LAW AGAINST BIN LADEN
A1+
[04:20 pm] 04 October, 2006
“We are sick and tired of seeing large cars stopping in the middle
of the street in order for the driver to have a word with someone and
the police unable to punish those who break the law. We are sick and
tired of the atmosphere of impunity”, said NA deputy Speaker Vahan
Hovhannisyan during the discussions of the RA draft Law on “The
Activity of Guards”. The latter is also the co-author of the draft.
Continuing his speech, Vahan Hovhannisyan noted that the law does
not increase the authorizations of the guards but limits them, and
the police are given a real chance to take the sphere under control.
According to him, the Russian authorities have managed to do exactly
the same and the punish those who break the law.
“Some of the deputies considered this draft insignificant, but in that
case combat against pornography may be considered insignificant too”,
Vahan Hovhannisyan announced.
Other co-author of the draft Hrayr Karapetyan announced that the
necessity of the law proceeds from the discontent of the people, and
the private guard organizations and those who realize their activity
in the illegal field must be brought to the legal sphere.
He also informed that if the field is not regulated, Ben Laden may
arrive in Armenia one day, create a guard organization and commit and
terrorist act. He added that the Government has made 17 offers which
they are ready to accept in order for the law to be accepted by the
first hearing and amended later.
The discussion of the issue is over; the draft will be voted as soon
as the deputies deign to arrive at the Parliament hall.

KURDS DECLARED CEASE-FIRE
A1+
[04:45 pm] 04 October, 2006
>From October 1 the Union of Kurdistan Organizations declared cease-fire
calling on the Turkish authorities “to give up their attempts to
solve the problem by force and to start negotiations”.
This was the order of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdish
people, who is sentenced to life imprisonment in Turkey. The Kurds
have decided to follow it, as “Turkey displays a desire to settle
separate issues”.
President of “Kurdistan” Committee, editor-in-chief of newspaper
“Mesopotamia” Rash Charqyazeh says that after 2.5 years of bloodshed
between the Kurds and the Turks the international community and the
Turkish and Kurdish public and political circles are seriously
concerned and make statements about the necessity of a new
cease-fire. The previous one was violated on June 1, 2004.
“Cease-fire does not mean weakness; it means decisiveness to take new
political and diplomatic steps”, says Midia Rezan, representative of
the Caucasian wing of the Kurdistan Organizations Union>
According to member of “Kurdistan” Committee, member of the National
minorities committee adjunct to the RA President Knyaz Hasanov,
during the last 20 years the Turks have leveled to earth more than
5000 Kurdish villages, more than 10 000 Kurdish people have been
sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism and tortured. “They have
also blown up a kindergarten where 11 children died and more than 10
were injured”, he added.
And still, the Kurds of Armenia condemn every kind of terrorist act,
whoever might commit them.

WILL THE USA RECOGNIZE THE INDEPENDENCE OF NKR?
A1+
[03:49 pm] 04 October, 2006
Washington, DC – To mark the 15th Anniversary of Artsakh’s
Independence, Members of Congress joined the Co-Chairs of the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)
and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), in sending a letter to President Bush
urging him “to recognize the 15th anniversary of the independence of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic [Artsakh]” and calling the President’s
attention to Artsakh’s “efforts in furthering their democracy and
creating an independent state.”
Nagorno Karabakh’s decision to establish a sovereign state came as a
continuation of the national liberation movement that began immediately
after Joseph Stalin awarded administrative control over Karabakh
to Soviet Azerbaijan in 1921. After suffering from over 70 years of
discrimination and oppression by Azerbaijan and the Soviet regime, the
people of Artsakh stepped up their struggle for freedom and democracy
by establishing the independent Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh.
The congressional letter, signed by 77 members and sent to the White
House on September 29, highlights a long history of U.S support to
Nagorno Karabakh and the will of the people of Artsakh to build a
democratic and economically viable country. The letter also notes
the continuation of Azerbaijan’s destructive policy, which
threatens peace and stability in the region and “goes against
U.S. interests.” Most importantly, the congressional letter advocates
for expansion of U.S. political and economic engagement with Nagorno
Karabakh.
The letter said in part: “As we work towards peace, the United
States can and must expand its engagement with the lawfully and
democratically established Nagorno Karabakh Republic. These ties
should not be dictated by outside forces but rather should be guided
by the shared values of our two nations. […] We should build on this
success by investing in developmental and good governance programs that
will strengthen Nagorno-Karabakh’s economy, democratic institutions,
and promote even greater cooperation on a range of regional and
security issues.” (The full text of the letter is provided at the
end of the release.)
Despite the overwhelming challenges of the past 15 years, Artsakh has
registered impressive achievements: successful defense of its freedom
against Azerbaijani military aggression, nearly complete restoration of
its war-devastated economy, continued strengthening of its democracy,
unprecedented economic growth and constructive partnership with the
international community to bring about lasting peace and stability
to the South Caucasus.
“Everyday, we are advancing in building a country of our dreams – a
free, democratic and prosperous Artsakh. Fifteen years of independent
statehood have proved the righteousness of the historic path chosen
on September 2, 1991. Throughout these years, the people of Artsakh
have been truly blessed to enjoy the political and economic support
of the U.S. Congress.
We are deeply thankful to the American people for their generous
economic assistance that helped restore dozens of war-torn
villages, drinking water supplies and medical facilities,” said NKR
Representative in the United States Vardan Barseghian.
Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), who co-chairs the Armenian Caucus,
said: “The United States stands for freedom and democracy, values
that have vividly triumphed in Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, without
any international support. I am proud to support this nation as it
works to achieve formal international recognition of its well-deserved
independence. The U.S. economic assistance to Nagorno Karabakh should
be continued.”
“Time and again, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have demonstrated
their firm commitment to values of liberty and peace. They have
also worked hard to establish a developing democracy and growing
market economy. The United States should expand its political and
economic engagement with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,” echoed fellow
Armenian Caucus Co-chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). Congressmen
Knollenberg and Pallone also thanked their colleagues, the co-signers
of this congressional letter to President Bush, for supporting this
critical initiative. “In its quest for freedom and its efforts to
strengthen its democracy and develop its economy, Nagorno Karabakh
enjoys a broad-based congressional support. Our collective aim was to
convey this message to President Bush as the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
celebrates the 15th Anniversary of Independence,” the congressmen said.
This congressional effort enjoyed strong support of the two
Armenian-American advocacy groups in Washington, DC.
“The Armenian Assembly commends Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone
for their initiative and leadership in urging the U.S. to strengthen
relations with Karabakh as it celebrates 15 years of independence,”
said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “As we mark this
special occasion, we are reminded of the accomplishments the people
of Karabakh have already achieved. The Assembly will continue to work
with its friends in Congress and the Administration to advocate for
Karabakh’s right to self-determination.”
“We want to thank Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone and all those
who joined with the Armenian Caucus in marking this milestone of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s continued contribution to the growth of
democracy, economic development, and the prospects for an equitable
and lasting peace in the Caucasus,” said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian.
On behalf of the NKR Government, Barseghian thanked the Armenian
Assembly of America and the Armenian National Committee of America
for their effective work on Capitol Hill.
“We are also grateful to our congressional friends for their continued
support of Nagorno Karabakh on our path towards freedom, democracy
and prosperity — universal values that have been guiding Artsakh
since independence,” said Representative Barseghian.
The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is
based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia
and the public representing the official policies and interests of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

POWER SUPPLY HALTED BECAUSE OF LIGHTNING
A1+
[03:30 pm] 04 October, 2006
The residents of several districts of Yerevan have serious concerns
about the possible resumption of periodical cessation of power supply,
especially taking into account the fact that the Nuclear power station
has ceased its work for 45 days. Power supply was halted in Ajapnyak,
Nor Norq, Arabkir and Kentron.
The situation lasted up to 10 hours.
According to press secretary of “Armenian electricity supply network”
Zara Torikyan, the reason was the weather: the strong wind and the
rain damaged the overhead cables which were rather old. According
to the press secretary, the cables are being repaired. By the way,
in several districts were power supply wasn’t halted, the residents
themselves switched off the safety devices.
Zara Torikyan informed “A1+” that the situation lasted
only a few hours, and the results of the incident were soon
eliminated. Nevertheless, the building in Buzand 1/3 was deprived of
electricity for ten solid hours.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE-LED TEAM STARTS MISSION TO ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF SOUTHERN CAUCASUS FIRES
Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

Oct 4 2006
BAKU, 3 October 2006 – An OSCE-led team of international experts,
backed by a United Nations General Assembly resolution, began an
11-day mission today to assess the environmental impact of fires in
and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
Bernard Snoy, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental
Activities, heads the Environmental Assessment Mission, which
includes United Nations, Council of Europe and European Union and
NASA specialists and other local and international experts. Other
OSCE officials will also participate.
