RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS CONCERNED ABOUT COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS OF ARMENIA
ARMINFO News Agency
October 17, 2006 Tuesday
Today, at a press-conference on the results of the session of
the Armenian-Russian inter- parliamentary commission for economic
cooperation in Yerevan, Russian co-chairman, member of the Federation
Council Nikolay Ryzhkov said that the problem of communications has
been worrying Armenia and Russia for 16 years, and the mechanisms of
its efficient solution are not found yet.
Nevetheless, he pointed out three ways of solving Armenias’
communication problems. The first way is the ferry service. Of course,
there are some difficulties here, e.g. prohibition of crossing the
excisable commodities, but they entrusted Igor Chernyshenko, a State
Duma member, with initiating the corresponding legislative amendments
to allow the ferry service of excisable commodities. The co-chairman
also expressed discontent with the activity of the Armenian and
Russian sides in cargo formation, and emphasized that he had taken
up this issue but didn’t see the return initiative of the Armenian
side. Yet, he said that he will actively examine this problem again,
but the Armenian side should also do something.
The second way is the one through Iran. Ryzhkov said that it is not
the best variant, but the most realistic one at the moment. However,
the most efficient solution of the communication problems of the
region would be the opening of the Abkhazian railroad which requires
money and time. According to various estimations, the resumption of
the Abkhazian railroad will require some $100-200 mln, he noted.
Ryzhkov stressed that the exploitation of the railroad is not an
economical but a political problem. The Georgian authorities have
politicized this problem, and if the political forces come to a
consensus, the problem will be solved, he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN SOLDIER SHOT DEAD
Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 18 2006
At 12:30 October 16 Armenian serviceman Alexander Papakhchyan, born
in 1987, died in “Erebuni” medical center from the injury received
in the result of the fire opened from the Azerbaijani side.
Investigation is underway, Press Service of RA Defense Ministry
informs.

MOSCOW AND YEREVAN DISCUSS CHANGING THE BUSINESS LINE OF ARMENIAN ENTERPRISES PASSED TO RUSSIA
ARMINFO News Agency
October 17, 2006 Tuesday
Today, at a press-conference on the results of the session of the
Armenian-Russian interparliamentary commission for cooperation, Vice
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Vahan Hovhannisyan said that at the
moment, Yerevan and Moscow are discussing the issue of changing the
business line of the Armenian enterprises passed to Russia against
the state dept of Armenia. In his turn, Russian co-chairman of the
commission, member of the Federation Council Nikolay Ryzhkov said that
the launch of the Armenian enterprises will be discussed at the next
session of the commission to be held in Moscow at the beginning of
March. He established the fact that such a profitable enterprise as
“Mars”, unfortunately, operates not so efficiently.
Ryzhkov added that the forthcoming session in Moscow will also discuss
the issue of bilateral scientific and technical cooperation.
For this purpose a temporary commission will be created to work
out specific programs on cooperation. As regards today’s session,
Ryzhkov said that the meeting passed in an ingenuous atmosphere, and
the sides sometimes asked not so pleasant questions to one another. It
is quite natural as they come here to solve problems, he said.
Hovhannisyan added that the session discussed the issue of timely
notification of the two countries’ parliaments about the Armenian
and Russian economic laws and decisions as they affect the activity
of the economic entities of the countries. Otherwise the economic
entities are the last to learn about these decisions and they find
themselves in a difficult situation. To prove this, he brought the
example of closing of the “Upper Lars” check-point by Russia. As a
result, Armenian cargoes had to stay on the Russian-Georgian border
for several months. Hovhannisyan said that Armenian economic entities
would be able to find alternative markets for our commodities if Russia
had informed Armenia about the closing of the “Upper Lars” timely.

