GEORGIAN BUDGET WILL NOT COPE WITH REPATRIATION OF MESKHETI TURKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2006 23:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 35 thousand Meskheti Turks live in the territory of
Turkey today, reported State Minister for Conflict Settlement and Chair
of the State Commission on Repatriation of Refugees Georgi Khaindrava
at a news conference in Tbilisi. In his words, when entering the CE
Georgia pledged to return Meskheti Turks to their fatherland. The
year 2011 is determined the term for repatriation.

“We do not know yet, how many of the Meskheti Turks living in Turkey
want to return to their fatherland, however the process should comprise
all the country and they should return not only to Samtskhe-Javakheti,
from where they were exiled during the Stalin regime in 1944,” the
State Minister said. He emphasized that if those people consider
Georgia their fatherland, they should settle in any part of its
territory.

Khaindrava remarked the Georgian budget will not be able to cope with
repatriation of Meskheti Turks.

An international conference on the repatriation of Meskheti Turks
to Georgia will be held in Tbilisi on 27 April. The forthcoming
conference will come as the last stage, which will be followed by
the process of repatriation of Meskheti Turks to their historic lands.

Organized by the Council of Europe Commission on National Minority
Rights of and the Georgian Government, the forum will bring together
representatives from Meskheti Turk communities residing in different
countries. A law on repatriation is to be adopted by the Georgian
Parliament on the same day. The conference will mull over the
places for repatriation of Meskheti Turks to the regions of Georgia,
Trend reports.

LAWYER OF KILLED VAHAN ABRAMYANTS DENIES EVERYDAY MURDER VERSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.04.2006 01:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Lawyer of the family of Vahan Abramyants, 17,
killed in Moscow metro, denies the version of murder, based on
everyday circumstances.

“”We flatly deny the version of murder of Abramyants, based on everyday
circumstances, as we believe the crime was committed on ethnic
ground,” Simon Tsaturyan said at a news conference in Moscow. He
reported that along with the killed young man’s father he met with
Moscow metro Prosecutor, “we solved all formal matter and Vahan’s
father was unconditionally recognized as aggrieved party.”

Tsaturyan also reported that the prosecutor’s office has instituted
criminal proceeding according to part 2 of article 105 of the
Russian Criminal Code (murder committed as a member of a group of
two and more persons), with qualifying signs of racial and national
dislike. “However, it is not clear, why witnesses of the crime gave
evidence in the militia and not at the prosecutor’s office,” Simon
Tsaturyan said. He said he was sure the investigation conceals the
video cassette with the record of the crime.

Characterizing the victim, V. Abramyants, Tsaturyan called him a
well-bred, calm young person, “and he could never behave in the way,
as some people tried to present he allegedly was,” reports Interfax.

ARMENIAN YOUTH PARTY TO SEND DELEGATION TO MOSCOW TO PROTEST RACIAL KILLINGS

Armenpress
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: The last weakened killing of an
Armenian student in Moscow and an attack on an Armenian film critic
have re-ignited anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia with many of
its ordinary citizens questioning the wisdom of Yerevan’s allied
relationships with Moscow.

The Youth Party of Sarkis Asatrian was the first among political
forces to react publicly to what he termed was ‘the sinister wave
of hate murders across Russia.” Speaking to a news conference today
he urged all Armenians irrespective of their political affiliation,
to show determination and unity to demand that Russian government
takes swift action to put an end to racial killings.

But Asatrian warned that protest actions alone would not be
sufficient, saying other ways of struggle must be put in action, by the
government, but very cautiously so that not to harm Russian-Armenian
relations. “The government must take all possible actions, develop a
list of actions, have a plan of actions to press for an end to this
problem,’ he said.

Asatrian said he was concerned that the so-called Russian ‘skinheads’
who are behind murders and attacks on non-Slavs could have been
trained by special interior squads. This means, according to him,
that they are not ‘hooligans’ as declared by Russian officials,
but ‘ a well-organized group.” Asatrian went on to argue that
many forces inside and outside Russia are interested in inciting
instability across it and even ‘to force a wedge in Russian-Armenian
relationships. Asatrian said his party will gather a team of 15
prominent Armenian intellectuals to fly them to Moscow on May 15
where they will meet officials from the Russian president’s staff,
chief prosecutor’s office, interior and foreign ministries.

“This time we have to be resolute and act jointly so that to have a
dialogue with able Russian forces to shift the problem to a civilized
field,’ he said, adding it was regretful that attacks on Armenians
in Russia are taking place in a year declared Year of Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRO-RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ADVERTISE THE IDEA OF ‘CONFEDERATION UNION’ WITH MOSCOW

Armenpress
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: Leader of an opposition party that never
made a secret of his very close Russian connections, argued today in
favor of furthering Armenia’s ties with Russia, up to foundation of
what he described as ‘a confederation union.”

Aram Karapetian, the leader of Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) party,
called actually for a partial revival of the former Soviet Union
saying the confederation he meant could be built on the basis
of Russia-Belarus union together with Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan and Armenia. Karapetian’s arguments were that Armenia
could not all alone to ensure its national and energy security and
restore communications routes. But he added that no political leader
of Armenia should ever deny the need for maintaining good relations
with the United States.

Karapetian also spoke about the latest efforts to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict saying Washington’s desire to deploy
international peacekeeping troops between Armenian and Azeri troops
was obvious, but he said Russia and Iran are against it. According
to him, Armenia should pursue a neutral foreign policy to avoid a
negative reaction of other countries.

SKINHEAD SCOUNDRELS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BEING UNPUNISHABLE
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006

Nothing Changes for Good, While Number of Victims Grows

The April 22 murder of 17 years old Armenian student Vigen Abrahamiants
in Moscow testifies to the danger of the growing nationalistic movement
in Russia. The law enforcement bodies stated in the beginning that
Abrahamianst was killed for chasing a young girl. But, according to
the majority of the Russian mass media sources, this cause doesn’t
correspond to truth. The details of the case showed that the very
skinheads chased Vigen Abrahamiants and his friend. Denis Kulagin
is currently accused of the murder. In order to prove his guilt, the
policemen put forward the abovementioned cause. Though many witnesses
and Kulagin himself state quite different things about the case.

Besides, the April 22 record of the video surveillance at the
underground station where the murder took place has disappeared. This
factor makes the impression that the law enforcement bodies try
to conceal the real facts. Moreover, a teenager is accused of
Abrahamiants’ murder, while the young man was killed with a stab of
knife of a professional. Simon Tsaturian, lawyer of Abrahamiants’
family, added that the murdered not only stabbed Vigen, but also two
other people.

It’s noteworthy that the testimonies of the witnesses about the
attack of the skinheads given in the beginning, after 12 hours were
replaced with others that state about the quarrel for a girl. Most
likely, the statements of the Moscow Armenians, RA Embassy to Russia
and the Armenian’s Union of Russia condemning the murder case had
certain influence and the testimonies of the same witnesses again
“stated about the skinheads.”

The failed attempt of the law enforcement bodies to represent the
murder as a result of a quarrel for a girl testifies to the large-scale
activities of the skinheads. Quite many cases of attacking foreigners
in Russia were registered in the four months of 2006.

Over 10 people were killed as a result of nationalistic attacks from
the beginning of the year.

“Russia for the Russians” slogan of the Fascists doesn’t seem to
bother the law enforcement bodies.

Though the Fascists act openly, in public, the Russian law enforcement
bodies can’t or do not want to reveal the criminals and stop the
activities of the skinheads.

The skinheads mainly act in big cities, particularly, in
St. Petersburg, Moscow, Voronezh, Cheboksary, Petrozavodsk, Tolyaty
and in other big cities of Russia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BUSH TO RECEIVE ALIYEV TODAY
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006

Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, is in Washington this week for
meetings with US government officials, including President George
W. Bush on April 28. On April 27, Turkish Aksam newspaper touched
upon Aliyev’s visit under a headline “Aliyev Leaves For USA to Discuss
Iran.” In the meantime the paper assumes that Nagorno Karabakh issue
is also on the visit agenda.

Today president George Bush will receive his Azerbaijani counterpart
at the White House. Yesterday, Aliyev made a public appearance at
the Washington offices of the Council on Foreign Relations, a policy
research center, and took questions on a variety of issues in front
of an audience of about 200. According to Turkish NTV, Aliyev said
Azerbaijan has been an ally of the United States in Iraq from the
very start.

“We have a bilateral agreement with Iran which clearly says that the
territories of our countries cannot be used for any danger toward
each other,” Aliyev said.

“So it’s very clear, and therefore our relations are regulated by
international treaties,” he said.

Yet, observers in Washington see behind this warm reception hopes in
the US government to get Azerbaijan’s support in probable assault on
Iran. It’s obvious that Aliyev cannot avoid deployment of US troops
on his country’s territory in case of a war.

