TURKEY’S ADMISSION TO EU POSSIBLE AFTER SETTLEMENT OF ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 18 2006
Yerevan, April 18. /ARKA-Novosti-Armenia/. Turkey’s admission to the
European Union is only possible after the re-opening of borders with
Armenia and settlement of the issue of the Armenian Genocide in 1915,
Chairwoman of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission
Mary-Ann Isler Begin told reporters in Yerevan.
According to her, the European Parliament has always been for the
re-opening of the Turkish-Armenian borders. This issue will certainly
be raised the moment of Turkey’s admission to the European family.
Otherwise, the admission of the country having its borders with its
neighbors closed to the EU is impossible, Isler Begin said.
She also pointed out that, before being admitted to the EU, Turkey
must settle the issue of the Armenian Genocide inside itself.
On October 3, 2005, a meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg
reached an agreement on Turkey’s admission to the EU. On October 4,
2005, the EU started official negotiations with Turkey.
Western experts forecast that the negotiations with official Ankara
may last 15-20 years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PENTAGON CALLED REPORTS ON US INVASION OF IRAN SOON ‘ABSURD SPECULATIONS’
Yerkir
19.04.2006 12:21
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Pentagon called reports on forthcoming US invasion
of Iran “absurd speculations,” US military department’s official
representative Bryan Whitman stated at a briefing in Pentagon.
“Like the international community the US President chose diplomacy
as a preferred approach to stop Iran’s nuclear programs,” Bryan
Whitman said.
At the same time Bryan Whitman did not fully deny the US has plans
of military operations in the region. “No one will believe Pentagon
does not have plans for all types of potential military developments,
including those in Iran,” Whitman said. He remarked, Pentagon forms
plans based on any development of the situation, RIA Novosti reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KEITH KEENER’S POSITIVE THOUGHTS
San Francisco Caller
San Francisco, CA, USA
April, 2006
Part 1 and part 2 of Keith Keener’s Positive Thoughts were written
some 3 years ago – they must have struck a cord. I continue to
receive an outpouring of mail, most of it people expressing agreement
with my support of President Bush and the War on Evil. In fact,
the question most people asked me is, “Besides flying the American
flag and participating in hate crimes, how can I show my support for
the President?”
Actually, most of the so-called “hate crimes” you’re talking about
are directed at terrorists, so they’re really motivated by love for
America. It’s time to start calling them “love crimes.” Actually, now
that I think of it, “crimes” doesn’t really best capture this. Maybe
“making love.” Though I think that one’s taken.
Since you’ve asked, though, the best thing you can do is to start
boycotting right now. France refuses to go along with America on our
pre-emptive retaliation at Iraq, so I say, start boycotting French
wine, French cheese, etc. I live in Wisconsin, so I don’t even eat
French cheese (why would I, with good old Wisconsin fried cheese
curds all around?) or drink French wine (again, with Wollersheim
Winery located in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, I don’t need to import).
I can’t stop eating French fries, so like many Americans, I’m calling
them “Freedom fries.” And there’s also “freedom toast.”
We should also be boycotting Turkish stuff, because of the way that
Turkey has treated us. President Bush generously offered Turkey
something like 90 billion dollars in aid, plus U.S. special forces
to use in fighting the Armenian menace. He then pledged to remove,
by executive order, the word “Armenia” from American dictionaries,
which he has already whittled down to just about 600 words in previous
presidential decrees. Come to think of it, he already took “whittle”
out of U.S. dictionaries, so I have to rewrite that sentence or start
using British English, whatever the heck that is. Anyway, I don’t think
I can boycott any Turkish things, so I am trying to think of a good
way to rename “Turkish taffy,” which is that country’s most important
cultural legacy. They’re also really mad about the popularity of My
Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Anyway, the upshot of this is, if you see someone wearing a beret
or a fez, I suggest that you make love. Or commit a love crime,
whichever you think is the better way to say this.
Sorry for the long intro, but it sort of ends Part 1 and 2 of the
Positive Thoughts. Until next time.
PMB 31 322 Cortland Avenue San Francisco, CA 94110.

VARDAN OSKANYAN PRESENTS EU HIS COMPROMISE PROPOSAL
Author: Z. Ibrahimli
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
The Armenian foreign minister, Vardan Oskanyan told on April 18 in
Yerevan: “presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have failed to reach the
agreement in Rambuy, however, we don’t think that the meeting itself
was a failure.” Speaking today at the commission of the parliamentary
cooperation Armenia- EU in Yerevan, Osknayan said that “misfit in
Rambuy does not mean the failure of the whole negotiating process,”
Trend reports, citing Mediamax agency. He reminded that the Rambuy
meeting has been held on the basis of the existing progress achieved
in the course of 2005.
Oskanyan noted that considering previously achieved agreements and
activity of mediators there are possibilities to hope for the progress
in the negotiating process.
If previously Yerevan announced that it will discuss the problems
of the conflict consequences only after the political status of
Nagorno-Karabakh will be defined, now Armenia is doing a ‘serious
compromise’ and follows a different position.
“If Azerbaijan agrees with the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh people have
right for self-definition, which might be implemented not necessarily
now but in the future, then Armenian side is ready to discuss the
settling down of the conflict consequences – territory, refuges and
other security matters,” Oskanyan said.

OSKANIAN: TODAY BAKU HAS UNDERSTANDING TOWARDS KARABAKH RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION
Yerkir
19.04.2006 12:20
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and Armenian and Azeri
Presidents discuss prospects of organizing Kocharian-Aliyev new
meeting, Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated in Yerevan today. In his
words, speaking of a specific date of the meeting is early.
A meeting of the Presidents will be justified only if mediators’
visits to the region are productive. There will be no sense in the
meeting, if no changes are registered in the situation in the talks
that was formed in Rambouillet,” the Armenian Minister said.
“Today as never the Azeri party has understanding of the rights
of Nagorno Karabakh people’s right to self-determination, though
Azerbaijan is creating obstacles to that,” Oskanian remarked
The Armenian FM said he considers speaking of return of any territories
is early. “As of the issue of return of refugees, it has a bilateral
character and its solution should be adequate to all parties,”
Oskanian remarked, reports Mediamax.

PRESIDNET KOCHARYAN RECEIVED DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF RUSSIA
ArmRadio.am
19.04.2006 12:48
President Robert Kocharyan received today the Deputy Foreign Minister
of Russia Grigori Karasin, who arrived in Armenia in the framework
of his regional visit.
The Deputy Foreign Minister informed that he is in Armenia to hold
consultations with Russian Ambassadors to Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan
and Turkey.
The interlocutors discussed issues related to Armenian-Russian
bilateral relations, the developments in South Caucasus and ways of
resolution of the existing conflicts. The parties exchanged views on
a number of urgent international issues.

EU TRIO DELEGATION TO VISIT ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
19.04.2006 11:30
April 20 a delegation of EU Trio, headed Foreign Affairs State
Secretary of Austria Hans Wnikler will arrive in Yerevan. The
delegation comprises representative of Finland (as next Chair country),
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semnebi,
and members of the European Commission. The delegation is expected
to meet high officials of Armenia. The Trio delegation will leave
Armenia for Georgia and Azerbaijan.

RUSSIA IN CHARGE OF CIS AERIAL EXERCISE ON 25 APRIL
Interfax news agency, Moscow
18 Apr 06
More than 70 craft, including MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters, Su-25 attack
aircraft, Su-24 fighter-bombers, A-50 long-range airborne early warning
and control aircraft [Mainstay] and long-range strategic aviation
aircraft will be taking part in an exercise of the CIS Unified Air
Defence System on 25 April, Russian Interfax – Military News Agency
reported on 18 April.
Quoting Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force in charge of
issues relating to the CIS Unified Air Defence System Lt-Gen Aytech
Bizhev, the agency said Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine would be taking part in
the exercises, designed to hone interaction in intercepting aerial
intruders of the CIS airspace and to fight aerial terrorism.
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Army General Vladimir
Mikhaylov, will take charge of the exercises from the Air Force’s
central command post, said the agency.

LEADER OF FRONTIER JOURNALISTS NGO TO ORGANIZE PHOTO EXPOSITION ON MAY 9 HOLIDAYS
Stepanakert, April 15. ArmInfo. Leader of Frontier Journalists NGO
intends to organize a photo exposition of “Navigator” Studio headed by
the famous fill director Karen Gevorgyan on May 9. This day is a triple
holiday for Nagorny Karabakh: Day of the Victory in the Great Patriotic
War, Day of NKR Defense Army, and Day of Liberation of Shushi.
League Coordinator Georgy Ghazaryan informs ArmInfo’s special
correspondent to Stepanakert that similar expositions will be organized
in future as well to show the unbiased picture of military actions of
Nagorny Karabakh conflict on the basis of archive materials. A number
of journalists from Armenia expressed an intention to participate in
the exposition.
A studio of young journalists has recently opened at the NGO. It will
contribute to creative growth of journalists. To support beginners,
seminars, symposiums and other events are planned. A newspaper
“Zarkerak” will be published as well.

ARMENIAN MINISTER ONLY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2008 POLLS, POLITICIAN SAYS
Arminfo
17 Apr 06
Yerevan, 17 April: The majority of political parties are pro-Western
in Armenia today, but the West has not its candidate to run for the
forthcoming Armenian presidential election, the leader of the New
Times Party, Aram Karapetyan, has told an Arminfo correspondent.
“Armenian parliament speaker Artur Bagdasaryan is supported by the
West. Look what happened to him. The people who told me in 2005 that
serious cataclysms are expected in the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed
Country] Party in 2006, they predict today that only six MPs (less than
one third) will remain in the Orinats Yerkir faction, Karapetyan said.
The voting in the National Assembly on the state property privatization
programme confirm the validity of similar predictions, the leader
of the New Times Party said. He added that Armenian Defence Minister
Serzh Sarkisyan was the only presidential candidate from the Armenian
ruling circles as of today.
Unlike his opponents, Karapetyan denies categorically that the funds
received from the sale of the fifth unit of the Razdan thermal power
plant to the Russian Gazprom were transferred to the Defence Ministry
account and that this meant Russia’s support for Serzh Sarkisyan in
the forthcoming election. “When super powers support their candidates,
they do this unnoticed,” the opposition party leader said.
Aram Karapetyan said that the prevailing pro-Western mood in the
Armenian opposition is linked to the West’s “miraculous” ability to
carry out orange revolutions. “They want to believe in the West’s
active support in the future and meanwhile not to reject its financial
support,” he said.
Russia conducts a pro-Armenian policy today and support for the
Nagornyy Karabakh republic is part of this policy, the leader of the
New Times Party said. He considered the sale of the fifth unit of
the Razdan thermal power plant as the failure of the US Millennium
Challenge Corporation programme in Armenia.
“A total of 235m dollars were intended for the return of seven
districts in a security zone around Nagornyy Karabakh,” Karapetyan
said. He added that the USA would strengthen its pressure on
Armenia and Azerbaijan in the coming months, as a result of which
the geopolitical forces can change their positions in the region,
especially in Armenia.