ENP ACTION PLAN REPRESENTS SIGNIFICANT STEP IN RELATIONS BETWEEN EU AND ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. During the visit of the Foreign
Ministers’ troika of the European Union to Armenia, an agreement in
principle has been reached on a final ENP Action Plan text. This is
said in the October 2 joint statement of the Foreign Ministers’ Troika
of the EU and Armenia. According to the statement, the necessary
steps can now be taken in order to prepare the formal adoption of
the Action Plan at the next EU-Armenia Cooperation Council, to be
held on the 14th of November in Brussels.
It is noted in the statement that the European Neighbourhood Policy
Action Plan is a significant step towards an increasingly close
relationship between the EU and Armenia, going beyond co-operation, to
involve a significant measure of economic integration and deepening of
political co-operation. “The European Union and Armenia are determined
to make use of this occasion to enhance their relations and to promote
prosperity, stability, and security,” the statement reads.

STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN ACTION PLAN WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF ENP SIGNED
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Action Plan to be
implemented within the framework of the European Union New Neighborhod
Policy (ENP) gives Armenia a possibility to be involved in a more
intensive political dialogue with EU, including around issues of
security, and to take part in integration processes in the economic
sphere. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian declared this at the
October 2 ceremony of signing a statement on Armenian Action Plan
within the framework of ENP.
He reported that the main document on RA Action Plan will be signed
in Brussels, at the annual meeting of EU-Armenia Cooperation Council.
The Minister stressed that the main document to be signed within the
framework of ENP also proposes developing regional cooperation, as well
as according to it, Armenia assumes responsibility to achieve peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In Oskanian’s words,
the term of document’s fulfilment is 5 years. “This is a process that
will last 5 years and it is a precise guide for us what to do in the
next 5 years for our public to become more democratic and our state
more stable,” RA Foreign Minister declared.
“We are where we are today thanks to the reforms we have started since
1991 and today we are gathering its fruits. But we still have a long
way to pass,” V.Oskanian declared.
The Foreign Minister of EU presiding country, Finland, Erkii Tuomioja
also took part in the signing of the statement on the Armenian Action
Plan within the framework of ENP. The latter expressed the hope that
this program will be fully implemented. “If this program is implemented
successfully, we will be very open for the South Caucasian countries
to deepen their relations with EU for even more,” the Finnish Foreign
Minister mentioned.
E.Tuomioja attached a special importance to the forthcoming
parliamentary elections in Armenia mentioning that the international
community will attentively follow them. E.Tuomioja expressed the hope
that the elections will be democratic.

FRANCE WAS TO BE ONE OF FIRST COUNTRIES TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY LAW, JACQUES CHIRAC SAID
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006
ETCHMIADZIN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. France tries to provide support
to the Nagorno Karabakh settlement within the framework of the Minsk
Group. French President Jacques Chirac declared this at the October
1 meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II in the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin. “One should wish peace and believe in it,”
he mentioned.
Attaching importance to role of France and its President in the process
of peaceful settlement, his Holiness the Patriarch, in his turn,
said that he will continue to make efforts for all such problems and,
in particular, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to be led to peaceful
settlement with the support and mercy of God.
Greeting the French President in the spiritual center Holy Etchmiadzin,
His Holiness expressed happiness that the 15th anniversary of
Armenia’s independence was marked by the visit of the friendly
country’s President, as well as events of Year of Armenia in France.
“This is a nice evidence of age-old friendship between our peoples.
And in this sacred place we want, for the sake of our people and
church, to express gratitude to you and in your person to the French
humane people for its assistance and support shown towards our
nation and homeland. We remember with special gratitude that France
received representatives of our people after the terrible tragedy of
the Genocide and today thanks to the considerate and kind attitude of
the French authorities they have organized their spiritual-national
life,” the Catholicos of All Armenians said. He expressed gratitude
to the French authorities for recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian Genocide, which, according to the Patriarch, was restoration
of justice not only towards the Armenian people, but also towards
the whole mankind.
In his turn, speaking about the Genocide, J.Chirac said: “It was
natural that France was to be one of the first countries to recognize
the Armenian Genocide by law. …I hope that if condemned, such crimes
will not recur in the future.”
The French President spoke with satisfaction about economic and
political partnership and relations between the two states mentioning
that he is glad for Armenia’s economic and social development.
J.Chirac expressed confidence that France should have participation
in this issue.
According to the report submitted to Noyan Tapan from the Information
Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, at the end of the
meeting the French President made notes in the Patriarchate memory
book, then they visited the Cathedral’s museum.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: “THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE SHOW HONOUR TO JACQUES CHIRAC”
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. French President Jacques Chirac’s
three-day state visit to Yerevan (September 29-October 1) passed
at a high level. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian
stated about it after the ceremony of seeing off the delegation
headed by J.Chirac. Quating the French delegation members’ words,
he also mentioned that “the President of France is really impressed,
first of all, by our people’s warmness.”
In V.Oskanian’s words, during the days of the visit to Yerevan,
J.Chirac said on some occassions that he simply did not expect such
a warm reception. “So our people showed an honour and expressed its
gratitude to Jacques Chirac,” the Foreign Minister mentioned.
According to his information, at RA President Robert Kocharian’s
and French President’s September 30 meeting the interlocuters
mainly stopped on the Karabakh conflict and regional problems. In
V.Oskanian’s words, “President Chirac was really very interested in
President Kocharian’s viewpoint” concerning the nuclear program of
Iran and the whole progress connected with it, events taking place
in the field of the Georgian-Russian relations.
Responding the Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, if there are
responses by Turkey concerning viewpoints expressed at the September
30 joint press conference of the Armenian and French Presidents,
V.Oskanian mentioned that at the same night he watched news on
international Euronews, Al Jazeera, BBC TVs where J.Chirac’s visit,
especially the statements at the press conference connected with
Turkey, was touched upon a rather volumniously. “I think that the visit
was well covered internationally as well,” the Foreign Minister stated.
The RA Foreign Minister found it difficult to answer the question if
visits of presidents of other countries of the (former) Great7 to be
paid to Armenia are expected, after the visit which the President
of France paid to Armenia first. “One thing is obvious that day
by day this region gets bigger importance. Armenia’s regional and
international weight and prestige also grow with Armenia’s political
stability and economic growth. I think that President Chirac’s visit
was not only a result of our two peoples’ historic ties, the French
Armenian community’s factors, but also of the fact that for France,
for other great states, Armenia is really a factor of stability in
this region, a reliable partner,” V.Oskanian mentioned, expressing
an opinion that heads “of other similar countries” will aslo visit
Armenia.
As he reminded, the Presidents of Armenia and France emphasized in
Yerevan that the two countries’ relations develop dinamically. “The
more our relations with the European Union deepen, the more important
the role of France will become for us, as France has been in the
leading positions of a country encouraging in the processes of
Armenia’s democratization, making corresonding all its conditions
to the European ones for a quickest integration into the European
structures,” V.Oskanian mentioned. He expressed an opinion, that
this direction of the Armenian-French relations “will be dominating,
and we’ll continue our cooperation with France.”
The RA Foreign Minister added that the sides touched upon the bilateral
economic cooperations mainly after the working dinner party. J.Chirac
approved proposals made by the Armenian side relating to future
introduction of French business, insurance companies, banks, in
Armenia. “I think there will be positive movements on this occasion,”
V.Oskanian said, adding that “we’ll see rather seriouss activeness
in the Armenian-French relations in the nearest future.”