TURKISH PARLIAMENT SLAMS FRENCH BILL ON MASS KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS STRONGLY WARNS AGAINST LEGISLATION
Associated Press Worldstream
October 17, 2006 Tuesday 3:13 PM GMT
Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday condemned a French bill making it a
crime to deny that the World War I-era killing of Armenians in Turkey
was genocide, warning the law would permanently damage ties.
The bill was approved by lawmakers in France’s lower house last week,
but still needs approval by the French Senate and President Jacques
Chirac to become law. Turkey has said the decision has badly damaged
relations with France.
The Turkish parliament condemned the bill in a statement, calling
it an “unfriendly” move aimed at domestic politics and said it
was “surprising to see France as a decision maker when it comes
to historical incidents related to Turkey, while defending it to
leave to the historians when it comes to its actions that led to the
killings of more than 1 million innocent people in Algeria, Indo China,
Madagascar and some African countries,” where it ruled.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told parliament that the government
would consider every measure including legal action to prevent the
legislation of the bill.
“From now on, it won’t be Turkey that loses but France,” Gul warned
against legislation of the bill.
Chirac’s government is thought to be unlikely to forward the bill
for passage by the Senate.
“It is obvious that legislation of this bill will lead to irreparable
wounds in political, economic and military ties between Turkey and
France,” the parliament said in a statement.
The parliament reiterated Turkey’s call to Armenia to respond to a
Turkish proposal to jointly research the incidents, warning that
“Armenia’s use of lobby efforts in France and in other countries
and its hostile policies against the rights and pride of the Turkish
nation will cost dearly to them.”
The European Union on Friday criticized the French bill, saying it was
unhelpful at a critical stage in the Muslim country’s EU entry talks.
France, which is home to hundreds of thousands of people whose families
came from Armenia, has already recognized the 1915-1919 killings of
up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.
Under the bill, those who contest it was genocide would risk up to
a year in prison and fines of up to US$56,000 (euro44,750).
Turkey acknowledges that great numbers of Armenians were killed
in fighting and mass expulsions, but vehemently rejects the label
of genocide.

TURKISH FM TELLS MPS: FRENCH DECISION TO HARM POLITICAL TIES
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
16 Oct 2006
Ankara, 17 October: “The resolution adopted by the French parliament
(which criminalizes denial of the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations) will harm Turkish-French relations. These wounds will be
seen in our political and economic relations, and in area of security,”
said Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.
Briefing the MPs at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) on the
resolution, Gul said: “No one was assimilated in these lands which
were under our domination for 400-500 years. And, different religious
and ethnic groups have lived on these soils. If our ancestors had
assimilated others and had done what some countries which claim
themselves as modern and civilized are doing today, many languages
and cultures would not survive today.”
They were incited
Gul stated that Turks and Armenians had lived in Anatolia in peace
for about a thousand years, and pointed out that some Armenians were
appointed to the highest ranks in the Ottoman Empire including the
ministries and consulates.
“However, problems began when some Armenian groups, affected by
ideologic movements, revolted and staged terrorist attacks to establish
independent Armenia. Unfortunately, people who lived together for
centuries were the victims of these incitements,” he emphasized.
Noting that France had an important impact on occurrence of the
Armenian problem, Gul said that France deceived the Armenians during
the War of Independence by claiming that “an independent Armenia
would be established in Southeastern Anatolia Region”.
Gul stated that the Armenian gangs massacred people in this region
till 1921 due to provocations of France.
“It is unacceptable to see that France is accusing the Turkish nation
of genocide instead of apologizing to Turkey for these massacres. If
Turkey has a mistake here, it is because it could not explain the
world that its own people were massacred,” he emphasized.
Heaviest crime
Gul qualified genocide as the heaviest crime and stressed that this
accusation should be based on historical facts.
“Saying that a nation committed genocide is a serious accusation. A
genocide, which is not based on concrete legal and historical evidence,
is subjective. According to international law, only an authorized court
can decide that a genocide crime is committed. No one can say that a
genocide crime is committed unless there is such a court decision. The
Armenian genocide, about which there is not any international decision,
is only a baseless claim and a propaganda,” Gul stated.
Gul noted that Turkey is doing everything in its power to prevent
this resolution from going into force. “There is another path and our
government will not refrain from testing it. We will do everything,
including every means provided by international laws,” he said.
It harms EU values
Gul said that the 1915 incidents are freely discussed in Turkey,
and recalled that Turkey has opened all its archives to Turkish and
foreign researchers.
“When we are trying to ensure individual rights and freedoms as much
as we can and when we are facing some just or unjust criticisms due
to our shortcomings in freedom of expression, a country, the founder
of EU, is openly violating this principle and harming the values of
the EU. Contrary to what the French parliament is arguing, every view
about the tragic incidents that occurred in Anatolia during the World
War I can be freely expressed in Turkey, and this is free under the
laws,” Gul pointed out.
France at historic intersection point
“Today, France is at a historic intersection point. It will either be
the France of Voltaire or Montesquieu or it will be the continuation
of a colonialist thought that prevails in different parts of the
world as a so-called civilization move,” he said.
According to Gul, France has left its privileged place in Turkey
because of the decisions and moves of French politicians.
“We hope that France will take into consideration the reaction of
not only Turkey, but also the entire world and the EU,” he noted.
“If this resolution is legalized despite all warnings and criticisms,
it will be a shame for France. France should stop this move and return
from this mistake for its own interests. Turkey will not lose anything
from this development, but it will be France who will lose.
>From now on, France will be recorded in the history as a country
that changes the EU and Copenhagen criteria. Therefore, I hope that
it will return from this mistake,” added Gul.

