Sweden to Appoint its Ambassador to South Caucasian Countries
Trend
Today 21.09.2006
Source: Trend
Author: A.Mammadov
21.09.2006
The Editorial office of the website “nregion.com” became aware from
reliable sources that in the near future, Sweden will, for the first
time in its history, appoint an ambassador to the countries of South
Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. The ambassador will be the
experienced Swedish Diplomat Hans-Gunnar Adin. He had worked in Russia,
France and the Ukraine until his appointment as the new Ambassador.
Unfortunately Sweden is not going to open an embassy in any of the
South Caucasian countries, Trend reports quoting Caucasus Press. The
Ambassador’s residence will be in Stockholm.
As previously, Schengen visas to visit Sweden will be issued in
Azerbaijan by the Consular Department of Norway, in Armenia by the
German Embassy and in Georgia by the Embassy of Greece.
It seems that by the appointment of its ambassador to the countries of
South Caucasus, Sweden demonstrates its increasing interest towards
the region. Adin is expected to visit the countries of the region in
the near future.
At present, the mission of the accredited ambassador in Georgia and
Armenia has been implemented by the Swedish Ambassador to Russia,
and in Azerbaijan by the Swedish Ambassador in Turkey.
The Consulate of Sweden in Tbilisi is still in operation.

A MINUTE OF SILENCE FOR THE SAKE OF PEACE
A1+
[12:44 pm] 21 September, 2006
25 years ago the Assembly General declared September 21 the
International Day of Peace, as the Day of world armistice and combat
violence. The UN Secretary General mentions in his message that “It
calls on the people not only to think, but also to act for the sake
of peace”.
“The countries have started to really pay attention to preventing
diplomacy. The UN peace-keeping missions and efforts towards the
protection of human rights change the situation. Factually, there
are fewer wars today than in the previous decade. But still, there
are many of them. Each case of conflict is our failure which reminds
us about how many things there are to do.
I call on all the people of the world to celebrate this day with a
minute of silence for the sake of peace. Let’s remember the victims
of the war. And let each of us promise to do more for the sake of
everlasting peace”, the message said.

BBC News
Thursday, 21 September 2006,
Top novelist acquitted in Turkey
Elif Shafak hoped her novel would encourage empathy
A court in Istanbul has acquitted the best-selling
Turkish novelist, Elif Shafak, who had been accused of
insulting “Turkishness”.
Ms Shafak, 35, had faced charges for comments made by
her characters on the mass killings of Armenians in
the final years of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
Turkey rejects Armenia’s claim that the killings
constituted “genocide”.
The EU has been urging Turkey to abolish a
controversial law that makes it a crime to insult the
Turkish state.
The trial was seen by the EU as a test of freedom of
expression in Turkey, which began membership talks
with the 25-member bloc last October.
Scuffles
The proceedings lasted just 40 minutes and ended in
utter chaos, the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford reports.
The judges said they based their decision on lack of
evidence to prove that Ms Shafak “denigrated the
Turkish national identity” in her novel, The Bastard
of Istanbul.
If Article 301 will be interpreted in this way
nobody can write novels in Turkey anymore, no-one can
make movies any more
Elif Shafak
Ms Shafak – who has recently given birth to her first
child – was not present at the hearing.
The nationalist lawyers who brought the case under
Article 301 of Turkey’s penal code walked out in anger
shortly after the trial opened.
They claimed the court and judges had been unduly
influenced by the EU.
Riot police moved in to stop scuffles between
nationalists and leftists outside the courthouse.
‘Autonomy of art’
One of the lawyers who filed the complaint against Ms
Shafak had claimed that her novel was Armenian
propaganda, dripping with hatred for the Turks.
One of the novel’s characters speaks of “Turkish
butchers” and a “genocide”, while others talk about
being “slaughtered like sheep”.
Ms Shafak was the latest in a long line of writers to
face similar charges in Turkey. But this was the first
time Article 301 had been used against a work of
fiction.
“If Article 301 will be interpreted in this way nobody
can write novels in Turkey anymore, no-one can make
movies any more,” Ms Shafak told the BBC before the
trial.
“The words of a character could be used as evidence
against the author or the film director. I think it is
extremely important to defend the autonomy of art, and
of literature,” she said.