“The mandate of the Mission is to assess the short-term and long-term
impact of the fires on the environment in the fire-affected territories
and to make recommendations on how to counteract those consequences,”
said Mr. Snoy. “We will make recommendations for a future environmental
operation that would, among others, prevent the reoccurrence of
such fires.”
“It is significant that this team draws on specialist knowledge from
several international organizations as well as local expertise,”
he added.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/60/285)
last month that called on the United Nations Environment Programme
in particular to work with the OSCE. The resolution asked the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office to provide a report to the United Nations General
Assembly by 30 April 2007.
The UN resolution said the General Assembly was seriously concerned by
the fires and said they had inflicted widespread environmental damage.
To ensure the assessment is as comprehensive as possible, the Mission
will examine and assess fire-affected areas along both sides of the
Line of Contact, Mr. Snoy said.

OF HEARTS, MINDS AND WALLETS IN SOUTH OSSETIA
By Shaun Walker
The Moscow Times, Russia
Oct 5 2006
My visit to Tskhinvali this summer, the capital of the breakaway
republic of South Ossetia, provoked a sense of disappointment
similar to that which I felt when visiting Tiraspol, the capital of
Transdnestr, last year. With my information about the places filtered
through the occasional sensationalist Western media report, I turned
up in both cases excitedly expecting to find the final frontier;
a gangster-ridden epicenter of weapons and human smuggling; a dark
and wild version of the Soviet Union. Instead, what I got in both
wannabe capitals was a sleepy provincial town, with tree-lined
streets and ordinary people going about their business trying to
make ends meet. Tskhinvali is little more than a village, with a
population similar to a medium-sized dacha colony somewhere outside
Moscow. Children play on the swings, old ladies chatter noisily on
benches and mothers carry enormous circular lavash bread home to
their families.
As Georgia and Russia this week moved beyond verbal sparring into
something more serious, the fate of these breakaway regions again came
under discussion. That Moscow supports the Abkhaz and South Ossetian
separatist regimes is one of the biggest problems Georgia has with
Russia. The South Ossetian leadership promised Monday to withdraw
from peace talks, and the conflict over the small patch of land on
the southern side of the Caucasus Mountains rumbles on with no end
in sight. While South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity is something
of a suspicious character, and many in the leadership there are
obstructionist and unhelpful, the idea of them as Soviet throwbacks or
Russian puppets resisting the forward march of a modern and democratic
Georgia needs some adjusting. Actually visiting the unrecognized
republic has made me rather skeptical about pronouncements about
re-integrating South Ossetia in order to restore Georgia’s territorial
integrity, in the way that many Georgians seem to think is possible.
If Tskhinvali seems for all the world like a normal provincial town
in the Caucasus, the one thing that is noticeably different is the
lack of working- age people, especially men. Almost every family
has someone working in Russia earning money, which they send home to
support their families. In South Ossetia, as Vakhtang Dzhigkayev, an
economic adviser to the administration, told me, there are two choices:
“Work in the government, or go to North Ossetia.”
Unlike Transdnestr, there is no Soviet-era industrial complex
and there are no natural resources. Unlike Abkhazia, there is
no strategic coastline providing an outlet to the world beyond
Russia and Georgia and the chance to attract tourists. And unlike
Nagorno-Karabakh, there is no wealthy diaspora coming to invest in
rebuilding infrastructure. This makes the Ossetians dependent to a
large degree on support from Moscow.
The Georgians would have people believe that Russian influence in
South Ossetia is simply the Kremlin maneuvering to punish Georgia for
its pro-Western stance. There is certainly an element of that. But
aside from the Russians installed in high positions in the Ossetian
leadership and the propaganda posters of a grinning Vladimir Putin
with the slogan “Nash Prezident,” any visitor to Ossetia will notice
significant ground-level pro-Russian sentiment, or at least an
appreciation of the possibilities that being close to Russia offers.
The “passportization” of the region by Russia (more than 90 percent
of residents hold Russian passports) is usually represented as
Moscow’s meddling hand stirring up trouble. But on the ground,
a Russian passport represents a lifeline for South Ossetians — a
way to get an education or a job in Vladikavkaz or Moscow. Walking
the streets and talking to people, it seems inconceivable that these
people could integrate back into the Georgian state without it being
a long and painful process. For a start, only the eldest generation
speaks the language well. On the streets, people speak Ossetian, an
Iranian language very different to most of the surrounding Caucasus
languages. Almost everyone speaks Russian fluently, but as for
Georgian, “We only know the swear words,” one young man told me with a
smile. These people would not be able to get jobs or study in Tbilisi.
Russia provides them with their only chance to do something with
their lives.
Few in the Ossetian leadership seem ready to address their image
problem, however. When I visited, I was told by the head of the
republic’s press and information committee that for many months
entrance had been barred to foreign journalists, because they weren’t
trusted to write positive articles. Dzhigkayev, the economic advisor,
told me that he had worked for days to persuade people to allow
three constitutional experts from the Council of Europe to visit the
republic. Officials had been suspicious of the experts and had wanted
to keep them out. But it is exactly this type of contact that will help
the Ossetians in the long run — letting in as many Western experts
and journalists as possible, explaining their position and problems,
and putting across their side of the argument. It might not lead to
recognition of their right to self determination, but it would at
least help people to understand their position better.
As things stand, it’s hard to see any progress any time soon. One
respected Georgian journalist told me: “There is not a single person
in Georgia who would be willing to compromise over South Ossetia
remaining part of Georgia in some way.” Meanwhile, a senior Ossetian
official said: “While there is anyone still alive in Tskhinvali,
the Georgian army will not be here.” These sentiments are so far
apart that a solution in the near future seems inconceivable. If the
starting positions of both sides were two circles in a Venn diagram,
they would not even come close to touching.
But the Ossetians’ hatred for Georgia does not translate into
unquestioning admiration for Russia. “We know Russia only supports us
because it’s in their interests to do so,” Irina Gagloyeva, the head
of the republic’s Press and Information Committee, told me. People
are wary of Russia and its intentions, and admit they are no more
than Russia’s plaything in the South Caucasus. “But we at least want
to be a plaything treated in a dignified manner,” said Gagloyeva.
It really doesn’t seem much to ask. It also suggests that if Georgia
begins to offer more carrots than sticks and works at trying to
build a prosperous society, one day more ordinary Ossetians might
come to think that looking south towards Tbilisi is a better option
than looking north to the North Ossetian capital of Vladikavkaz and
Beslan. After all, when joining the Russian North Caucasus seems like
your best option, your other options must be pretty bad.
For now, the Georgian rhetoric, especially coming out of the Defense
Ministry, confirms all the Ossetians’ fears about Tbilisi’s intentions.
Military construction in Gori and the insistence that the New Year
will be celebrated in Tskhinvali are clearly more reminiscent of
shock and awe than hearts and minds. Back in Tbilisi, Mamuka Kudava,
the Georgian deputy defense minister, met me in his office — which
contains a large NATO flag – and told me: “There are only 10,000
people in Tskhinvali. It makes no sense to talk about what they
want.” Barring the unlikely options of an ethnic cleansing campaign
in South Ossetia or a Chechnya-style destruction of the territory,
Georgia might have to start talking about it soon.
Shaun Walker is a Staff Writer for Russia Profile.

EU SHOULD NOT INTERFERE IN ARMENIA AND TURKEY, SENER
Turkish Press
Oct 4 2006
BRUSSELS – Turkish State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif
Sener warned the EU and some other countries not to interfere in
Turkish-Armenian relations.
Sener is in Belgian capital of Brussels to participate in events
organized by the Turkish Industrialists` & Businessmen`s Association
(TUSIAD) and European Policy Center to mark the first anniversary of
the start of Turkey-EU negotiations.
In an exclusive interview with the A.A correspondent, Sener referred
to French President Jacques Chirac`s remarks about the so-called
Armenian genocide allegations, and said, “Chirac said that recognition
of so-called Armenian genocide should be a pre-condition before
Turkey`s EU membership. A resolution is being discussed in France,
and it foresees fine and imprisonment for those who deny Armenian
genocide. It is not possible to accept such an attitude. This is
against the cultural atmosphere the EU is trying to create.”
“Armenia is not a European country, it is an Asian country. So, it is
a third country for the EU. So, it is meaningless to bring this matter
up within the scope of Turkey`s EU membership process,” he stated.
Sener added, “whether it is an EU member or another country, everybody
who is affecting the Armenian policy from outside should give up
his endeavors.
Chirac`s remarks are not sincere, they aim to affect the domestic
policy.”
-CYPRUS PROBLEM-
On Cyprus problem, Sener said that the plan which was prepared by EU
Acting President Finland and envisions opening of Maras and Magosa
port, is being examined and assessed.