This means that Aliyev’s previous statement on keeping out of the
war aimed at hiking the price for backing the Americans. It’s hard
to say what will be the result of such speculations. But one thing
is clear: the sides have long odds, and president Aliyev’s reputation
has completely tarnished after the recent parliamentary elections in
the country.

ARMENIANS OF AKHALKALAK PROTEST WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE

AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006

The residents of Akhalkalak blocked the way of the military
communication car that belongs to the Russian military base #62. The
Russian mass media informed that they hinder the car to move from
a canyon and demand its return to the territory of the military
base. According to one of the activists of the protest, the car was
to go to Tsalka settlement. “The withdrawal of the communication car
means the beginning of military equipment’s withdrawal from Javakhk,”
Regnum agency cited the words of the unknown source in the city. The
Armenian residents of the city are against the withdrawal of the
Russian military base from Akhalkalaki, as many issues are not solved
yet, particularly, the issue of the security of the Armenian residents
of Samtskhe-Javakhk region.

Besides, many families earned their living thanks to the economic
infrastructure of the Russian military base in the region. The
Armenians of Javakhk region demand from the Russian and the Georgian
authorities to explain why the local residents were not involved in
the negotiations over the withdrawal of the Russian military base.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BUSH’S GENOCIDE SPEECH UNACCEPTABLE FOR TURKEY
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006

Armenians worldwide focused their attention on president George
W. Bush’s annual speech on April 24.

Turkey also caught it in the spotlight insofar as Turkish papers and
Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement suggest.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Namek Tan presented the
statement. Responding to US president’s April 24 speech, he said that
there are a few acceptable ideas in it, Milliet newspaper reports. As
to the hint at creating of a joint group of scholars in Bush’s speech,
Tan considered it a positive proposal.

Though the spokesperson has not explained what statements are
unacceptable for Turkey, they are obvious.

Pres. Bush says in his speech: “Today, we remember one of the horrible
tragedies of the 20th century: the mass killing and forced exile of
as many as 1.5 million of Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman
Empire in 1915. This was a tragedy for all humanity and one that we
and the world must never forget.”

Though the statement lacks the word “genocide”, this is a clear-cut
definition of genocides as the UN Convention on Genocide has it.

Moreover, George Bush touches upon the analysis of the Center for
Transitional Justice and though he considers it incomplete, he points
out that it is a serious contribution to deepening the perception of
1915 event.

As it is known, a 17-page report was made in 2003 based on CTJ analysis
in which it draws the following conclusion on the events of 1915 in
the Ottoman Empire: “In whole, these events have all the elements
of genocide as the UN Convention on Genocides defines it. Lawyers,
political scientists, journalists and others will be correct if they
use this definition for these events.”

In other words, by referring to the CTJ’s analysis, Bush indirectly
confirms that the events of 1915 match UN Conventions definition
of genocides.

All these could not certainly be acceptable for the Turkish Foreign
Ministry. What spokesperson Tan avoids say openly write the newspapers
emphasizing that at the end of his speech president Bush passed his
wife’s condolence to the Armenian nation. Curiously enough, Milliet
titled its article on Bush’s speech “No Word ‘Genocide’ but…” thus
showing its displeasure with it.

NEGATIVE BALANCE OF ARMENIAN FOREIGN TRADE AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $ 800 MILLION

AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006

According to the results of the CIS countries foreign trade activities
for 2005, the positive balance of Russia’s foreign trade totaled
to $120 billion 131 million. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan also have
positive foreign trade balance that amount to $10 billion 496 million
and $146,6 million respectively. The rest of the CIS member states
fixed negative balance, remaining rather an importing than exporting
countries. According to the indicator of the foreign trade negative
balance, Armenia is on the fourth place after Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan
and Belarus. Then come Moldova ($1 billion 200,6 million), Georgia
($1 billion 624 million) and Ukraine ($1 billion 854 million).

ISRAEL READY TO HOST NATIONAL TEAMS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006

According to Azerbaijani mass media, secretary of the Israeli Football
Federation, Naim Simmer, sent a letter to his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ramiz Mirzoyev suggesting to hold the European Championship qualifying
matches between Armenian and Azerbaijani teams in Israel. In Mirzoyev’s
words, he also received such suggestions from football federations
of Luxemburg, Belarus, Bulgaria, Latvia, Moldova and Holland.

Matthew Sprangers, member of the UEFA executive board, said from Baku
that the pitch for the qualifier matches will be chosen after the
meeting in Lyon on May 12. The get-together will draw 3 representatives
of each national football federation and 3 participants from the UEFA.