New Anatolian, Turkey
April 14 2006
Meller: Turkey’s membership will bring positive added value to EU
The New Anatolian / Ankara
After pledging to further develop and strengthen bilateral ties with
Turkey, visiting Polish Foreign Minister Stefan Meller yesterday
said, “Turkey’s membership will bring a positive, added value to the
European Union.”
Meller made the remarks at a joint press conference with Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul following a meeting in Ankara where
they
Expressing his country’s support for the EU enlargement process,
Meller said, “The members of the bloc expect new political and
cultural values from possible future members.” In accordance with
this goal, besides Turkey’s contributions to the EU, the members
expect Turkish membership will bring with it a positive, added value
since the country has an important position in the region.
“I believe that the criteria applied to Turkey should be the same as
the EU criteria applied to other candidate states,” said the Polish
foreign minister while at the same time underlining the importance of
a complete fulfillment of obligations for Turkey to become a member
of the bloc.
‘Polish stance on Armenia shouldn’t affect relations with Turkey’
Meller stated that Poland’s positive stance towards the Armenians
shouldn’t negatively affect relations with Turkey, referring to the
Polish Parliament’s decision taken in favor of the Armenians over the
controversial “genocide” claims.
The visiting foreign minister denied the recognition of Armenian
genocide claims by the Polish Parliament, saying, “The Parliament
only expressed its view which reflected the atmosphere of that era.”
Meller also stated that Poland used to be composed of different
nations up until the end of 18th century, adding that many
Armenian-origin bureaucrats, soldiers and artists still live in
Poland.
Gul praises strengthening of ties between Turkey-Poland
Foreign Minister Gul, for his part, praised the development and
deepening of bilateral relations especially in the areas of trade,
economy, the defense industry and culture, citing 600 years of ties
between Turkey and Poland.
“The countries are together under NATO’s umbrella and I believe that
Polish support for Turkey’s EU membership will continue,” Gul said.
Meller said that Turkey and Poland are friends and allies in NATO,
adding that his country will never forget Turkey’s support during
Poland’s NATO membership process.
The polish foreign minister also praised the high level of investment
from Turkish businessmen in his country and called on Turkey to
cooperate in joint investment projects in third countries.
Gul: No Turkish mediation in Iranian nuke standoff right now
Asked whether a Turkish official will be asked to be responsible for
bringing Iranian and Western officials towards a diplomatic solution
to Tehran’s nuclear activities, Gul stated that such a role isn’t on
Ankara’s agenda.
Gul also called on all concerned states to contribute to efforts to
finding a diplomatic solution to the issue and to work towards easing
the standoff.

Interfax, Russia
April 14 2006
Duma ratifies agreement on CIS anti-terror center
MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) – The State Duma has ratified an
agreement signed by the Russian government and other CIS
member-states on the presence of the CIS anti-terrorist center on
Russian territory.
“The ratification of the aforementioned documents meets Russia’s
national interests and will make the fight against international
terrorism more effective,” the Duma’s CIS committee said in a report.
The agreement, which was signed by Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan and
Ukraine in Moscow on October 21, 2003, and will be valid as long as
the anti-terrorist center continues to operate.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Messenger, Georgia
April 14 2006
Wine blockade update: Armenian winemakers plug their product
“There exists the opinion that Georgia is good in wine and Armenia in
cognac and it is high time to break these stereotypes,” Avak
Arutunian, Armenian Wine Producers head
By Keti Sikharulidze

The head of the association of Armenian Wine Producers Avak Arutunian
believes that his country’s product can easily replace Georgian wine
on the Russian market.
Speaking with the Russian news agency Regnum Arutunian called
Russian’s resolution to ban Georgian wine imports as a “correct
decision.”
Arutunian thinks that Armenian wines can compete with both Georgian
and Moldavian vintages and that the only country that is capable of
competing with Armenian wines, in terms of quality, is France.
“Our wines are highly competitive with Georgian, Moldavian and even
French wines. The thing is that there exists the opinion that Georgia
is good in wine and Armenia in cognac and it is high time to break
these stereotypes,” Arutunian stated on Thursday.
At the same time that Arutunian was speaking of the great merits of
his country’s wines, a Georgian delegation headed by Minister of
Agriculture Mikheil Svimonishvili left for Moscow on Thursday to hold
meetings with Russian officials to discuss lifting the Russian
embargo on Georgian wines.
“We should do everything we can to solve this problem in order to
avoid any kind of confrontation,” Svimonishvili told journalists.
Russia banned imports of all Georgian and Moldovian wine on March 27,
and last week the ban was extended to include cognac and sparkling
wine.
According to Russia’s Chief Sanitation doctor Gennady Onishenko 13
percent of the Georgian and Moldavian wine tested in 38 Russian
districts meet international standards, while 46 percent of the wine
tested in Moscow is of bad quality.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 14 2006
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry: `We’ll try to commute unfair verdict
on Ramil Safarov’
[ 14 Apr. 2006 13:24 ]
`The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan does not agree to the unfair
verdict passed on Azerbaijani army officer Rami Safarov for murdering
Armenian army officer Gurgen Markarian in Hungary,’ the spokesman for
the Defense Ministry Ilgar Verdiyev told APA. He said that Safarov’s
lawyer will appeal against the verdict.
`Ramil Safarov is the officer of the Defense Ministry. We’ll take
necessary steps to defend our officer, to commute the unfair verdict
on him,’ Verdiyev said.
Verdiyev also said the Ministry will defray all expenses for legal
defense of Ramil Safarov.
The Budapest court yesterday sentenced the Azerbaijani army officer
Ramil Safarov to life in prison. /APA/

