AZG Armenian Daily #167, 17/09/2005

Karabakh issue

MAMEDIAROV: WE ARE CLOSE TO A BREAKTHROUGH

In an interview to Associated Press in New York the Azerbaijani foreign
minister stated that in order to get Nagorno Karabakh conflict settled the
president of Armenia and Azerbaijan “must act as state figures but not as
politicians who go after national interests”. According to Mediamax agency,
minister Elmar Mamediarov said that the Kazan meeting prepared ground for
the negotiation process. “I would like to say that we are close to a
breakthrough but problems still persist”, he said.

On his part, Heikki Talvitie, EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus, declared in Baku that “the Kazan meeting between Aliyev and
Kocharian allows to state that historic opportunity to resolve the Karabakh
conflict was created and it should be grasped”.

AZG Armenian Daily #167, 17/09/2005

Russia

ANTI-KARABAKHI STATEMENTS OF MOSCOW CAUSE ANTI-RUSSIAN ATTITUDE IN ARMENIA
AND KARABAKH

Pyotr Burdikin, temporary representative of Russia in Azerbaijan, advised
mass media of Baku not to pay serious attention to the conference held in
Moscow. He said that the delegations of internationally unacknowledged
states participated in the conference.

“Parallel CIS. Abkhazia, Transdniestria, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh
as Post Soviet Reality” conference was held in Moscow, on September 13-16.
It was organized by the state universities of the unrecognized republics and
Konstatin Zatulin, chairman of CIS Affairs Committee at RF State Duma,
Chairman of CIS Affairs Institute.

The Russian diplomat stated in Baku that the conference aimed at informing
the Russian political figures about the current situation in the
unacknowledged territories. “The attention paid to the conference in
Azerbaijan contributes to the PR of the arrangement. The conference has
nothing common with the unacknowledged republics,” Pyotr Burdikin said.

Various Russian officials have been making complex and offensive statements
about Karabakh and Armenia. Very often Yerevan paid no attention to them,
probably, taking into account the size of our country and other factors.
Recently, anti-Armenian statements became frequent in the Kremlin circles.
Few months ago, RF Foreign Ministry condemned the parliamentary elections in
Nagorno Karabakh that were much more independent and fair than the Russian
presidential elections.

The abovementioned anti-Armenian statements create anti-Russian attitude in
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and make harm to the Russian-Armenian
relations. As a result, one may suppose that pro-American and Euro-Atlantic
influence will grow both in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Unlikely our
strategic partner Russia, who merely “kills” Armenia for $1 million of debt,
the US renders more and more aid both to Armenia and NKR.

Russia managed to purchase a number of Armenian companies of strategic
importance against the debt amounting to $100 million. Yet, Moscow annulled
$ 4 billion of debt of Syria, which is no strategic partner for Russia.

Yerevan and Stepanakert should respond to the unfriendly actions of Moscow.
Certainly, we don’t mean diplomatic war. For example, Stepanakert refuse
participating in the conference organized by Zatulin, and in many others to
come.

Kremlin keeps stating that they recognize the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, doesn’t accept NKR de facto leadership, but can’t help
supporting Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdniestria and obviously
interfering with the local elections and inner political processes.

The international community stated in many revues that NKR and Nagorno
Karabakh conflict greatly differ from the three others in the post Soviet
area. That’s why, taking into account this very factor, Stepanakert should
avoid participating in arrangements dedicated to these three unrecognized
republics. The international press has very frequently stated that
“secessionist regimes” rule Sukhumi, Tskhinvali and Tiraspole.

We should keep away from Abkhazia and Ossetia, especially for the sake of
Armenian-Georgian relations. Although Georgia isn’t considered our strategic
partner but taking into account the current situation, as well as
geographical position of our country, Tbilisi is of no less importance than
Moscow for us.

It’s worth mentioning that Stepanakert policy of keeping aside from Abkhazia
and South Ossetia is appreciated in Tbilisi. Georgia made no comments on the
latest elections of local self-governing bodies, as well as the
parliamentary elections in Nagorno Karabakh.

By Tatoul Hakobian

Pan Armenian news

A. BAGHDASSARYAN MET ACTING SYRIAN CHARGE D’AFFAIRS IN ARMENIA

16.09.2005 07:10

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian NA Speaker Artur Baghdassaryan met with
acting Syrian Charge d’Affairs in Armenia Mihlis Faraun, RA NA press service
reported. The parties discussed the Armenian-Syrian cooperation and Syria’s
participation in opening of the Center of Armenian Culture in Yerevan. The
Armenian parliament head thanked the Syrian government for good attitude
towards Armenians. By the guest’s request A. Baghdassaryan presented the
process of constitutional reform in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News

OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN MOVEMENT TO OPEN IN ARMENIA

16.09.2005 06:55

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Artur
Baghdassaryan met with Secretary General of the International European
Movement Henrik H. Kroner, RA NA press service reported. To note, the
European Movement is an association contributing to the establishment of a
unified, federal Europe, founded on respect for human rights and democratic
principles, by informing and mobilizing citizens and influencing
decision-makers at all European Society levels. One of the major
achievements of the European Movement was contribution to the creation of
the European Union and the European Parliament. During the meeting the
interlocutors discussed the possibility of opening EM Office in Armenia. Mr.
Kroner offered the RA NA Speaker to become a member of the Movement.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News

ARMENIA SIGNED INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM

16.09.2005 06:07

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 15 during a special event titled `Focus 2005
– response to global challenges’ dedicated to international treaties and
held within the framework of the 60-th Session UN General Assembly Armenian
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan signed the International Convention on
Elimination of Nuclear Terrorism. Proceeding from the principles of peace
and security, friendly relations between the states and development of
cooperation, acknowledging the right of states to use nuclear energy for
peaceful purposes and being concerned of the boom of terrorism the
member-states solemnly condemned terrorism of any kind.

Pan Armenian News

U.S. AND ARMENIAN BUSINESSMEN LITTLE INFORMED OF EACH OTHER

16.09.2005 04:36

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today the presentation of U.S. international program
titled `Regional Cooperation’ was held in Yerevan today within the framework
of Armenia EXPO 2005. The program was presented by Elizabeth Pelletreau,
head of the department of economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy. In her words
the commodity turnover between Armenia and the United States in not big.
Presently the volume of the U.S. export to Armenia makes $100 thousand; at
that the figure twice exceeds Armenia’s export to the U.S. The fact is that
the Armenian and American businessmen are possess poor information about
each other. Thus the purpose of the program is to raise the awareness of the
businessmen. Ms. Pelletreau noted the Armenian textile industry and touched
upon CARD program launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Stressing
the necessity of stimulating the Armenian-American ties she also informed
that a conference titled `Competition’ will be held in Yerevan October
15-16. Its participants will discuss regional cooperation and healthy
competition.

Pan Armenian News

NKR CAN LIVE WITHOUT CONTACTS WITH AZERBAIJAN

16.09.2005 07:43

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Nagorno Karabakh Republic can easily live without any
contacts with Azerbaijan,’ advisor to the NKR Foreign Minister Ruben
Zagaryan stated when addressing the international conference titled
`Simultaneous CIS. Abkhazia, Transdnesria, South Ossetia and Nagorno
Karabakh as of post-soviet space realities’ held in Moscow September 14-15.
During his speech R. Zargaryan pointed out to the conditions essential for
the Karabakh conflict settlement. These are Baku’s recognition of Karabakh’s
right for self-determination, restoration of Karabakh’s territorial
integrity, return of all the territories, civilized approach to the conflict
settlement, international recognition of NKR, amends to the aggrieved
persons of the genocide perpetrated by Azerbaijan against the people of
Karabakh.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Books: A Week in Books

The Independent – United Kingdom; Sep 16, 2005
BOYD TONKIN

One sign of a mature, argumentative democracy is that it expects its
bright young talents to carp at their own culture. So when Zadie Smith
seems in a US interview to call England a ‘disgusting’ place, nearly
every deadline-chasing rentamouth assumes that she has done so ”
rather than suspect that snide and sleazy New York magazine has
stitched her up. Which it did. Anyway, if the writer had trashed her
own backyard, she would merely have upheld the great tradition of
reverse nationalism among the British intelligentsia that George
Orwell wryly noted 60 years ago. The pundits should be ” patriotically
” proud of that tradition, and pay more heed instead to a country
where an author may face up to three years in jail for the ‘public
denigration’ of national identity.

The Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk ” by any standards, a giant of world
literature ” is due to answer that charge in an Istanbul court on 16
December. Prosecutors have deemed that an interview given by the
author of Snow and My Name is Red in Switzerland, in which he said
that ‘30,000 Kurds and a million Armenians were killed’ in Turkey and
that ‘nobody but me dares to talk about it’, contravenes article 301/1
of the Turkish penal code. Under this provision, any such
‘denigration’ of the nation carries an extra punishment (a third more)
if published abroad.

As plenty of eminent voices have already said, the case against Pamuk
is an outrage and an absurdity. It should be dropped at once, as
should a similar, less reported charge against the Armenian-descended
editor, Hrant Dink. If these prosecutions go ahead, they will cast
another long shadow over the accession talks that Turkey begins with
the European Union on 3 October.

At the same time, it would be folly to join the anti-Turkish stampede
that Pamuk’s case seems to have triggered in western Europe. On
Turkey’s hard road to freedom, this may be more blip than
backlash. Almost everything in the state Atatnrk carved out of the
Ottoman wreckage remains up for grabs. A fine new book by the BBC’s
Chris Morris, The New Turkey (Granta, pounds 17.99), gives an expert
and colourful overview of this ferment. By pursuing Pamuk and Dink
now, the secular-nationalist old guard have shown their teeth ” but
liberal forces also have both bark and bite.

Look at the Armenian massacres of 1915, the last and deepest of
national taboos. The Turkish novelist Elif Shafak (whose The Flea
Palace was shortlisted, along with Pamuk’s Snow, for this year’s
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize) tells me that Pamuk’s plight ‘has
left Turkey’s open-minded intellectuals in a very difficult
position’. They will defend him to the hilt against the legal
onslaught. Yet his claim to solitary courage in speaking out on the
Armenians has belittled all the silence-breaking work done by many
others.

‘There are journalists, columnists, activists in Turkey who have been
voicing this issue for years now,’ says Shafak, ‘but they are far less
known in the West.’ She points out that ‘1915 is being opened to
discussion in Turkey like never before,’ even to the extent of media
apologies to the Armenians. Then, this May, a conference on Armenian
history that 700 delegates had signed up to attend in Istanbul was
postponed at the last minute after threats from the justice
minister. Next Friday, the delayed congress will go ahead.

Shafak reports that, remarkably, the Turkish foreign minister has
offered to make an opening speech. It seems that the battle between
genuine pluralism and policed debate runs right up to the cabinet
table. Under-informed literati must not take Pamuk’s case ” stupid and
sickening as it is ” as conclusive proof. As Shafak says, ‘We need a
network. Otherwise, when and if we focus so much on individuals,
either to vilify or to glorify them, Turkish democracy does not
benefit’.

Iranian president discusses key international issues with prominent figures

IRNA website, Tehran
16 Sep 05

United Nations, New York, 16 September: President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad
here Thursday [15 September] discussed issues of mutual interest and
key international development with prominent world figures on the
sidelines of the UN summit.

In a meeting with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili, the
Iranian president called for closer and broader cooperation between
Iran and Georgia in different domains, especially in the cultural
field.

Ahmadinezhad said numerous commonalties shared by the Iranian and
Georgian nations give an impetus to promotion of cooperation and
bilateral ties.

He welcomed an invitation by Saakashvili to visit Georgia and said he
will visit the country on an appropriate time.

Saakashvili said his country admires the noble Iranian nation with
their great civilization and rich culture.

He said he believes Iran is playing an important role in the
international and regional relations.

He said his country is ready to promote ties with Iran.

In another meeting, Ahmadinezhad and his Belarussian counterpart
Alyaksanr Lukashenka agreed the foreign ministers of the two countries
would explore avenues for promotion of bilateral relations and draw up
the agenda for the next meeting of the Iranian and Belarussian heads
of state.

In a separate meeting, Ahmadinezhad and his Tajik counterpart Emomali
Rahmonov stressed expansion of all-out ties between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinezhad and Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
stressed the two countries’ willingness to promote mutual ties and
cooperation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenpress

Economic Culture and Science Regional Sports

POLITICAL

16 September

STATEMENT OF ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER ANDRANIK MARGARIAN AT HIGH-LEVEL
PLENARY MEETING OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S 60TH SESSION
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian made speech at the 60th session of the UN General Assembly.
“Mr. President,
Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Mr. President,
First, allow me, to congratulate You on Your election as President of the
60th session of the UN General Assembly. It is five years now that the Heads
of States and Governments adopted the Millennium Declaration thus assuming
responsibility to reach the development goals as outlined in the
Declaration. By joining the Declaration Armenia included the development
goals in its long-term strategic programs. By the decision of the Government
and with the assistance of international organizations Armenia adopted a
Poverty Reduction Strategy Program in August 2003.
It envisages measures aimed at implementation of MDGs and is in
compliance with the strategic development of the country. The Program
reflects our national distinctive features and enjoys the full support of
civil society and international organizations.
Mr. President,
Terrorism remains the biggest scourge facing humanity. The terrorist acts of
September 11, 2001 in the United States, then in Beslan, Madrid, London and
other parts of the world testify that states should unite their efforts to
commonly address this evil. Armenia strongly condemns terrorism and all its
manifestations. We commend measures undertaken by the Secretary-General
aimed at prevention of possible acts of genocide in the future. In this
connection I would like to underline the importance of inclusion in the
Outcome Document of the High-Level Meeting the concept of responsibility to
protect populations against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and
crimes against humanity.
The international community should redouble its efforts to prevent
possible genocides. Armenians, as a nation that survived the first genocide
of the 20-th century, know well the horrible consequences of the policy of
genocide.
Mr. President,
One of the guarantees for security and stability in our region is peaceful
settlement of regional conflicts. Armenia remains committed to the peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. The people of Nagorno Karabagh
used its right to self-determination in accordance with the principles of
international law, just as some countries present at this session have
recently done. We are confident that only in conditions of mutual respect,
in an atmosphere of tolerance and with the will to recognize historic truth
can we secure peaceful and good-neighborly coexistence in our region.
We attach special attention to regional cooperation to encourage mutual
confidence. Unfortunately, this process is impeded by the blockade imposed
on Armenia, as well as by unwillingness of some countries of our region to
engage in such cooperation.
Mr. President,
Armenia supports the efforts aimed at reforming the United Nations and,
in particular, at enhancement of the role of the General Assembly, creation
of the Human Rights Council, and especially at increasing the effectiveness
of the working methods of the Security Council. We are confident that the
reformed United Nations Organization will be in a position to successfully
address today’s ever-increasing challenges. Thank you.”