AZERI PRESSURE GROUP PROTESTS AT FRENCH GENOCIDE BILL
ANS TV, Baku,
16 Oct 2006
A group of the Karabakh Liberation Organization [KLO] members have
attempted to stage a protest outside the French embassy against the
French parliament’s bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian
genocide. One of the protesters threw eggs and tomatoes on the
embassy building.
The protesters could read out their resolution not far from the
embassy. The resolution was handed to the French embassy at the end
of the protest.
The French parliament has openly supported aggressor Armenia, taking
a disgraceful position on Azerbaijan, Turkey, the entire Islamic and
Turkic world, the protesters said in their resolution.
Therefore, the French parliament’s decision must be changed,
and political, economic and cultural relations with France must
be severed. France must be removed from the OSCE Minsk Group
chairmanship and no talks on Nagornyy Karabakh must be conducted on
French territory.
Eighteen people, who attempted to stage the protest, were arrested,
the KLO reported. [Baku’s] Sabayil district police department said
that all detainees had been set free after giving explanations.
[Video showed protest]

FRENCH BUSINESS CHIEF HITS OUT AT ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL
Agence France Presse — English
October 17, 2006 Tuesday
The head of the French employers’ federation hit out Tuesday at the
adoption of a French bill that would make it a crime to deny a Turkish
“genocide” of Armenians, saying lawmakers had acted irresponsibly.
“We consider that what was voted goes beyond what was appropriate on
such a serious subject. One cannot take this kind of measure without
thinking of the consequences,” MEDEF chief Laurence Parisot told a
press conference.
The French lower house adoption of the bill — launched by MPs of the
opposition Socialist party but opposed by the centre-right government
— has sparked fury in Turkey and threatens to jeopardise billions
of dollars’ of French trade in the country.
“It is not up to business to write history, but neither is it up to
lawmakers to write it,” Parisot said.
“It is easy to see that an overly sharp reaction from Turkish
authorities of economic officials can be very damaging for the health
of French companies,” she said.
Calling the development “worrying”, Parisot said she was due to meet
the head of the Turkish employers’ federation TUSIAD, Omer Sabanci,
later Tuesday in Brussels to discuss the situation.
The French bill, which still has to undergo a Senate vote and a second
lower assembly reading before becoming law, would make it a jailable
offence to deny that the massacres carried out under Ottoman rule
constituted genocide.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their people were slaughtered,
but Turkey rejects the use of the term “genocide”, saying some 300,000
Armenians died when the Ottoman Empire fell apart, but at least as
many Turks did too.

TURKISH PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS FRENCH GENOCIDE BILL
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
October 17, 2006 Tuesday 4:31 PM EST
DPA POLITICS Turkey Diplomacy France Turkish parliament condemns French
genocide bill Ankara The Turkish Parliament on Tuesday condemned a
bill passed last week by the lower house of the French Parliament that
would make it a crime to deny that massacres of Armenians during the
First World War constituted a genocide, the Anadolu news agency
reported.
In a statement supported by all parties, the parliament condemned
the move as a blow to freedom of speech and warned it would hurt
French-Turkish bilateral relations.
“By passing this bill the French parliament has clearly damaged
political, economic and military relations between Turkey and France,”
the statement said.
While Turkey admits that massacres took place, it vehemently denies
that the deaths of Armenians during the war were part of a planned
genocide.
French political observers believe the bill will fail to become law
thanks to a strong government majority in the French upper house.
The French government has come out against the bill.
No official sanctions have been announced by the Turkish Government
but public campaigns have already begun to call for a boycott of
French goods.

TURKISH PARLIAMENT SAYS ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL HITS TIES WITH FRANCE, ARMENIA
Agence France Presse — English
October 17, 2006 Tuesday 4:07 PM GMT
A French bill making it a crime to deny Ottoman Turks committed
genocide against Armenians will damage ties with France and hit
reconciliation efforts with neighbouring Armenia, the Turkish
parliament warned Tuesday.
The warning came in a joint declaration adopted by parliament after
a debate on the bill which foresees one year in jail for anyone who
denies that the World War I massacres amounted to genocide and was
voted by the lower house of the French parliament Thursday.
“The French National Assembly has not only inflicted great damage on
bilateral ties but has also dealt a blow to efforts for a normalisation
in our ties with Armenia,” the declaration said.
It said the bill, which needs to be approved by the French senate
and president to become a law, would have serious repercussions
on political, economic and military ties with France and also on
Armenia itself.
“The hostile policies Armenia employs against… the Turkish
people… will cost it dearly,” it said.
Ankara has declined to establish diplomatic ties with Yerevan over
its campaign for international recognition of the genocide.
In 1993, Turkey sealed its border with its eastern neighbor in a
gesture of solidarity with close ally Azerbaijan, which was then at war
with Armenia, dealing a heavy economic blow to the impoverished nation.
Diplomats from Turkey and Armenia have been holding exploratory talks
since last year in a bid to normalise ties, but there has so far been
no word on their progress.
Speaking in the general assembly before the adoption of the
declaration, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also warned of a
deterioration in French-Turkish ties and said Ankara was considering
international legal means to combat the bill.
If the bill is adopted, “our ties will receive irreparable wounds in
politics, economics and security,” Gul said, describing the draft as
a violation of freedom of expression, a basic tenet of the European
Union.
“The government will use all means provided by international law,
including resorting to judiciary means,” Gul said.
Analysts have said Turkey could challenge the French bill at the
European Court of Human Rights after it has been adopted.
The bill is widely seen here as a punch below the belt by opponents
of Turkey’s European Union membership that will fan anti-Western
sentiment among Turks and make it harder for the government to push
ahead with painful EU-demanded reforms.
“France has made a definite decision to block Turkey’s full membership
in the European Union,” said Sukru Elekdag, a senior MP from the
main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). “France’s aim is to
frustrate Turkey, to force it to throw in the towel.”
Ankara, facing mounting EU warnings to respect freedom of speech,
charges that the French move is an example of double standards,
arguing that the bill eventually could block free debate on a
historical subject.
Ankara had warned ahead of the vote that French companies would be
barred from major economic projects in Turkey, including a nuclear
power plant whose tender process is expected to soon begin, if the
bill was adopted.
Officials, however, have sought to calm widespread calls for a boycott
of French goods on the grounds that French companies based in Turkey
and employing Turks could be harmed.
The killings are one of the most controversial episodes in Turkish
history.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in
orchestrated killings between 1915 and 1917.
Turkey categorically rejects the genocide label, arguing that
300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when Armenians rose for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided
with invading Russian troops as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: LE PARLEMENT N’A PAS A ECRIRE L’HISTOIRE (PARISOT)
Agence France Presse
17 octobre 2006 mardi
La presidente du Medef, Laurence Parisot, a estime mardi qu’il
“n’appartient pas au legislateur d’ecrire l’Histoire” et que le vote
des deputes francais sur le genocide armenien “depasse ce qu’il est
normal de faire sur un sujet aussi grave”.
“Il n’appartient pas aux entreprises d’ecrire l’Histoire, mais
il n’appartient pas non plus au legislateur d’ecrire l’Histoire”,
a-t-elle declare lors de sa conference de presse mensuelle, jugeant
que “chacun doit rester a sa place”.
“Nous considerons que ce qui a ete vote depasse ce qu’il est normal de
faire sur un sujet aussi grave. On ne peut pas prendre des mesures de
ce type sans se poser des questions sur les consequences”, a-t-elle
poursuivi.
“Il est facile de comprendre qu’une reaction trop vive des autorites
ou des responsables economiques turcs peut etre très prejudiciable
pour la sante des entreprises francaises”, a-t-elle dit, rappelant
que beaucoup d’entreprises francaises sont implantees en Turquie ou
exportent vers ce pays.
Estimant que “cette affaire est suffisamment inquietante”, la
presidente du Medef a annonce qu’elle rencontrerait ce mardi a
Bruxelles le president du TUSIAD (patronat turc), Omer Sabanci,
en marge d’une reunion de l’Unice, le mouvement patronal europeen.
La Turquie s’est indignee du vote la semaine dernière par l’Assemblee
nationale d’une proposition de loi sanctionnant la negation du
“genocide armenien” de peines allant jusqu’a un an de prison et 45.000
euros (57.000 dollars) d’amende.
Le texte controverse doit encore etre soumis aux senateurs, puis aux
deputes en seconde lecture, avant d’etre definitivement adopte.
–Boundary_(ID_8YjBytUGXhoGMCGlaPzEtA)–