Regnum, Russia
April 14 2006
Armenian MP considers spreading of anti-Russian feelings to be
inadmissible
Deal on selling of Hrazdan TPS 5th energy unit by Armenian government
to Russian Gazprom is enough interesting, and its details are not
confidential and accessible to everybody, MP Armen Ashotyan stated
during a press conference on April 13. According to him, the deal was
repeatedly discussed by mass media, as well as by the parliament.
As a REGNUM correspondent informs, the MP expressed his
dissatisfaction with negative mood of opposition forces toward the
deal. `It is wrong to say sell of the 5th energy unit considerably
crippled Armenian statehood. All European countries depend to some
extent on Russian gas, but they have not lost their independence and
statehood,’ stressed Armen Ashotyan. According to him, buying of
Hrazdan TPS 5th by Russian side is not directed against Armenian
statehood, and `it is not worth to take one fact and to black
everything’. `It is inadmissible to spread anti-Russian feelings,’
stressed the Armenian MP.
Mentioning rumors, that Armenian authorities had sold part of
Iran-Armenia pipeline and because of that had robbed Armenia of
perspectives to become transit country in perspective, Armen Ashotyan
stressed, if Russia wishes, so without regard to everything, Iranian
gas will not get into Europe. `Gazprom possesses Ukrainian
gas-distributing systems’, he stressed, adding, if the company
wishes, it will always use the advantage.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 14 2006
Nagorno-Karabakh problem included in Istanbul Declaration – MP
Kazimly

Source: Trend
Author: J.Shahverdiyev

14.04.2006

The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has
been included in the Istanbul Declaration at a conference of the
Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Conference, MP
Khanhuseyn Kazimly, the chairman of the Social Welfare Party of
Azerbaijan, told Trend in an exclusive interview.
He noted that the Azerbaijani delegates made remarks on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. `It was our great achievement. Moreover,
the Azerbaijani representatives were included in the composition of
three commissions of the OIC Executive Committee,’ he said. The
conference mulled the problems of Islamic countries and the ways for
their resolution.
The event was organized in Istanbul from 8 to 13 April with the
participation of 437 delegates from 47 countries. Members of the
Azerbaijani delegation – Govhar Bakhshaliyeva, Javanshir Pashazade,
Khanhuseyn Kazimly and Sabir Rustamkhanly will be back on 14 April.

The Gauntlet, CA
April 14 2006
System Of A Down singer signs new act
System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian has announced a new signing
to his Serjical Strike record label. According to a press release,
Tankian has inked a deal with Dallas, Texas group Fair To Midland,
who were named as one of the top 100 unsigned acts of 2005. Tankian
said about the signing, “They are one of the best live unsigned bands
I have ever seen. Their songs are moody and dynamic, not dependent on
one catchy beat or emotion to present their art.”
Fair To Midland has already recorded and released a debut album on
its own, titled Inter.Funda.Stifle.
Tankian will serve as executive producer for the group’s next effort,
which it plans to begin recording later this year.
Through Serjical Strike, Tankian has previously released albums by
Kittens For Christian, Bad Acid Trip and former Guns N’ Roses
guitarist Buckethead, as well as Serart, his own collaboration with
Armenian vocalist and percussionist Arto Tuncboyaciyan.
System Of A Down will hit the road on July 1st as co-headliners of
this summer’s Ozzfest.