OSKANIAN: THE ACTIONS PLAN WILL BRING ARMENIA’S SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC SYSTEMS MORE IN LINE WITH EUROPE’S
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 2 2006
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian issued a statement on the
occasion of signing of the joint statements on the conclusion of
consultations on the Action Plan in the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy.
“We welcome the Finnish Presidency here, in the person of my friend,
Erkii Tuomioja, the Finnish FM, and the representative of the European
Commission, Torben Holze, representing Benita Ferrero Waldner who
called to say she could not be here, because of local political
commitments in Austria. Thanks also to Ambassador Terhi Hakala
whose tireless efforts have brought us to this day, and also want to
recognize Ambassador Peter Semneby, the EU Special Representative to
the South Caucasus. Although this document will be signed in November,
in Brussels, we appreciate the delegation’s coming here to Armenia,
so that our public can share in this historic occasion.
I would also like to thank the NGOs and civil society for their
engagement and involvement in enhancing the content and make it more
representative of the wishes of our society.
Once the document is signed, we’ll be able to publicly present the
entire document. Let me just tell you that it says clearly, at the
outset, that through this Action Plan, Armenia is invited to enter into
intensified political, security, economic and cultural relations with
the EU, enhanced regional and cross border co-operation and shared
responsibility in conflict prevention and conflict resolution.
And the document, goes on to detail each of these categories, and
sets a 5-year time period during which each of these actions will
take place. This is a huge opportunity for Armenia to become the
beneficiary of a tried and true process to change what needs to be
changed, re-enforce and confirm that which needs to be affirmed –
in a word to strengthen the institutions of state.
The distinction of this document, as the joint statement clearly says,
is that it involves significant measures of economic integration
and political cooperation. It’s called an Action Plan and rightly
so. It is not just a document of intentions, but of concrete actions
to bring Armenia’s social, political, economic systems more in line
with Europe’s since the premise is that we do in fact live in the
same neighborhood and interact together. It opens new partnership
perspectives in very basic fields such as science, education, culture,
and of course in economic development.
These reforms are extremely important for Armenia. We are where we
are today, exactly because we made the courageous economic reforms on
Day 1 of our independence. We knew then and we know even better today
that reforms are our only resource, they are what will strengthen and
empower our society. This document provides the opportunity to move
forward with reforms in a focused, strategic way. It gives us a way
and a means to do what we know we must do – revamp our institutions,
retool our society, rethink our methods and assumptions. We are signing
this on the 15th year of our independence, it will be concluded on
the 20th year of our independence, and we will be able to mark a
new turning point in Armenia’s future as a more democratic, open and
prosperous society,” the Foreign Minister’s message says.

PETER SEMNEBY: EUROPEAN IDENTITY CAN UNITE THE COUNTRIES OF THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 2 2006
EU Special Envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby declare din
Yerevan today that “the European identity can unite the countries of
the South Caucasus.”
Speaking at the “South Caucasus 2006: new trends of development,
threats and risks” international forum, Peter Semneby said that
the interest of the international community towards the region has
considerably increased recently.
According to the EU Special Envoy, the three countrie sof the South
Caucasus are fighting for their national identity, but the European
Union suggests them a “European identity.”
Peter Semneby noted that after Romania’s and Bukgaria’s accession to
he European Union EU will get immediately involved in the Black-Sea
region and will be able to play a greater role in stabilization of
the South Caucasus. RA Deputy Foreign Minsiter Arman Kirakosyan said
in his speech that the three countries of the South Caucasus should
work jointly and develop economic ties. In his words, this is the
key for the region’s prosperity.
The Deputy Foreign Minister confessed that there are still a number of
factors that hinder the regional cooperation – the problems between
Armenia and Turkey, Russia and Georgia, as well as the unsettled
conflicts. “However, economic cooperation can settle many of these
questions or at least create conditions for reduction of the tension,”
Arman Kirakosyan said.

