survey, published by the
Turkish daily Milliyet, showed that only 32.2 percent thought Turkey
“must certainly enter the EU.” In 2004 the figure stood at 67.5%
and last year it declined to 57.4%.

MAMMADYAROV: NO PROGRESS WAS OBSERVED IN MOSCOW AND PARIS MEETINGS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2006
Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers will discuss new proposals
of the co-chairs in Brussels on November 14, Elmar Mammadyarov,
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister told journalist, APA reports.
He said that it is too early to make public the proposals. The
negotiations will be conducted on nine items.
The minister also said that no progress was observed in Paris and
Moscow meeting of the ministers.
“The co-chairs made proposals on these items in Moscow meeting. We
agreed to discuss them. I think it is possible to work on these
proposals. But the opinion of the opposite side is also necessary. We
should analyze their proposals, too,” Mammadyarov said.
The minister also stated that the OSCE MG co-chairs will visit the
region if there is any progress in November 14 meeting. The meeting
of the presidents is possible after the meeting of the co-chairs with
both sides.
Touching upon the substitution of OSCE MG co-chairs the minister said
that Azerbaijan is satisfied with their activity.
“If we want to change the format of the negotiations we should discuss
it at the level of the organization. It will take much time.
The problem is not solved by the will of Azerbaijan or other state,”
he said.

KLO DEMANDS TO INTERRUPT TALKS DIRECTED AT FULFILLING ARMENIA’S CLAIMS
Author: S.Ilhamgizi
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2006
“We need to interrupt the negotiations directed towards the
implementation of the pretensions of Armenian aggression, and state
that we will not allow the adoption or realization of any documents
which are contrary to the will of the Azeri people”, such opinion was
voiced in the resolution of Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO)
disseminated on 30 October, Trend reports.
Furthermore, the resolution says that many sources confirm the
information regarding the discussing of unfair principles linked with
the destiny of occupied Azerbaijani territories during the negotiations
between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow
and Paris and adopting these principles at the time of the meeting
in Brussels. These negotiations focus on the territorial pretensions
of Armenia, as well as pretension for part of Khojavend, Agdara and
Goranboy districts of Azerbaijan, the issue of referendum and other
issues not meeting the interests of Azerbaijan.
“The KLO feels that the mediator countries in the peaceful talks are
functioning under the pressure of the Armenian lobby. We demand to
immediately refuse the negotiations directed towards implementing
the pretensions of Armenia,” it was stated in the resolution.

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF EUROPEAN UNION OF RA FM IS APPOINTED CONSUL GENERAL OF ARMENIA TO LOS ANGELES
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2006
(ArmInfo) – By the order of RA FM, Vardan Oskanyan, the Head of the
Department of the European Union of RA Foreign Ministry, Armen Liloyan,
is appointed today to the post of the Consul General to Los Angeles,
reports Trend.
As ArmInfo was told in the RA FM’s press-service, Armen Liloyan was
born in 1971 in Yerevan. He has graduated from the Yerevan State
University, the Faculty of Oriental Studies. He received the master’s
degree in the London Academy. A. Liloyan has been working in the
system of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry since 1995. He had been working
in the diplomatic mission to Great Britain in 1998-2002. A. Liloyan
heads the Department of the European Union since 2002.

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS IN ANKARA
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 31 2006
Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) will convene on Tuesday
under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in the Turkish
capital Ankara.
General Yasar Buyukanit will attend the meeting at the Presidential
Palace for the first time as Chief of Staff. He was appointed to his
new post August 30.
Turkey-EU relations and EU accession talks are expected to be at the
top of the agenda. The French parliament’s adoption of a controversial
draft bill, which makes it a crime to deny an Armenian genocide,
will also be discussed.
The fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in
addition to the latest developments in Iraq, Cyprus and other regional
security issues are among the other points the Council will debate.
Today’s meeting will be the first since the PKK declared a unilateral
truce October 1st and the last one before the Progress Report on
Turkey’s EU process is revealed early in November.

TILL DEFINITION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH’S STATUS, TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN SHOULD BE RESTORED – DEP. CHIEF OF AZERI PRESIDENT’S APPARAT
Author: A.Ismaylova
TREND information, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2006
The Prague process firstly envisages the full restoration of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the Head of the International
Relations Department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Apparat Novruz
Mammadov told, commenting on the statement of the Armenian side
regarding the necessity of defining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh
before resolving other issues within the regulation of the
conflict,Trendreports.
He stressed that according to the phased solution of the conflict,
firstly all districts around Nagorno-Karabakh should be released,
refugees and internally displaced persons should be returned to
Nagorno-Karabakh, and only after this, it is possible to begin
discussions for the status of this region.

RF – ARMENIA TRADE IS HAMPERED BY TRANSPORT COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Oct 31 2006
MOSCOW, October 31 (Itar-Tass) – Russian-Armenian economic cooperation
and bilateral trade are on the rise, but this process is hampered by
transport communication problems, Armenian President Robert Kocharian
said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on
Tuesday.
This problem “is compensated for by serious investment projects,”
he said.
“We witness the growth of investments in our cooperation, mainly in
processing, construction and electric power,” he said.

AMBASSADOR OF GEORGIA AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Oct 31 2006
On October 30 the President of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia received the Ambassador of Georgia in Armenia Mr. Revaz
Gachechiladze.
Mr. Gachechiladze thanked the President of the National Assembly for
showing a restrained, balanced and an acceptable position for the
international community towards the Georgia- Russia conflict. Mr.
Tigran Torosyan expressed a hope that the conflicts between two
countries will be soon overcome and noted that Armenia is ready to
contribute to the settlement of problems with its balanced position.
Mr. Torosyan said that Armenia is always for the regional peace and
welfare and is ready to do its best for achieving it.
On November 17 at the PACE Standing Committee session of San Marino
the report dedicated to the establishment of a Stability Pact of South
Caucasus will be discussed. During the meeting the parties discussed
also other issues related to the report.
The opportunities and development of the Armenian-Georgian
inter-parliamentary cooperation were also touched upon during the
meeting with Mr. Revaz Gachechiladze, Ambassador of Georgia in Armenia.

YEAR OF ARMENIA IN FRANCE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES IN NICE
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 31 2006
YEREVAN, October 31. /ARKA/. Events within the scope of the year of
Armenia in France officially set off in Nice. Press and Information
Department of the RA Foreign Ministry reports that the events were
officially launched on October 26, by the RA Ambassador to France
Edward Nalbandyan dna Mayor of Nice Jacques Peyrat. As agreed
the events, dedicated to Armenia, will last whole year long, and
will include various aspects of the Armenian culture, namely music,
choreography, photography, cinema, modern and innovative art, as well
as the art of cookery. After the official opening ceremony Nalbandyan
and Peyrat held a press-conference, at which they presented a program
of tens of events envisaged in the scope of the Year of Armenia in
France. Armenia is the sixth country, presented in Nice, after the USA,
Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Canada.
Making a speech at the opening ceremony of one of the events,
Nalbandyan said that he was satisfied with the fact that the events,
in the scope of the Year Of Armenia in France were held not only in
large cities or cities inhabited with Armenians, but in remote towns
of the country as well.
“Such events contribute to establishment of close and worm relations
between Armenian and French nations, direct cultural dialogue”,
Nalbandyan said.
Events, dedicated to Armenia, have already launched in Lions,
Saint-Etienne, Grenoble, Marseilles. The official program pf the
Year of Armenia in France includes more than 500 events in 125 cities
of the country. Besides that 200 more events are planned beyond the
official program.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DISCREPANCY BETWEEN “FIRST DYNASTY MINES” COMPANY OF CANADA AND ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2006
There is a discrepancy between Armenian Government and “First Dynasty
Mines” (FDM) Company of Canada extracting gold in “Soyudlu” gold
deposit in Kalbajar, the occupied Azerbaijan region.
Though in order to reduce transportation expenses FDM presented the
Armenian Government the project of gold extraction plant with little
oil percentage near “Soyudlu” deposit official Yerevan did not allow
the construction alleging to ecological norms. Besides the Armenians
working in the company were incited to hold protest actions against the
leadership. Because of the protest actions 500 Armenians working for
FDM were dismissed, Arif Isgenderov the chief of Ecology and Natural
Resources Ministry Ecology and Nature Protection Policy Department
told the APA. He said that Armenian press close to official authorities
and Russian press try to create a negative opinion about FDM.
“Probably this kind of actions serves to reconsider the agreement
between FDM and Armenian Government or to stop FDM activity.
Analogous processes happened between Armenian Government and Greek
company Armentel.”
FDM invested US $22.1 mn in gold extraction in Nagorno Garabagh. The
company plans to invest US $12mn in Armenia’s gold extraction by the
end of next year. At the moment Armenian Government holds negotiations
with the World Bank International Finance Corporation and other foreign
banks with a view to make investments in the field o f gold extraction
in the occupied Azerbaijan territories. FDM has invested US $4 mn
in the geological explorations in Armenia and occupied Azerbaijan
territories. It is expected that the company plans to extract over
5 tons of gold and with the agreement of the Armenian Government to
make geological explorations in the 20 km round the deposit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress