ARMENIA HIGHLIGHTS PROMOTION OF RELATIONS WITH SOUTH-EASTERN ASIA
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 13:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today newly appointed Malaysia Ambassador to Armenia
Dato Mohamad Khalis (residence in Moscow) presented credentials to
Armenian President Robert Kocharian, reported the Press Service of the
Armenian leader. Having congratulated the diplomat on his appointment,
R. Kocharian noted Armenia highlighted promotion of relations with
countries of South-Eastern Asia, among which Malaysia occupied a
special place. The interlocutors noted the large cooperation potential
of the two countries.
They said to use the potential the necessary legal framework should be
formed. As of activation of business relations, the parties emphasized
the exchange of information and active contacts between business
circles of Armenia and Malaysia.

YEREVAN AND ROSTOV-ON-DON BECAME TWIN CITIES
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 13:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday an agreement on the Armenian capital
and Rostov-on-Don becoming Twin Cities was signed in Yerevan
Administration.
Besides, the Don delegation headed by Governor Vladimir Chub took part
in festivities in Yerevan marking the opening of the memorial complex
to Hero Cossacks killed during Russian-Persian and Russian-Turkish Wars
in 19th century. It should be reminded that the memorial is erected at
the place where once Cossack regiments were stationed. The seven-meter
stele is embraced with plates that have names of Cossack regiments on
them. The proverb on the monument reads: “To Cossacks of Russia from
Grateful Armenian People.” The raising of the monument was initiated
by Cossack circles of Rostov region and Nakhichevan Armenian community.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN POLICEMEN TOOK PART IN TACTICAL-PRACTICAL EXERCISES OF RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS IN KUBAN
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 13:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A delegation of the Police of the Republic of
Armenia took part in the tactical and practical exercises of special
elements of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs held in Kuban
October 10. The exercises were titled Actions of Forces and Means
of Internal Affairs Bodies to Suppress Mass Disorders in Settlements
and Avert and Suppress Seizure of Objects of Government Bodies. The
exercises aimed at working out and fixing actions for fighting terror,
reported the Yerkramas, the newspaper of Armenians of Russia. Armenian
policemen arrived in Kuban September 24 exchange work experience with
their colleagues from Krasnodar Territory State Department of Internal
Affairs (SDIA). September 26-27 Kuban Militia and Armenian Police
officers studied methods of forming special destination elements, their
material and technical equipment, types of technical means these are
armed with, as well as rules of use of fire-arms. Besides in the SDIA
riffle range they practiced shooting with elements of psychological
and physical load. September 28 delegation representatives perfected
their close fight skills, defense modes against threat of use of cold
steel and fire-arms. They also worked out personnel actions on alarms
and alerts. The Armenian Police delegation will stay in Kuban till
October 12.

RUSSIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA OCTOBER 12
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 20:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitin will
arrive in Armenia on a working visit October 12, reported the Press
Service of the Russian Ministry of Transport. Wednesday Levitin
will take part in a meeting between Russian and Armenian businessmen,
while the seventh session of Inter-Governmental Commission for Economic
Cooperation between Russia and Armenia will be held in Yerevan October
13. Igor Levitin and Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan are the
Commission Co-Chairs. During the Commission meeting the parties will
discuss the legal framework for cooperation, prospects of development
of trade and economic, financial and property relations, cooperation
in fuel and energy complex, transport and communications, humanitarian
sector. A Protocol will be signed upon completion of the session.

ARMENIAN MOD HEAD: BAKU MILITANT STATEMENTS DISPLAY OF ELECTORAL HYSTERIA
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 20:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ I. Aliyev’s party will most likely win the
parliamentary election in Azerbaijan. Armenian Defense Minister
Serge Sargsyan stated during a conversation with journalists
October 11. When asked whether the authority leaning party may win
by means of gerrymander, S. Sargsyan answered, “It is not possible
to win election by gerrymander. However, there are international
organizations for assessing phenomena of this kind and they will
voice their opinion. Besides, there will be so many assessments on
these days that our voice is inappropriate.”
Touching upon possible escalation of tension in the Karabakh conflict
zone within the period of parliamentary election in Azerbaijan,
the Armenian MOD head stated the situation in the conflict zone is
rather quiet. “I rule out the possibility of tension appearing in
the conflict zone. For example, seven months ago the situation was
totally different from that now,” S.
Sargsyan stated. At that the Minister noted that the militant
statements of the Azeri party are nothing but election
hysteria. “Election is a peculiar element, however I cannot fancy
the size of that element. Azerbaijan’s stand over NK issue will clear
out in two months,” Sargsyan said, reported IA Regnum.

ACADEMY MAN QUITS OVER NOBEL WINNER
The Local, Sweden
Oct 11 2005
A member of the organisation that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature
has resigned – in protest against last year’s winner.
Swedish Academy member Knut Ahnlund, an author and literature
professor, says that the award to Elfriede Jelinek has stripped the
prize of value.
Two members of the eighteen member academy have refused to take part in
the organisation’s work since 1989. Kerstin Ekman and Lars Gyllensten
suspended their involvement after fellow academy members refused to
issue a statement condemning the fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
Ahnlund writes in Svenska Dagbladet that after a detailed examination
of Jelinek’s work, he considered that her writing was one dimensional –
a mass of text shovelled together without traces of artistic structure,
empty of ideas but full of cliches and violent pornography.
He asks how Jelinek could have been awarded the prize, and which
faction was behind the decision. He says he believes that certain
academy members allowed themselves to be impressed by her attacks
on the Austrian middle-class, but also suspects that most members of
the committee have not read Jelinek’s entire canon of 20-30 books.
“I speak from experience when I say that you can’t do this over a
week or a month,” writes Ahnlund.
“It is sheer slave-like work.”
Ahnlund argues that last year’s literature prize has damaged
progressive forces and has confused the public’s view of literature.
Ahnlund has been a member of the Swedish Academy since 1983.
The winner of the Literature Prize will be announced on Thursday –
a week after the recipients of the medicine, physics, chemistry and
peace prizes were named.
The delay in awarding the prize has caused rumours of a split over
Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, who is facing trial in his homeland
for saying in a newspaper interview that Turkey was responsible of
genocide against Armenians and Kurds. The trial comes at a sensitive
time for Turkey, as it starts negotiations to join the European Union.
Knut Ahnlund argues that last year’s controversial choice could force
the Academy to choose a winner who will restore the prize’s standing.
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IT SEEMS THAT WE WILL NEVER BE LEAVING IT OFF
Turkish Daily News
Oct 11 2005
We were saying that since the negotiating process with the European
Union has begun we can now focus our attention to Turkey’s important
problems that need urgent solutions, problems such as the Southeast,
Iraq and unemployment. Obviously, that is not going to be the case.
It becomes all too apparent what pathological frame of mind we are in,
especially when it comes to any issue related to the EU
Gunduz Aktan We were saying that since the negotiating process with the
European Union has begun we can now focus our attention to Turkey’s
important problems that need urgent solutions, problems such as the
Southeast, Iraq and unemployment. Obviously, that is not going to be
the case.
It becomes all too apparent what pathological frame of mind we are in,
especially when it comes to any issue related to the EU.
It is true that the start of accession talks with the EU on Oct. 3
was a very important event for us. However, it has more historic
significance for the EU than us. Time will tell whether it will prove
to be equally significant for Turkey.
Those who feel passionate about the EU continued to throw stones at
[former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President (KKTC) Rauf]
Denktas from time to time, making demagogical remarks about “jobs
and welfare” the EU would provide us. However, their hopes dimmed to
a great extent due to the stance the right-wing parties in France
and Germany had taken against Turkish membership, the EU’s Dec. 17
decision as well as the reciprocal declarations on Cyprus.
Their gloom increased when, during the days that preceded Oct. 3,
Austria acted in a recalcitrant manner, causing a meeting —
that would normally be brought to a conclusion in a few hours —
to turn into a marathon event. Then, thanks to the struggle waged
by Britain, a country that is at the peak of the art of diplomacy,
and also because the EU Commission did not deviate from its mission,
we ended up having the EU adopt the negotiating framework document
we now have in our hands.
Those who had their hopes dampened were in a state of euphoria by
this turn of events. Their exuberance was proportionate to the depth
of their gloom. They generously displayed their confidence that the
EU had thus guaranteed Turkish membership. It was as if they were
returning to the “golden age” of their childhood. The EU would make
the despotic (bad father) state toe the line and the no-good society
would be shaped up, thanks to external pressure.
They acted as if the negotiating framework document was not afflicted
with the same defects that had been inherent in the EU’s Dec. 17
decisions. It was as if, just as the Swedish prime minister said,
the additions made to the text had not reinforced the possibility
that Turkey would be given only “limited” and “conditional” membership.
These circles began formulating new arguments in line with their
wishful thinking. It must be admitted that they are very talented in
his regard. With an air of scorn for those who hold the opposing view,
they confidently declared that documents would not be so important
per se, that no document would bring about desired results unless
backed by political will, anyway, and that the mood that would reign
in the EU countries towards the end of the accession process would
determine the outcome of the talks.
Some of them said that it would be more beneficial to expose ourselves
to the “civilizational” influence of the EU during the accession
talks — just as we did during the first six years of our candidacy —
than actually being a full member. They even argued that it did not
matter if the EU would provide adequate funds for the civilizational
influence.
As they always do, they picked up a few points on which they are
right and then they spread these points thinly to veil so many
fallacies. Their passion for EU membership prevented them from making
an objective assessment.
If the negotiating framework document was not important then why
did the EU countries discuss the draft for 40 hours? Why was there a
constant threat that those talks would break down? If documents were
not important, why did the EU issue a counter-declaration to deal
with Turkey’s declaration on Cyprus? As EU Enlargement Commissioner
Olli Rehn has stressed, why did the EU ask Ankara for immediate
ratification and full implementation of the additional protocol
to the Ankara Agreement? If the EU’s financial contribution is so
unimportant, why have the EU’s 10 new members fought so hard to have
their own shares of EU funds increased?
Do these “intellectuals” think that during the EU ministers’ marathon
meeting the ministers did not remind one another that the negotiating
framework document provides the EU with all kinds of excuses not to
make Turkey a member?
These intellectuals know all this. However, they do not have the
courage to get rid of the fixations they harbor in their dream world.
They believe what they want to believe. With this kind of approach,
they give the impression that tomorrow they would not hesitate to
accept Greek Cypriot demands in Cyprus and Greek demands in the
Aegean as well as the genocide allegations of the Armenian diaspora
and Kurdish demands in the Southeast.
This melancholic mood regarding the EU naturally triggers a
counter-reaction. There are a growing number of people in Turkey who
reject dependence on the EU for the “survival” of Turkey. It is untrue
that these people want to set up an inward-looking, fascist government
in Turkey. Obviously, their only aim is to oppose the current state
of affairs.
No matter what happens, these “intellectuals” do not realize that their
attitude constitutes the biggest obstacle to Turkey’s EU membership. A
great majority of the Turkish nation rejects blind dependence on the
EU. These people do not want to make sacrifices from vital national
interests. They do not subscribe to the argument that preserving
national honor during the accession process would be qualified as
being over-emotional. They know that Turkey can seek EU membership
in a style that is quite different from that of the above-mentioned
“intellectuals.”
If we enter the EU one day, only the realists will have achieved it.

S.F. TAXI DRIVER, PASSENGER KILLED IN VIOLENT CRASH
By Marisa Lagos and Josh Wein
Staff Writers
San Francisco Examiner, CA
Oct 11 2005
SAN FRANCISCO – A longtime San Francisco taxicab driver and a
21-year-old Duke University student were killed in Pacific Heights
late Sunday night after their cab was broadsided by an allegedly
drunken driver fleeing the scene of another collision.
The driver, identified as 43-year-old San Francisco resident Kevin
McGuinness, was booked into the jail ward Monday at San Francisco
General Hospital on two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter and
drunken driving, police said. He was treated at the hospital earlier
in the day, SFPD Officer Maria Oropeza said.
Yellow Cab driver Zareh Soghikian, in his 70s, and the front-seat
passenger, 21-year-old Tyler Brown, were killed in the collision.
Brown’s stepbrother and their friend, Michael Giedgowd, were also
injured in the crash but were both in stable condition Monday evening.
Prior to the crash, McGuinness fled from another accident at the corner
of Polk and Washington streets, according to police. Oropeza said the
victim in the first crash followed McGuiness to the intersection of
Broadway and Webster streets, where the alleged drunken driver smashed
into Soghikian’s taxicab on the passenger side. Both Soghikian and
Brown were pronounced dead at the scene.
Oropeza said McGuinness tried to flee the second, fatal scene but
could not get out of his car. Soghikian, a taxi driver in The City
for at least two decades, was described as a well-liked man who
was known within the taxicab community for his work on the union
representing cab drivers. Ruach Graffis at the United Taxicab Workers
said Soghikian was born in Egypt but was Armenian by descent, and
lived on Scott Street in the Marina. He worked nights for Yellow Cab
and ran a travel business during the day, she said.
UTW posted a note on the Web site Monday morning, reading in part,
“Our dear friend and UTW activist Zareh Soghikian got killed Sunday
night in his Yellow Cab #701 … We will miss Zareh in our meetings
and on San Francisco’s streets.”
Brown, originally from Marion, Mass., was months away from earning
a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Duke University and was in
town visiting his stepbrother.
Brown was a member of his campus’ chapter of Engineers Without Borders
and recently traveled to Bande Aceh, Indonesia, to help repair villages
and airstrips damaged by the tsunami, according to a statement from
Duke University.
Brown’s parents arrived in San Francisco on Monday but could not
be reached for comment. Carol Brown, a neighbor from Tyler Brown’s
hometown who is not related to the family, said his death is already
affecting the community there.
“Our whole neighborhood is just devastated,” Brown said. “We are
deeply sad.”

‘FAMILY DISPUTE ENDED IN DEATH’
Nicki Walker
Norfolk Eastern Daily Press, UK
Oct 11 2005
Two men killed an associate by stabbing and shooting him at a Norfolk
factory before dumping his body in an isolated field, dousing it in
petrol and setting it alight, Norwich Crown Court heard yesterday.
Armenians Nishan Bakunts, 28, and his father-in-law Misha Chatsjatrjan,
44, allegedly killed their countryman Hovahannes Amiran over a ‘family
quarrel’, then sought to destroy evidence linking them to the crime.
But after an exhaustive two-year police investigation to establish
the dead man’s identity and track down his killers, the two defendants
were caught following a breakthrough lead – stemming from a scrap of
memo which was found near the burning body at Upton, near Peterborough,
in December 2002.
Bakunts, of Litchfield Road, Yarmouth, and Chatsjatrjan, who was
living in Holland, appeared at Norwich Crown Court yesterday charged
with the murder of 42-year-old Mr Amiran, alias Sako, who was the
godfather of Bakunts and his wife Arpine Karapetian, 24. Both men
have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor David Farrell QC, told the jury that police believed Sako
was murdered some time around Saturday, December 21, 2002 and the
two defendants then took his body by car to the field at Upton and
set it alight.
The body was discovered at 10am on the Saturday by an off duty fireman
Jake Ellard, who was cycling in the area.
Giving evidence, Mr Ellard told the court that he recognised the smell
of burning flesh and, after going to investigate, he saw that it was
in fact a body on fire and contacted the police.
A post mortem revealed the man had been shot in the face and neck by
home made bullets and stabbed in the trunk of his body. The man’s arms
had been cut and had wounds, indicating he had tried to defend himself.
At the murder scene police found a number of items, which had also
been set on fire.
Among these was a scrap of a medical memo with the names Talbot and
Armstrong on it.
A specialist who examined the body advised police that the dead man
could have been staying in the eastern region prior to his death.
This prompted detectives to send out more than 2000 letters to all
the people with the surnames of Talbot and Armstrong, in the hope it
would give them the breakthrough to identify the dead man and find
his killers.
And in September 2003 police got the vital lead they needed.
Vanessa Armstrong, a secretary at the Cooper Roller Bearings at King’s
Lynn, recognised the memo and contacted the police, the court heard.
Mr Farrell said it emerged memo had been sent out to a Paul Talbot
on December 18, three days before the body was discovered at Upton.
Mr Talbot was contacted and confirmed he had been in the medical room
and had dropped the memo in the bin as he left.
Police and scenes of crime officer visited the medical room and found
some surgical gloves – identical to a pair found at the site where
the body was dumped.
A thorough forensic investigation was then launched and blood matching
the victim was discovered in the medical room. Police had found their
murder scene, but at that stage had still not identified the dead man.
The court was told the investigation was then concentrated on the
Lynn factory and it was discovered Bakunts was working as a security
guard on the weekend of the murder.
A series of investigations showed Bakunts had known the dead man, and
had purchased guns and weapons prior to the murder. On the morning
of the murder, he had bought petrol and a can from a nearby garage
in Lynn.
Bakunts was arrested in October 2003, but was not psychologically
fit for interview until later in 2004.
During police interviews he replied “no comment”, but was later
charged with the murder of the dead man who was subsequently to be
identified as Sako.
Mr Farrell told the court there were a number of factors which linked
Bakunts and his father-in-law to the murder.
This included the identity and relationship between the accused and
the dead man, financial inquiries and purchases made by Bakunts,
forensic evidence, the foreign travel of Chatsjartrjan, and the sale
of Bakunts car, which the prosecution alleges, was used to transport
the body the 40-mile journey from Lynn to Upton.
Mr Farrell told the court it would be proved that on the day before
the murder, Chatsjatrjan travelled to Yarmouth after taking a ferry
to Britain from Holland and booked into a guest house then left the
country on December 22.
There was also forensic evidence found on a lighter to link him to
the murder scene.
Mr Farrell also told the court that a relative had contacted
Chatsjatrjan after hearing of Sako’s death.
He said Chatsjatrjan: “Confessed to her he had killed Sako at Bakunts’s
place of work.”
Mr Farrell added: “He confessed because he believed he only had three
months to live, because he believed he had cancer. He said the reason
was a family quarrel.”
Following the police investigation Chatsjatrjan was extradited in
January this year and charged with the murder of Sako.
Bakunts wife Karapetian, also of Litchfield Road, Yarmouth, was
arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice in
connection with the case.
The court heard although the couple were married in Belgium, their
marriage ceremony was infact invalid.
The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.
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ARMENIA-NATO PARTNERSHIP
By M. Alkhazashvili
The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 11 2005
Armenia has expressed its desire to join the NATO Individual
Partnership Program (IPAP). Armenian ambassador to NATO Samvel
Mkrtchian stated at a joint seminar of the Armenian National Assembly
and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan that he hopes Armenia’s
IPAP will begin in 2006.
According to experts, Armenia’s wish to join the IPAP is indicative
of all the geopolitical changes that have been occurring in the
region. Traditionally pro-Russian, Armenia’s interest in cooperating
with NATO is interpreted by some as evidence that the U.S.A. has
strengthened its influence in the Caucasus. It is noteworthy that
IPAP programs in both Georgia and Azerbaijan began this year.
Armenia hopes that it will be able to learn about state security
systems quickly and reach out to its European neighbors. However
the Armenian ambassador to NATO Samvel Mkrtchian criticized Georgia
and Azerbaijan for having unrealistic expectations concerning NATO
membership.
“We are not as powerful as our neighbors, but we will do our best to
reach our goal. We sign the contracts that we are able to fulfill.
Georgia and Azerbaijan have taken on a huge responsibility. In the
given situation, they find it rather difficult to carry out their
obligations,” Mkrtchian stated, according to Khvalindeli Dghe.