HRANT DINK DOES NOT THINK TURKEY WILL RUSH TO AMEND THE PENAL CODE
Marlena Hovsepyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 2 2006
Surprise was awaiting Hrant Dink on his return to Turkey after the
Armenia-Diaspora Third Forum in Armenia: he learned from media that
a new case was launched against him according to Article 301 of the
Penal Code for offending Turkishness. This time the reason was the
interview with “Reauters” agency. To the request to characterize the
events that occurred at the turn of the century, Hrant Dink said,
“How can these be called, if not genocide? The people that lived on
the land for four thousand years does not live there. What is this,
if not genocide?”
In an interview with “Radiolur” Hrant Dink declared he has not
received a notice of appointment so far, and he has no idea hoe the
events will develop this time, but even Turkish intellectuals have
raised noise connected with the new lawsuit.
Recently the European Parliament set as precondition for Turkey’s
accession to the European Union the amendment of the Penal Code.
Certainly, pressures of the international community have certain
influence, but Hrant Dink does not consider that Hrant Dink will rush
to amend the Penal Code.
“I don’t think any change will be implemented in this direction before
the parliamentary elections next year. Xenophobia has proceeded,
and the chauvinists stand against this.”
One of these days Turkish TV again referred to the Armenian Genocide
issue. The guest of the NTV Channel Hrant Dink said that inviting the
Armenians of the world to Turkey to discuss the Armenian Genocide is
double-dealing, “You call the Armenians of the world to come to Turkey
to speak about the Genocide. Do you think the Armenians will not use
the word “genocide?” Will you sue them? If you don’t charge them, then
why do you charge me? Is it my fault that I am a citizen of Turkey?”
We can only hope that the Turkish court will not consider these words
offensive for Turkey and will not launch the third case against Dink.

ARMENIAN SIDE HAS SOME REMARKS TO MAKE REGARDING THE CONCLUSION ON THE A-320 CRASH RESULTS
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 2 2006
Specialists of the General Board of Civil Aviation Agency and “Armavia”
Company are summing up the remarks and objections to be submitted
connected with the final conclusion on the results of investigation
of the A-320 crash reasons. According to the Head of the General
Board of Civil Aviation Agency Artyom Movsisyan, within the coming
10 days the Armenian side will submit a number of suggestions worth
including in the document.
According to his assess ion, the Armenian side agrees with most of
the conclusions in the document. There are, however, additional
considerations, particularly connected with the flying control
officers, which should be included in the document. “Even if these
activities do not envisage penalty, the inclusion of these in the
document will allow escape similar shortcomings in the future, since
these have negative impact on air transportation,” he noted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRENCH PRESIDENT IMPRESSED WITH THE WARM RECEPTION IN ARMENIA
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 2 2006
The President of France Jacques Chirac, who was paying a state visit
to Armenia, left for France yesterday. RA President Robert Kocharyan
and RA First Lady Bella Kocharyan arrived at “Zvartnots” airport to
see off the French President. The farewell ceremony was attended by
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, NA Deputy Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan,
Minister of Trade and Economic Development Karen Chshmarityan, Minister
of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosyan, other officials.
RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian told the journalists that the
visit passed on a very high level, “The French President was really
impressed. First of all he was impressed with the warmth of our
people. Thus, I think our people paid the due and expressed its
gratitude to Jacques Chirac.”
In Vardan Oskanian’s words, it is obvious that day-by-day our region
acquires greater importance: the regional and international rating of
Armenia rises parallel to economic growth and stability. “President
Chirac’s visit was not only the result of historical ties between
the two peoples, but also of the fact that Armenia today is a factor
of stability in the region and a reliable partner. And I think there
will be similar visits in the future too,” the Foreign Minister noted.

ERKKI TUOMIOJA: EU-TURKEY TALKS MAY LAST OVER 10 YEARS
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.10.2006 15:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The EU welcomes Armenia’s urge to more
democratization and hopes for the coming elections in 2007 and 2008 to
be fair and honest, Erkki Tuomioja, the Foreign Minister of Finland,
which presides the EU currently, stated in Yerevan. In his words,
the ENP provides for EU members and countries cooperating with EU in
some way, be democratic ones.
Speaking of the talks between Turkey and EU, Erkki Tuomioja noted
that the talks may last over 10 years and will be hard. “Turkey has
much to do in reforms to become a European country. EU membership is
voluntary and Turkey made its choice itself. We hope it will be able to
become a country meeting democratic requirements,” the Finnish FM said.