Yuri Merzlyakov: OSCE MG Proposal Acceptable for Armenia on Whole
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2006 14:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Azeri side responded to the OSCE MG Co-chairs’
proposals in written form, OSCE MG Russian Co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov
said. In his words, Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov handed the reply at
the London meeting September 13. “However, Mr. Mammadyarov warned
that this not a final reply, the document can be presented to the
other side after the co-chairs rework at it, and it is agreed upon
with the Azerbaijani side,” the Russian diplomat said.
According to him, the Armenian side made an oral statement that the
text is acceptable but for some resolution amendments.
Yuri Merzlyakov remarked that the meeting of the Armenian and Azeri
FMs will not take place within the framework of the 61st session
of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. They will hold separate
meetings with the mediators. The Russian diplomat said that September
12 in Paris the Armenian Minister warned he will refuse to meet with
Mammadyarov in case the issue of ‘frozen conflicts’ is included in
the session agenda. “On the day of meeting with Mammadyarov it was
announced that GUAM’s proposal was not passed in the General Assembly
and we agreed on the ministerial meeting in New York. But then the
proposal was passed with one odd vote and Oskanian said he will not
meet with Mammadyarov but will hold consultations with the Co-chairs,”
Merzlyakov said, reported APA.

Ahmadinejad proclaims respect for pope but Iran has strange anti-Catholic coalition
by Dariush Mirzai
AsiaNews.it, Italy
21 September, 2006
IRAN – VATICAN
Foreigners, Armenians and minorities have taken to the streets, but
the “students” have not. Tomorrow, however, the Islamic Propagation
Office has called a rally in Teheran to “show anger and hatred”.
Teheran (AsiaNews) – Despite Ahmadinejad’s proclamations of “respect”
for Benedict XVI, the anti-pope controversy is not yet over in the
Islamic republic of Iran. However, there is no popular uprising and
the regime so far has not used the fervent ranks of “bassij”, the
“students”, as it did in the controversy about the Muhammad cartoons
in February. But tomorrow, Friday, a day of prayer, the
Islamic Propagation Office has invited Iranian Muslims to a
demonstration in Teheran, to “show the anger and hatred” of the
faithful against the “anti-Islamic” statements of the pope.
The tenors of the regime, the Supreme Guide Khamenei and the powerful
and very rich Hashemi Rafsanjani, stoked controversy against the pope,
accusing him of collusion with Zionist and US circles (Khamenei)
or of “irrationality” (Rafsanjani).
Yesterday’s demonstrations were quite strange: authorised if
not organised by the authorities, they gathered “strangers” and
“minorities”. A group of Armenians and other demonstrators gathered
outside Hosseinieh Ershad mosque to protest against the pope’s
“anti-Islamic” attitude. In Iran, the Armenians constitute quite
an important minority that enjoys historic status of “privileged”
inferiority. What’s more, they are Orthodox, but there is also an
Armenian Catholic community – a Salesian priest of Armenian rite
was recently ordained in Teheran. This demonstration is one of those
typical signs of “peace” and obedience that allow Iranian minorities
to survive.
Another particular demonstration was that held by foreign Islamic
“seminarians” of Qom, including a group of Americans who shouted,
apart from the classic “Down with America” and “Down with Israel”,
a bizarre “Down with the pope”. Gathered outside Qom’s World Center
for Islamic Sciences, they approved a manifesto addressed to “Mr Pope”
and accused Christianity of having caused the last two world wars
and thus of being without reason and without any right to criticize
the use of violence in the name of religion.
Photos of the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Nasrallah, have been
taken down from the streets of Teheran and right now, the faces of
“martyrs” (shahid) from the Iraq war are exposed.
On Friday at 7am, a traditional military parade will take place
near the Mausoleum of Khomeini. In this atmosphere, the next attack
of propaganda should not target religious minorities but rather
“arrogant” states opposed to Iran’s nuclear policy. This was announced
by Ahmadinejad’s address in New York yesterday.