“Let`s see Cyprus as a whole, let`s review ports issue together with
the embargoes on TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). Let`s make
a positive progress in both of these matters. These are proposals made
by Turkey. And, it is the Greek Cypriot administration who resists. If
the EU gives up standing behind every demand of the Greek Cypriot
administration, they may have to reach compromise and try to resolve
the problem,” he added.

AZERI AND LATVIAN PRESIDENTS SIGNED JOINT DECLARATION
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND, Azerbaijan
Oct 4 2006
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev and the
President of the Republic of Latvia Ms. Vaira Vîíe-Freiberga signed
Joint Declaration on October 4 in Riga. Trend presents the text of
the Declaration:
The Parties noted their satisfaction with the fact that during the
official visits of the President of the Republic of Latvia Ms. Vaira
Vîíe-Freiberga to the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 2-4, 2005
and of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr Ilham Aliyev
to the Republic of Latvia on October 4-5, 2006, created broad legal
basis for development of relations between two countries and would
give a special impetus to the development of relations between two
friendly states on a new level. During the visit of the President of
the Republic of Latvia, Ms. Vaira Vîíe-Freiberga to the Republic of
Azerbaijan in 2005, agreements in such important fields as economic
cooperation, taxation, investment promotion and protection, as
well as customs cooperation were signed. During the visit of the
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Latvia,
agreements in fields as air services, communication, information and
communication technologies, education, finances, as well as health
and medical sciences were signed.
The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and
the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Economic, Scientific,
Technical and Cultural Cooperation signed on October 3, 2005 provides
for establishing an Intergovernmental Commission. The Parties
emphasized the important task of the Intergovernmental Commission
in the mutual relations between the two countries, specifically in
promoting economic and trade cooperation, in enhancing cooperation
between the small and medium size enterprises.
The Parties stressed their determination to develop the relations
on the basis of the values such as the rule of law, democracy,
human rights, and market economy. In this regard, the Latvian
side welcomed the efforts of Azerbaijan aimed at strengthening the
ongoing democratisation, promoting the principles of civil society
and market economy.
The Parties emphasized the importance of development of political
dialogue at the high levels and expansion of cooperation between
bodies of legislative and executive power of the two states.
The Parties reaffirmed the importance of inter-parliamentary relations,
including the cooperation in the framework of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The Parties underlined the importance to increase the level of trade,
economic, investment and technical cooperation.
The Parties stressed the importance of taking additional measures for
the expansion of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere-culture,
education, health, mass media and other fields. They welcomed
creation and expansion of relations among the tourism, youth and
student organizations as well as trade unions and nongovernmental
organizations.
The Parties, recognizing the historic similarity in process of
achieving independence by two nations, emphasized the importance of
developing relations in the field of joint scientific and archive
researches. In this regard, they underlined the importance of
conducting researches devoted to the history of proclamation of
independence of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan on May 28,
1918 and that of the Republic of Latvia on November 18, 1918.
The Parties confirmed that they would strengthen bilateral military and
military-technical cooperation, which meets ensuring security interests
and does not contradict international obligations of both countries.
The Parties, fully supporting and guided by the principles of the UN
Charter and the OSCE basic documents, emphasized the importance of a
peaceful solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
on the basis of the universally recognized principles and norms of
the international law, with particular regard to the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of the States, and the inviolability of
internationally recognized borders.
Referring to the continuing efforts within the OSCE towards peaceful
resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well
as the Minsk Group activity, the Parties reiterated the importance
of taking more substantial and decisive steps in this regard.
The Parties committed themselves to continue their efforts to
increase the effectiveness of mutual cooperation within the UN, OSCE
and others international organizations. Regarding the UN reform, the
Parties believe that attention should be focused on strengthening the
central role of the organisation in international matters, increasing
its effectiveness and use of potential in the face of new threats
and challenges to the existing order of the world. Reforms of the UN
administration must be based on the principle of unanimity and fully
reflect the common interests of the organisation’s member states.
Both Parties discussed the upcoming election of the UN
Secretary-General, and the Azerbaijani party welcomes and appreciates
the nomination of H.E. Vaira Vîíe-Freiberga, the President of the
Republic of Latvia, to the post of the Secretary General of the United
Nations, as the first ever woman candidate in the history of this
universal organization. The Azerbaijani party emphasized that the
personal commitment and the expertise of H.E. Vaira Vîíe-Freiberga
for UN reform process would contribute to the implementation of the
UN reforms.
The Parties expressed their support to close cooperation within the
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the NATO Partnership for Peace
Program and the presented by Azerbaijan Individual Partnership
Action Plan.
The Parties will conduct consultations and continue joint efforts
for extension of relationship of Azerbaijan with the European Union
and NATO. To this end, Latvia expressed its readiness to share with
Azerbaijan the experience gained by its state institutions in the
process of its integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.
Both Parties underlined with satisfaction the positive influence
of the European Neighborhood Policy for Azerbaijan’s approximation
to the European Union and emphasized that the European Neighborhood
Policy would contribute to the restoration of stability and security
in the Southern Caucasus. In this context, the Latvian part supported
the Action Plan for the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Latvian part stressed the significance of economic reforms in the
Republic of Azerbaijan and expressed its support for the accession
process of Azerbaijan to the World Trade Organization.
The Parties underlined the increasing importance of the European
energy security and emphasized, in this regard, the growing role of
the Caspian Sea region energy resources in securing European energy
demands. It is necessary to strengthen the ties between the European
Union and the Caspian Sea region in terms of energy cooperation. In
this context, both Parties stressed the international importance
of opening and start-up of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil
pipeline as well as the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
gas pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway projects. The
Parties expressed interest in a closer co-operation in the development
of transport corridors using the transit potential of both countries.
The Parties noted the increasing influence of the Baltic Sea region
on the European and global levels. In this context, the Azerbaijani
part stated the importance of mutual cooperation in implementation of
various projects in the Baltic Sea region on the basis of reciprocal
benefit.
The Parties agreed on the importance of the dialogue between religions
and civilizations and expressed the need for the expansion of relations
and understanding between Christianity, Islam and other cultures and
civilizations in order to create good conditions for harmony of peace,
freedom, rights and justice.
This Joint Declaration has been signed in Riga, on October 4, 2006
in two original copies, each of them in Latvian, Azerbaijani and
English languages.
–Boundary_(ID_GkeCy8USU1pibK2p1dH15A) —

M.F.A. EXPRESSES DEEP SORROW OVER STATEMENTS OF CHIRAC IN ARMENIA
Turkish Press
Oct 4 2006
ANKARA – Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed deep sorrow over statements
of French President Jacques Chirac who supported so-called Armenian
genocide during his visit to Armenia.
Foreign Ministry stated that it is not possible to accept Chirac’s
definition of the incidents (which occurred under World War I
conditions in 1915 and were interpreted differently by many respected
international historians) as “genocide”.
“However, when several implementations during colonialism period
of France were brought onto agenda last year, President Chirac had
defended the view that historical incidents should be examined by
historians,” noted the Ministry.
“Turkish people have rightfully reacted to Chirac who is making
groundless statements and giving an impression as if so-called Armenian
genocide is among Turkey’s EU criteria instead of supporting Turkey’s
proposal to Armenia to examine the allegations in a joint commission
of historians which we have not yet received a positive response,”
added the Ministry.

POPE BENEDICT’S TRIP TO TURKEY ON TRACK.
Wanted in Rome, Italy
Oct 4 2006
Preparations for Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to Turkey at the
end of November are going ahead despite a series of security issues,
according to Vatican authorities. On 3 October, the Turkish press
printed a message from Al Qaeda threatening any Muslims who play host
to the pope in Turkey, including state authorities. On the same day,
a Turkish national flying from Tirana in Albania to Istanbul hijacked
the plane and demanded that it land in Italy so he could deliver a
letter to the pope, sparking fears of a terrorist attack. After the
plane landed safely in Brindisi, the man was found to be unarmed and
is thought to have been trying to enlist the pope’s help to avoid
national service in Turkey. A Christian convert, the man said he did
not want to fight in a Muslim army.
The incidents follow the pope’s speech at the university of Regensburg
on a trip to Bavaria on 12 September in which he quoted a 14th-century
orthodox Christian emperor saying the prophet Muhammed had brought the
world only “evil and inhuman” things, causing widespread outrage across
the Muslim world. The pope subsequently apologized for the upset.
The last pope, John Paul II, was shot four times on 13 May 1981 by
a Turkish national in St Peter’s Square. His would-be assassin, Ali
Agca, has warned the current pope not to make the trip to Turkey,
which is currently scheduled from 28 November until 1 December.
Turkey’s population is 98 per cent Muslim, with a 100,000-strong
Christian community as well as orthodox Armenians and Jews making up
the remaining two per cent. Membership negotiations with the country’s
government for entry into the European Union began in October 2005.
d_n=2304
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress