GEORGIAN EXPERIENCE INTERESTED VARTAN KHACHATRYAN
Panorama.am
15:29 19/06/06
Armenian finance minister Vartan Khachatryan said in a press
conference they are interested in Georgian experience of collecting
taxes. According to Georgian forecasts, taxes will make up 20% of
Georgian GDP whereas in Armenia the rate is very low. Last year taxes
made up only 14.3% of the Armenian GDP.
“Increase in tax revenues are a major problem for the government,”
Khachatryan said adding that GDP growth is big in the country whereas
taxe revenues stay behind.

HUNGARY TO DEDICATE MEMORIAL TO ETHNIC GERMANS EXPELLED AFTER WORLD WAR II
AP Worldstream
Jun 18, 2006
Hungary on Sunday will dedicate a memorial to the thousands of ethnic
Germans who were expelled from the country after World War II.
The mass expulsion from Hungary of those considered to be Germans
began on Jan. 19, 1946, in the small town of Budaors on the western
outskirts of Budapest, the capital.
President Laszlo Solyom, Parliament Speaker Katalin Szili, and Ursula
Seiler-Albring, Germany’s ambassador to Hungary, are expected to
speak at the ceremony in Budaors’s Old Cemetery.
In just six weeks, some 7,000 people _ around 90 percent of the
population of the town known in German as Wundersch _ were forced
out of Hungary and deported to Germany.
“Without judgment on merits, almost all of the town’s population
was branded on the basis of the principle of collective guilt,” the
town said in a pamphlet commemorating the expulsions. “All those
who considered themselves ethnic Germans or whose mother language
was German according to the 1941 census were among the guilty, among
those expelled.”
In all, some 200,000 ethnic Germans were driven from Hungary until
1948.
Similar measures were also undertaken in the former Czechoslovakia,
where some 3 million ethnic Germans and 600,000 ethnic Hungarians
were expelled after the war under the decrees of former Czechoslovak
President Edvard Benes because many had supported Adolf Hitler and
the Nazi occupation of Eastern Europe.
Today, ethnic Germans are one of 13 national or ethnic minorities
recognized in Hungary, also including Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks,
Roma (Gypsies) and Serbs.
An exhibition on the expulsion of the German population from Hungary
opened June 1, at the House of Terror in Budapest.

RUSSIA SAYS CHECHEN REBEL LEADER SLAIN AFTER ASSOCIATE TIPS OFF POLICE
Kazbek Vakhayev
AP Worldstream
Jun 18, 2006
Police killed the Chechen rebel leader acting on a tip from within
his network, a possible blow to efforts to spread the increasingly
Islam-inspired insurgency throughout southern Russia.
Abdul-Khalim Sadulayev was shot Saturday during a raid on a hideout
in his Chechen hometown of Argun, nine miles east of Grozny. He had
been planning a terror attack in Argun to coincide with the Group of
Eight summit of leading industrialized nations in St. Petersburg in
mid-July, the Moscow-backed Chechen premier said.
Wearing combat fatigues, Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov posed for TV
cameras next to a half-naked bloodied body identified as the rebel
leader’s. He said a close associate of Sadulayev’s tipped police to
his whereabouts for the equivalent of US$55 (A43).
“He urgently needed to buy a dose of heroin, so he sold his leader
for heroin,” Kadyrov, flanked by his lieutenants, said with a grin.
The prime minister said his paramilitary police had wanted to capture
Sadulayev but had to kill him when he resisted arrest. Russian
television stations showed the basement of a house where the rebel
leader was allegedly hiding, its wall riddled with bullets.
“The terrorists have been virtually beheaded. They have sustained a
severe blow, and they are never going to recover from it,” Kadyrov
said. “We must decisively end international terrorism in the whole
of the North Caucasus.”
The mountainous Caucasus region encompasses southern Russia _ including
the breakaway Chechen republic _ and the former Soviet republics of
Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
An intelligence agent and a police officer were killed in the
operation, the Federal Security Service, the main KGB successor agency,
said in a statement. One rebel also was killed and two rebels escaped,
NTV news reported.
Top rebel aide Ibrahim Mezhidov confirmed Sadulayev was killed,
according to the Kavkaz Center Web site sympathetic to the rebels.
Speaking to Ekho Moskvy radio, rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev, who lives
in London, denounced the killing as a “political murder.” He said
warlord Doku Umarov would now become secessionist president.
An Islamic scholar, Sadulayev took over after Russian forces killed
rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov in March 2005. Maskhadov had called
Sadulayev a co-organizer of one of the most high-profile Chechen
rebel attacks: a 2004 raid on police and security installations in
the neighboring republic of Ingushetia that killed some 90 people.
Russian prosecutors consider Sadulayev the top organizer of the 2001
kidnapping of Kenneth Gluck, of New York, who worked for Doctors
Without Borders in southern Russia. Gluck was freed after 25 days.
Previously, Sadulayev had been an imam of his hometown mosque. He
preached on local television when Chechnya enjoyed de-facto
independence after the Russian troops’ withdrawal following the
botched 1994-96 Chechen campaign.
Though rooted in nationalist sentiment, Chechnya’s separatist movement
took on a growing Islamic cast after Russian forces launched a second
Chechen invasion in 1999. In 2002, Sadulayev was named the chief
judge of the Chechen rebels’ court of Islamic law.
As rebel president, Sadulayev presided over insurgent efforts to
reach beyond Chechen borders and encourage militant movements in
nearby Caucasus regions.
Militant cells linked to Chechen rebels have spread quickly across
the volatile Caucasus provinces, encouraged by the region’s poverty
and simmering public anger at police brutality and persecution of
Muslims who worship outside officially sanctioned mosques.
“Sadulayev has cast himself as the leader of the so called ‘Caucasus
Front,’ the man leading a new generation of young militants,” Alexei
Malashenko, and expert with the Carnegie Endowment’s Moscow office,
told The Associated Press.
He also was a compromise figure, accepted by different militant cells
throughout the Caucasus, and as a result his death deals a serious
blow to the Chechen rebel movement, said Alexander Ignatenko, head
of the Moscow-based Institute for Religion and Politics.
“Heads of regional cells have sworn an oath of allegiance to him,”
Ignatenko told AP. “They might not accept another Chechen as their
leader.”‘
Some analysts said that Sadulayev’s death could set stage for a turf
battle between warlords Umarov and Shamil Basayev.
A top rebel commander, Basayev has claimed responsibility for some
of Russia’s worst terror attacks, including the seizure of some 800
hostages in a Moscow theater in October 2002 and the September 2004
school hostage taking in Beslan that killed 331.
“Basayev is much more authoritative than Umarov,” Malashenko said.
The Chechen prime minister _ whose feared paramilitary forces are
suspected of abducting civilians and other violence _ vowed Saturday
to track down both warlords.
Political commentator Yulia Latynina said the rebel leader’s killing
marked the beginning of Kadyrov’s bid for regional presidency. “By
liquidating a major rebel figure … Kadyrov wanted to prove his
loyalty to federal authorities,” she said on Ekho Moskvy.
Kadyrov is the son of Chechnya’s first pro-Moscow president, Akhmad
Kadyrov, who was assassinated in a rebel bombing in 2004. He has
moved up steadily within the region’s Kremlin-backed government and
is expected to become Chechen president when he reaches the mandated
age of 30 in October.

OPENING OF THE 2ND FLOOR OF THE KALAYDJIAN REST HOME
;pID=5 9&cID=4&s=2
17-06-2006
The President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos, on Wednesday 28
June, at 7:00 pm. will open the newly constructed second floor of
the Kalaydjian Rest Home.
Open cocktail reception to follow.
The Kalaydjian Foundation is a non-profit benevolent organization
set up in 1984 with the purpose of helping disadvantaged and needy
members of society, with a major focus being on the Armenian community
in Cyprus.
According to its founding charter, the Foundation aims to set up
and maintain a rest home for the elderly, grant scholarships to
gifted students for higher education in Cyprus or abroad, give
financial assistance to people in urgent need of medical treatment
abroad, provide aid to disadvantaged members of society in Cyprus,
provide funding for the restoration of buildings and monuments of
traditional character and/or architecture, and to promote and sponsor
the development of culture and the arts in Cyprus.
One of the Kalaydjian Foundation’s main roles at present is the
running of the Kalaydjian Rest Home for the Elderly, which it opened
in March 1988 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The Kalaydjian Rest Home was built
by the brothers Bedros and Aram Kalaydjian in memory of their parents
and originally comprised 12 rooms, but following a major renovation
and extension in 2005, it now boasts 22 rooms with capacity for
a total of 40 people. Its facilities include two large sitting
rooms with libraries and satellite television, two dining rooms,
and air-conditioning, television and private bathrooms in every room.
Furthermore, a small chapel was added next to the home in 1996 to
address its residents’ spiritual needs.

EXHIBITION OF ARMENIAN ICONS
;pID=5 8&cID=4&s=2
16-06-2006
His Eminence Archbishop Varoujan & The Armenian Prelacy of Cyprus
Present An Exhibition of 33 Armenian Icons By Iconographer Rev.
Hovsep Ashkarian dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of the Armenian
Cathedral of Sourp Asdvadzadzin in Nicosia
The Exhibition will be opened By the Rev. Archimandrite Isaias Kykkotis
Representing the Bishop of Kykko
VENUE:- “Utidjian” Hall of the Armenian Prelacy
OPENING:- Sunday, 18th June 2006 At 12:00 noon
LAST DAY:- Friday, 24th June 2006
OPEN HOURS:- Daily between 09:00-13:00 and 20:00-22:00.

LOOKING FOR GUARANTEES
Aram Abrahamian
Aravot.am
16 June 06
EU and NATO aren’t Siamese twins; we can aspire to the EU but not
to the NATO. It’s another thing that the first organization doesn’t
need in either Armenia or any other former soviet country. But the
second is ready to involve us theoretically but agreeing with at this
moment will mean to find ourselves in strongest economic jeopardy of
Russia /depriving of gas, wheat, nuclear fuel etc./ and jeopardizing
Karabakh as well. If the RA President declares tomorrow that we have
a project for NATO membership, Russia will take revenge on us and
will encourage Azerbaijan’s attack on Karabakh in moral and military
cases. At this moment, it seems there is no guarantee that the West
will give us enough resources for counteracting those two economic
and military dangers.
I think, our aim must be the creation of those guarantees without
strict declarations in Sahakashvili style. Unfortunately our authority
goes just on the opposite way more deepening our dependence to
Russia. Selling the important branches of economy to Russia solves
our internal political problems and not our security, or rather the
problem of keeping the authority. For example selling the sphere of
communication to the Russian operator isn’t an obliged condition for
keeping the security of Armenia.
And our officials are constantly explaining the Western officials
in the outside sphere why we like Russians so much. The Na deputy
chairman Vahan Hovhannisian explained the NATO PA in Yerevan on
14 of June that the collective security agreement led by the RF
“has anti -terrorist character and provides for internal security
but anyway NATO membership means for Armenia to review relations
with that organization, for which Armenia isn’t ready today.” The
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said to “Azatutiun” b/s after
progress sitting of the NATO Council in the same day in Brussels;
“It became clear during discussions that everybody positively marked
our complementary policy and steps which we realize in security
problems”. It means the West treats with comprehension the fact of
being the “outpost” for Russia.
And it is the truth. Nobody makes us integrate to Europe. We, our
people need in it. But the guarantee for “getting rid of ” Russia
is the NK conflict settlement and democracy. But our authorities
don’t need in it.

Congressional Record: June 15, 2006 (House)]
> > From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access
> > [wais.access.gpo.gov]
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, next week the European Union will begin
conducting membership negotiations with Turkey. As this process begins,
it is important that the EU not allow Turkey to take any shortcuts. I
am confident the European Union will insist Turkey follow all the
proper steps and make the substantial changes necessary in many areas
before the nation could ever be accepted.
To date, I do not believe Turkey has made substantial and meaningful
progress in many of the areas that are of concern to members of
the European Union. Despite making commitments for its membership
negotiations, Turkey’s lack of progress in adhering to essential
democratic principles is of great concern. It continues to be in
breach of the pace and standards set forth under initial agreements
with the EU. In fact, the EU has prepared a report criticizing Turkey’s
reform process.
During next week’s meetings, the European Union must demand answers
from the Turkish government as to why the nation is not meeting
benchmarks it agreed to in order to receive EU consideration. The EU
must also begin to seriously explore Turkey’s continued disregard
for improving fundamental freedoms within its boundaries, freedoms
that are commonplace throughout the European Union.
There is no question Turkey is going to be forced and should be forced
to make dramatic improvements in these areas before it can ever be
considered for EU membership. The EU must also consider Turkey’s
relations with its neighbors. I remain a vocal critic of Turkey’s
treatment of both Armenia and Cyprus, and believe that these issues
must also be addressed during next week’s discussions.
Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned about Turkey’s lack of progress in
the diplomatic recognition of Armenia, the removal of its blockade
against Armenia, and ending its official policy of denial of the
Armenian genocide by coming to terms with it, an irrefutable historical
fact affirmed by an increasing number of EU member states and European
institutions.
Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the systematic killing of 1.5 million
Armenians has no limits. Just last month, Turkey pulled out of a NATO
exercise because the Canadian Prime Minister used the term “genocide”
in reference to the massacre. Prior to that, the Turkish Ambassador to
France was temporarily removed from the country as an act of protest
against a French law making it illegal to deny the Armenian genocide.
This type of behavior goes on and on. Five journalists who criticized
a court’s decision to cancel a conference on the genocide were
arrested. A leading Turkish novelist, Orhan Pamuk, was also arrested
and charged with insulting Turkey’s identity for referring to the
Armenian genocide. Clearly, Turkey’s protection of the fundamental
freedoms of a democracy is simply inadequate.
Now, meanwhile, Turkey continues to illegally occupy the northern
third of Cyprus. In 2001, the European Court of Human Rights rebuked
the Turkish government when the court overwhelmingly found Turkey
guilty of massive human rights violations in a scathing 146-page
decision. The court concluded Turkey has not done enough to investigate
the whereabouts of Greek-Cypriot missing persons who disappeared
during life-threatening situations after the occupation.
The findings of the European Court of Human Rights should be taken
very seriously by the EU, and the Turkish government should be forced
to respond to these devastating charges before even being considered
for membership.
Turkey must also agree to once again come to the table and negotiate
in good faith with Cyprus. Turkey simply cannot be admitted to the
European Union if Cyprus remains divided and Turkish troops are
still there.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in adding their support
to a letter I am circulating with my colleague, Carolyn Maloney of
New York. We will soon send a letter to Jose Manuel Barroso, President
of the European Commission, to express many of these same concerns. I
also strongly urge President Bush to personally raise these concerns
with President Barroso.
It is imperative Turkey’s progress is measured on the basis of its
complete accomplishment of all necessary criteria set forth by the
European Union.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Dual Citizenship Important for Unifying Interests of
RA Citizens and Diaspora
17.06.2006 15:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Dual citizenship is one of the most important tasks
for Armenia, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in Yerevan. In
his words, the problem arouses concern, since it refers to the
whole Armenian nation. “Dual citizenship is very important for the
unification of interests of the RA citizens and Diaspora. This is the
issue of pride and responsibility. The current state of Armenianhood,
specifically its division into Armenia and Diaspora is an imposed
state,” the RA FM said.
In his words, a number of events forced the Armenian nation to
it, these being the Genocide, establishment of the Soviet regime,
collapse of economy after obtaining independence and the war in
Karabakh. “Now Armenia, as a state, should return its citizens all
what they lost. A new state was formed in Armenia and it should be
strong and democratic. When speaking of rendering dual citizenship
to Armenians one should not forget that a great deal of work has been
carried out and the issue of military service and the right to elect
or being elected remain the only items unsettled,” Vartan Oskanian
said, reported Novosti-Armenia.

Karabakh: Change of OSCE MG Co-Chair Won’t Lead to Change of Positions
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.06.2006 15:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The change of the U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement will not have any
impact on the positions on the co-chair states on the issue, member
of ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction, chairman of the standing parliamentary
committee for foreign relations Armen Rustamian stated in Yerevan
yesterday. “I do not think it will have any impact. The Co-chairs
changed many times but the rotation caused not consequences,”
he underscored
In his words, the OSCE MG is the most admissible and optimal format
for the settlement in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict despite the fact
that no considerable progress has been fixed so far. “However it’s
not the fault of the mediators. They have carried out a great deal
of work and familiarized with the situation. One must not refuse from
this format and seek for a new one,” he said, reported Novosti-Armenia.
To note, Matthew J. Bryza was appointed new U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group on June 15.

EU slams Turkey in draft progress report
Sun Jun 18, 2006 10:48 AM BST
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The EU criticises the Turkish military’s role
in politics, a lack of reform and minority rights and relations
with Cyprus in the draft of a progress report due later this year,
a newspaper reported on Sunday.
The European Union is due to publish a progress report on Ankara’s
entry bid in October or November, a year on from the start of
negotiations, which on Friday turned frosty as Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan said he would sooner see talks suspended than make concessions
over new member Cyprus.
Turkey’s Cumhuriyet newspaper cited European Union sources on Sunday
as saying the first draft criticised Turkey’s refusal to open its
ports to Cyprus, as the EU demands, before the bloc lifts trade
restrictions on Turkish Cypriots
in breakaway Northern Cyprus.
The paper said the draft also notes a slowdown in political reform,
the military’s ongoing influence over political institutions and
calls for more work for judicial independence and rights for women
and minorities.
It also says conditions in the poor mainly Kurdish southeast, where
security forces are fighting separatist guerrillas, have deteriorated
and criticises relations with traditional enemies and neighbours
Greece and Armenia.
The paper said the draft would be amended but the sources did not
expect many changes to the essence of it.
EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Friday shot back at Erdogan’s
comments about Cyprus, with calls for Turkey to allow in traffic from
the tiny Mediterranean island by the end of the year.
Last week Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker was quoted
as saying membership talks should be frozen if Turkey does not open
its ports this year.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has said Turkey, which is not
expected to join the wealthy bloc until 2015 at the earliest, could
be heading for a “train crash” in its accession process and has urged
Ankara to step up reforms.