Monument to General Gurgen Dalibaltyan to Be Erected in Javakhk
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2006 15:09 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A monument to Soviet Army General, Armenian
President’s Advisor Gurgen Dalibaltyan will be inaugurated in the
Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti region of Georgia. Native of
Akhalkalaki region, Gurgen Dalibaltyan will mark his 80th birthday
in 2006. According to the source, the monument was designed by Levon
Lazarian. The monument will be 8 meters high and face Western Armenia,
reported Georgia Online.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Government baulks at ArmenTel price hike plan
TeleGeography, D.C.
Armenia
Thursday, 21 September 2006
Senior government officials in Armenia have opposed plans put forward
by the country’s national operator ArmenTel to significantly raise
the cost of fixed line services in the country. The monopoly operator
submitted its proposal to the regulator in August, despite the fact
that its Greek parent the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation
(OTE) was pressing ahead with plans to sell its 90% stake in the telco
to another foreign investor. OTE has short-listed four foreign firms
for the stake, but has yet to announce the winner. Prime Minister
Andranik Markarian has now voiced his opposition to the hike, arguing
that it would significantly push up the cost of dial-up internet
access to the detriment of the development of IT in Armenia.

CIS officials to discuss information security in Tashkent
UzReport.com, Uzbekistan
21.09.2006 14:54:18
The fourth session of Commission on Regional Commonwealth in
communication sphere will be held in Tashkent on 28-29 September. The
commission will focus on information security during its Tashkent
meeting.
The session will consider draft programme on ensuring information
security and proposals on its implementation, draft plan on development
of regulative documents in information security, current state and
problems in information security in CIS countries.
The commission will discuss issue son introduction of e-signature in
state bodies within the CIS area.
The commission on information security carries out work on development
of recommendations on interaction of participants of Coordination
council in information security on analysis of international
experience, modern technical means and information technologies,
development of proposals on legal basis.
The commission also assists to exchange experience in
creation of system and means of information security in
information-telecommunication systems and networks. The commission
considers issues on state of protection of interstate ICT systems,
networks, resources, technologies, means and develop recommendations
on improvement of their work.
It is expected that representatives of informatization administration
of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldavia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine will attend the meeting.

Turkish Press, MI
Press review
Published: 9/21/2006
EURLINGS: “STATEMENTS ON GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS SHOULD
BE STRICKEN FROM THE EP REPORT”
Dutch MEP Camiel Eurlings, the European Parliament Committee on
Foreign Affairs rapporteur who recently prepared a report on Turkey,
yesterday said, “Recognizing the [so-called] Armenian genocide
can’t be a precondition. These statements should be stricken from
the text.” Speaking about next week’s vote on the report, Eurlings
said that he didn’t like the current state of the report and he was
working to change it. “If the report is issued as is, it will be
a problem for Turkey’s accession,” said Eurlings. In related news,
Eurlings’ report, which contains exaggerations, is now encountering
opposition from EP groups. Recognizing the so-called Armenian
genocide as a precondition for membership is at the focal point of
the debates. Socialists and Greens are planning to vote against the
report if it’s not changed. /Milliyet/

Tacy, Israel
INDIA PLANS TO CAPTURE 10% OF THE US$6-7 BILLION CIS
JEWELRY MARKET
21 September 2006
India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) recently
led an 8-member delegation representing leading manufacturers from
different sectors such as diamond, colored gemstones, silver and
jewelry to CIS Nations including Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan,
Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
The key objective of the visit was to strengthen bilateral trade
between the gem and jewelry industry in India and those countries. The
delegation explored the potential of the gem and jewelry market in
the CIS nations, analyzed the possibility of sourcing raw materials,
supplying cut and polished diamonds as well as gold jewelry, and also
discussed cross participation in jewelry exhibitions.
“The gem and jewelry delegation visit to CIS nations was a very first
sector specific delegation and the initiative was very successful. The
total market size across the CIS countries along with Russia is
estimated at US$6 to US$7 billion with Ukraine providing the maximum
growth potential. GJEPC plans to capture 10 percent of this market in
the next 2-3 years through various aggressive initiatives,” explains
Sanjay Kothari, Convener-PMBD, GJEPC.
As for future courses of action, the GJEPC will promote the import
of polished Russian diamonds through the CIS countries, and intends
to focus on the supply of loose diamonds and colored gemstones in
the CIS nations having a good market.
In order to enjoy more duty benefits while importing jewelry to Russia,
GJEPC plans to encourage exporters to export semi-finished jewelry
to the CIS countries and set up small manufacturing units in CIS
countries where the semi-finished jewelry can then be converted to
finished jewelry. Indian jewelry manufacturers also plan to undertake
an exchange program of jewelry designers in order to understand the
trends prevalent in the CIS nations.
Investment in the mining sector for colored gemstones and silver is
being contemplated as a means to alleviate India’s sourcing problems.