Kazinform, Kazakhstan
April 14 2006
Hungary jails Azerbaijani killer of an Armenian
BUDAPEST. April 14, 2006. KAZINFORM – An Azerbaijani army officer has
been jailed for life for murdering an Armenian while the two were
taking a Nato course in English in Hungary.
Safarov was also convicted of trying to kill a second Armenian;
KAZINFORM cites BBC News.
Lt Ramil Safarov confessed to hacking Lt Gurgen Markarian to death
with an axe in February 2004 in a dormitory used by Partnership for
Peace trainees.
The Budapest court sentenced Safarov to life in prison, with a
30-year minimum term before any parole hearings.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been bitter rivals since a war in the
1980s-90s.
Verdict welcomed
Safarov, 29, showed little emotion as Judge Andras Vaskuti read out
the sentence.
He had claimed that he had been driven to his act by the plight of
fellow Azerbaijanis, including close family relatives, in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
He also said he had been provoked by what he called the insulting
behaviour of Lt Markarian towards the Azerbaijani flag.
But the judge ruled that the murder was pre-meditated and had been
carried out with extreme cruelty.
Had his fellow officers not restrained him, the judge added, Safarov
would have killed a second Armenian officer as well.
A lawyer representing the victim’s family welcomed the sentence as a
“good decision for the Hungarian court and for [Armenian] society”.
Safarov’s lawyer said he planned to appeal against the verdict.

New Anatolian, Turkey
April 14 2006
Polish F.M. Meller Proposes Turkish, Armenian & Polish Historian To
Meet
ANKARA – Polish Foreign Minister Stefan Meller suggested Turkish,
Armenian and Polish historians to meet to discuss so-called Armenian
genocide allegations.
Turkish deputy Parliament Speaker Sadik Yakut received Meller in
Ankara on Thursday.
Yakut said, ”Turkey expects support from Poland during EU membership
process.”
He also said, ”we felt very sorry over Polish Parliament’s decision
(in April 2005) about so-called Armenian genocide. This distressing
development against Turkish nation emerged after Armenia’s unilateral
propaganda which deteriorates the realities. I believe Poland will
not allow the initiatives of marginal Armenian groups against the
relations of the two countries. I believe such groups will not be
supported by Polish Parliament.”
Regarding cartoon crisis, Yakut said, ”the cartoon crisis in Denmark
brought clash of civilizations onto agenda again. Those who used
freedom of expression irresponsibly depressed billions of Muslims
deeply. We believe that Poland’s exerting efforts to end anti-Islamic
winds by using its influence within EU will have important
consequences.”
Meller said that both the prime minister of Poland and himself
released the necessary statements to apologize from the Muslim world
for the cartoon crises.
Referring to a decision approved by the Polish parliament last year
to recognize the events in 1915 as genocide, Meller said that
Armenian people had been living in Poland for centuries.
Recalling that a number of Polish citizens of Armenian origin have
carried out significant duties, Meller said that they considered that
decision of the Polish parliament as a compensation for suffering and
pain stemming from 1915 events.
Noting that the decision did not have any binding impact on Poland’s
foreign policy, and it did not reflect the view of their government,
Meller said that the decision was not against Turkey.
Meller said that he proposed Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime
Minister Abdullah Gul to undertake a good-will mission and bring
together Turkish, Armenian and Polish historians.
Stressing that they did not aim to give lessons to the others, Meller
said that Poland had earlier succeeded in resolving the problems with
Germany and Ukraine through dialogue.

New Anatolian, Turkey
April 14 2006
Turkey To Add Optimism Value To Eu, Polish Fm Meller
ANKARA – Polish Foreign Minister Stefan Meller said that Poland
supports Turkey’s EU membership process, adding that Turkey will add
optimism value to the EU.
Holding a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul on Thursday, Meller said regarding Turkey’s EU
membership issue that Poland has always supported Turkey’s EU
membership and will continue to support.
Meller said that the criteria which were applied to other countries
(during EU membership process) should be same with the ones applied
to Turkey, noting that Turkey should implement the same criteria
completely to be a member of the EU.
Noting that Poland’s European vision is to further extend the EU,
Meller said that new ”added values” (in the aspects of culture and
civilization) are expected from the countries which will join the EU.
He said that besides other contributions, Turkey will add optimism
value to the EU due to its importance in the region.
Upon a question about the debates in Polish parliament on so-called
Armenian genocide, Meller said that Polish parliament did not take
any decision about the issue; it only stated a view, and that view
reflected the atmosphere of that period.
Noting that there are many bureaucrats, soldiers and artists of
Armenian origin in Poland, and Poland has good relations with
Armenia, Meller said that however, this should not be reflected to
foreign policy. He added that Poland will be pleased with solution of
this problem.
Meller said that there were not any problem in the bilateral
relations between Turkey and Poland.
Eulogizing Turkish businessmen’s achievements in Poland, Meller said
that Turkey and Poland could make joint investments in the third
countries.
Referring to the cultural relations between Turkey and Poland, Meller
thanked the Turkish government for its support to restoration of the
Adam Mickiewicz Museum in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Gul said that
their government was determined to further improve commercial,
economic, cultural and defense relations with Poland.
”I believe that Poland will continue extending support to Turkey in
its EU membership process,” Gul added.
Upon a question about Iran’s nuclear program, Gul said that all
relevant sides should help efforts to find a solution through
diplomatic channels.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress