INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES COURT ANGER IN AZERBAIJAN CAMPAIGN
By Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Staff Writer
Washington Post
Oct 5 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan — For Dadas Alisov, a candidate in Azerbaijan’s
upcoming parliamentary elections, most voter meetings begin with
several tense minutes of pure rage. He listens as old men hammer
him with questions about their future and whether they will ever see
their homes again.
Alisov, left a refugee by his country’s war with Armenia, hopes
to represent other refugees, a diaspora of the desperately poor
and dispossessed spread throughout Azerbaijan. More than a decade
has passed since their communities in the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh were seized by Armenian soldiers, and they are so
hungry for attention that they treat Alisov as if he already represents
the government that they declare neglects them.
Azerbaijan lost about 16 percent of its territory to Armenia in the
war, one of multiple conflicts that erupted within the borders of
the old Soviet Union with the erosion of Moscow’s authority. The
half-million people who remain refugees in Azerbaijan are unable to
return home and often unable to begin new lives in resettlement areas.
“The elevators don’t work, the roofs leak,” said Alishan Aliev, who
lives in a Soviet-era housing block in Sumgayit, a polluted former
chemical industrial center north of Baku, the capital. The sun was
setting when he met with Alisov in a trash-strewn courtyard. “For 13
years the rain leaks in on us. We don’t need elevators. But we need
a roof.”
This anger is the wildcard in the Nov. 6 elections. While the
authoritarian government of President Ilham Aliyev and an organized
opposition fight for power in the country’s capital, independent and
mostly young candidates such as Alisov are trying to bypass these
old political feuds.
They go where the complaints are, listen and try to gain traction in
the campaign with something that is a rare commodity in this land of
corruption: attention to real problems. They are testing electoral
techniques they learned in the United States and Europe, where many
of them studied.
Independent candidates flooded into the parliamentary contest after
Aliyev, under international pressure, issued a resolution on May
11 reforming the electoral process. Although some are allied with
the ruling party or have opposition affiliations, many of them
want no part of the animosity between Aliyev’s government and its
long-standing critics.
“The opposition is interested in having chaos in everything,” Alisov
said. “I am personally against the idea of revolution because the
question is, who is going to do it, and who will get the benefit?”
Opposition leaders such as Isa Gambar, who heads the Musavat party,
are scornful of this approach. They argue that in an authoritarian
country, anyone who supports free and fair elections is by definition
in the opposition. No matter what label they choose, opposing
Aliyev’s handpicked candidates means fighting the same battle against
vote-rigging, ballot-stuffing and relentless government propaganda.
Alisov makes do on his own. He travels the country in a Lada, a
tiny Russian-built car, driven by a friend. He is without the larger
resources of the established opposition parties, including the access
they have gained to state television, part of a package of concessions
the Aliyev government made under international pressure.
Following a widely criticized 2003 election, in which Aliyev succeeded
his late father as president, Azerbaijan has been under increasing
scrutiny for electoral fraud and human rights abuses.
On Sept. 10, as the organized opposition was holding a rally, Alisov
held what he said was Azerbaijan’s first political fundraiser. For
about $1,000, he rented a restaurant in Baku, and after inviting
his friends, who contributed, and his impoverished constituents, who
didn’t, he came out about $1,000 ahead. As he and his supporters gave
speeches, elderly men in old suits and carefully brushed hats sat at
tables, pecked at hors d’oeuvres and talked of Nagorno-Karabakh and
the candidate.
“Dadas is very young,” observed Maharram Mahi, 81, a schoolteacher
from one of the occupied districts. “I have read his bio. He is
educated. He is a lawyer. He speaks English.”
Alisov, 30, makes no secret of his connection to the U.S. Embassy,
where he worked as a political adviser. And though he looks older
than his age and dresses in conservative suits, he does his best to
make a virtue of his youth in a society that prizes experience and
connections in its political leaders.
At the fundraiser, several voters said they admired his youthfulness
and energy, but they were reluctant to pledge support. Alisov said
that, after years of disappointment, they were careful in making
promises.
“People don’t trust anymore,” he said.
Moving Forward, and Back
Like other younger, reform-minded candidates, Alisov is working to
adopt election techniques common outside Azerbaijan. He publishes
a newsletter with his biography and campaign positions, but opens
its pages to anyone who wants to send in photographs, family news or
poetry. He campaigns at funerals and weddings, two of the remaining
community events that bring together his widely dispersed voters.
He travels with three cell phones and gives out one of his numbers,
promising to help voters with their problems. In one campaign meeting,
he told a small crowd of men not to give their identity cards to
anyone in the days before the election. Collecting these cards, which
are necessary to vote, he explained, is a common technique by local
authorities to control the results.
Although the government opened up the registration process, it has also
told candidates to post their campaign materials only on officially
sanctioned poster boards. With dozens of candidates running in some
districts, there’s not room for everyone’s literature. And with little
access to television or radio, independent candidates must have name
and face recognition.
“That’s absolutely a limitation of free speech,” Ayten Shirinova,
27, another independent candidate, said of the government’s rule on
posting. She is printing her campaign literature on long rectangular
cards, designed to hang from doorknobs like the “do not disturb”
signs in hotels. In a part of the city where people are rarely home
during the day, and often unwilling to open their doors, she said
these cards were her best chance to spread her message.
Like Alisov, Vugar Mammadov collected his registration signatures
personally, part of a strategy the U.S.-educated candidate is using
to meet and interact with voters. He said he had several invitations
to join established political parties but refused them. He too prefers
the independent label.
“People expect the Soviet-style campaign,” he said. “You have a poster
with your passport photo. You send the right people flowers.
You meet a few people.”
Mammadov is trying to chart his own course. His printed material
looks different from the usual posters and pocket calendars that
almost every candidate distributes, and he is trying to use focus
groups to create a platform, rather than announcing it from the start.
Like Alisov, other candidates are focusing on anger as a powerful
political force. One Saturday morning recently, voters in candidate
Ilgar Mamadov’s district gathered spontaneously to vent their anger
about plans to build two 16-story apartment buildings in the courtyard
of their apartment complex.
They had planned to use the same space for a community center
but discovered that a building permit had been issued to a local
entrepreneur.
When about 100 men and women gathered in the courtyard, police
arrived. Mamadov intervened and helped secure the voters a rare
meeting with city officials. The permit was suspended for 30 days.
“It’s a partial victory,” said Mamadov, who is also running as an
independent. But he also said the compromise will probably last only
until the elections are over.
Despondent Voices
Few candidates encounter the level of despair and anger that Alisov
hears on a daily basis from refugee voters. He said it was exhausting
to experience it, but necessary.
“It’s not so important to win as it is to show that the new generation
can do something,” he said. He fears a creeping apathy and cynicism
among his voters that will spread to all politicians, even those
attempting to reform the system.
Before leaving for two more late meetings with refugees in Sumgayit,
Alisov listened to his campaign staffers. One told him that his posters
were being torn down, at least 10 or 15 to date. He told them to hang
them higher, above the reach of children. He made plans to visit a
high school because, he said, teachers have sway with voters.
He made plans for yet another wedding visit.
Then he went out again to meet voters. They told him that it had been
years since they had seen their homes in the Armenian-occupied zone,
and years since they had seen their representative in parliament. “He
came and promised he would solve our problems,” said one man. “But
he does nothing.”
Alisov waited for things to calm down before he began his campaign
pitch.
“I’m sorry,” he began, quietly. “Please don’t think that I’m trying
to teach you. I am a refugee myself.” He went on to tell them that
the United States won’t come to fix their problems, that Azerbaijan
must work to build support for its position in Europe, and that the
only way out of their poverty is education.
He promised little and, in the end, he left with pledges of support.
But later he said that these are often just a form of politeness
among people who are desperate for anyone to listen to them.

INDIA’S VICE-PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN ARMENIA OCTOBER 6
Armenpress
Oct 5, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS: India’s vice-president Bharion Singh
Shekhavat will arrive in Armenia on October 6 on a three-day official
visit.
He will meet with president Robert Kocharian, parliament speaker
Baghdasarian, prime minister Margarian, foreign minister Oskanian
and agriculture minister David Lokian.

HEALTH OFFICIAL DENIES CHOLERA CASES COMING FROM IRAN
Armenpress
Oct 5, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian health authorities denied
rumors that cholera cases might have penetrated from neighboring
Iran. Lilit Avetisian, a department head, said several people were
suspected to have cholera but thorough examinations did not prove it.
She said the disease had been reported in Iran in mid-August but Iran’s
health officials moved to swiftly implement preventive measures to
take it under control. Avetisian said in the wake of reports from
Iran the health ministry deployed teams of doctors at border check
with Iran and Zvartnots airport to examine all passengers and food
arriving from Iran.

RMENIA RECEIVES US$ 4 MILLION FROM THE GLOBAL FUND
Armenpress
Oct 5, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) has committed a further US$ 4 million
to support the National Program on HIV/AIDS prevention in the Republic
of Armenia for the next 3 years, 2005-2008. This is the Phase II of a
total of US$ 7.2 million GFATM grant. Phase I of the grant – US$ 3.2
million – was successfully completed in September 2005, and Armenia
received a high score from the GFATM for the performance during the
Phase 1.
The official signing ceremony of the Phase II Grant Agreement between
the Global Fund Portfolio Manager for Latin America and Eastern
Europe Dr.
Valery Chernyavskiy and World Vision Armenia National Director
David Thomson took place on October 5 at the Armenia Marriott Hotel
in Yerevan. Government officials and the members of the Country
Coordination Commission on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria issues
took part at the ceremony, which was followed by the press conference
for journalists. Established in January 2002, the Global Fund aims
to rapidly disburse grants to supplement existing spending on the
prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
while maintaining sufficient oversight of financial transactions
and programs.
The Country Coordination Commission on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria issues in Armenia (CCM) overseas the implementation of the
grant as the coordinating commission for the National Program on
HIV/AIDS activities in the Republic of Armenia. World Vision was
nominated as the Principal Recipient (PR) of the grant in 2003 by
the CCM and, in partnership with different bodies experienced in the
area of HIV/AIDS, works to support the implementation of the National
Program on HIV/AIDS prevention.
For the first time in Armenia PLWH gained access to the antiretroviral
(ARV) therapy thanks to the GFATM grant. Presently, 23 PLWH are
receiving ARV treatment, including 3 children. Through partnership
with the Ministry of Health, the National Center for AIDS Prevention,
Ministries, local and international NGOs, Phase II will build on the
success from Phase I, and will continue to implement a wide range of
activities in the areas of prevention, care and support targeting the
general population with particular emphasis on the youth, key groups,
and PLWH.
“Various governmental, nongovernmental and international organizations
working in the field of HIV/AIDS, as well as representatives
of vulnerable groups and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have
contributed their potential into the forming multisectoral response to
HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country and in the process of implementation
of the National Program on HIV/AIDS Prevention in the Republic of
Armenia”, said Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan, CCM Chair, President of the
Armenian Red Cross Society.
“Only all together can we address the challenge of HIV/AIDS in Armenia
and The Global Fund gives real chance through support to the National
Program to slow down the rates of HIV infection and to protect the
people of Armenia”, said David Thomson.

Needles and pins for acupuncture trial reporter
HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk
5.10.2005
Regiona l press news
By HoldtheFrontPage staff
Offering herself up as a practice pin cushion to an acupuncturist is a
lot more calming than Sutton Guardian reporter Nina Jacobs thought it
would be.
As I walked cautiously into Sylvia Gulbenkian’s practice room a slight
rush of adrenalin washed over me as the realisation that having leapt at
the chance to try a session of acupuncture, I did actually have to go
through with it.
Unlike most people in my office who shrank with horror at the thought of
volunteering to be treated with needles, I felt no anxiety at offering
myself as a practice pin cushion.
That was until now.
But any fears I might have had about what I was letting myself in for
were quickly quelled when Sylvia asked me to lie down on her consulting bed.
I instantly felt relaxed at the prospect of an easy task and far more
prepared for Sylvia to bring out her box of needles.
Having never seen an acupuncture needle before, I was fascinated by just
how fine they were and agreed for Sylvia to insert one into a point on
my forehead.
Within seconds she had pinched the skin between my eyes together and
inserted the tip so it was sticking out at right angles to my face. I
felt no pain at the needle’s insertion and would have been totally
unaware of its presence if it were not for the photographer zooming his
camera lens to take a close up shot.
“The point between the eyebrows is called yin tang it’s a very calming
point and it’s good if you have got things like insomnia or if people
are stressed. But it can make you feel a bit tired,” says Sylvia.
She explains she has chosen this part of my body because it is a
miscellaneous acupuncture point and not organ specific.
It dawns on me quite quickly that apart from the obvious and simplistic
association of acupuncture with needles, this is an area of alternative
medicine about which I am clearly ignorant.
Invented by the Chinese more than 2,000 years ago, this subtle system of
medicine is practised in hospitals and clinics throughout modern China
and is often used alongside western medicine.
Sylvia explains how our bodies are filled with channels of energy or Qi
(pronounced “chee”) which need to flow freely for us to enjoy good health.
“If an organ is weak or something is blocking the channel then you would
use acupuncture to make the energy flow again.
“The liver makes the energy flow through the body so if, for example,
you had a throbbing headache, there’s a point on the foot which is part
of the liver channel which you would treat.
“I might do local points near the head but I might use a needle on the
big toe which is the start of the liver channel,” she says.
With about 365 points all over the body, Sylvia says she usually uses
points from the elbows to the hands and from the knees to the toes.
She also uses a lot of points on the back and abdomen.
“You can’t access the heart channel too close to the heart because it is
too deep, but it runs down your arm it actually ends just before your
fingernail on your little finger.
“The points nearer the end are the most powerful but areas like the
elbow are more gentle.”
Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121,
or e-mail [email protected]

European Union
5 Oct 2005
NEGOTIATING FRAMEWORK
Principles governing the negotiations
1. The negotiations will be based on Turkey’s own merits and the pace will
depend on Turkey’s progress in meeting the requirements for membership. The
Presidency or the Commission as appropriate will keep the Council fully
informed so that the Council can keep the situation under regular review.
The Union side, for its part, will decide in due course whether the
conditions for the conclusion of negotiations have been met; this will be
done on the basis of a report from the Commission confirming the fulfilment
by Turkey of the requirements listed in point 6.
2. As agreed at the European Council in December 2004, these negotiations
are based on Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union. The shared
objective of the negotiations is accession. These negotiations are an
open-ended process, the outcome of which cannot be guaranteed beforehand.
While having full regard to all Copenhagen criteria, including the
absorption capacity of the Union, if Turkey is not in a position to assume
in full all the obligations of membership it must be ensured that Turkey is
fully anchored in the European structures through the strongest possible
bond.
3. Enlargement should strengthen the process of continuous creation and
integration in which the Union and its Member States are engaged. Every
effort should be made to protect the cohesion and effectiveness of the
Union. In accordance with the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council
in 1993, the Union’s capacity to absorb Turkey, while maintaining the
momentum of European integration is an important consideration in the
general interest of both the Union and Turkey. The Commission shall monitor
this capacity during the negotiations, encompassing the whole range of
issues set out in its October 2004 paper on issues arising from Turkey’s
membership perspective, in order to inform an assessment by the Council as
to whether this condition of membership has been met.
2 EN
4. Negotiations are opened on the basis that Turkey sufficiently meets the
political criteria set by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, for the
most part later enshrined in Article 6(1) of the Treaty on European Union
and proclaimed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Union expects
Turkey to sustain the process of reform and to work towards further
improvement in the respect of the principles of liberty, democracy, the rule
of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including
relevant European case law; to consolidate and broaden legislation and
implementation measures specifically in relation to the zero tolerance
policy in the fight against torture and ill-treatment and the implementation
of provisions relating to freedom of expression, freedom of religion,
women’s rights, ILO standards including trade union rights, and minority
rights. The Union and Turkey will continue their intensive political
dialogue. To ensure the irreversibility of progress in these areas and its
full and effective implementation, notably with regard to fundamental
freedoms and to full respect of human rights, progress will continue to be
closely monitored by the Commission, which is invited to continue to report
regularly on it to the Council, addressing all points of concern identified
in the Commission’s 2004 report and recommendation as well as its annual
regular report.
5. In the case of a serious and persistent breach in Turkey of the
principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms and the rule of law on which the Union is founded, the Commission
will, on its own initiative or on the request of one third of the Member
States, recommend the suspension of negotiations and propose the conditions
for eventual resumption. The Council will decide by qualified majority on
such a recommendation, after having heard Turkey, whether to suspend the
negotiations and on the conditions for their resumption. The Member States
will act in the Intergovernmental Conference in accordance with the Council
decision, without prejudice to the general requirement for unanimity in the
Intergovernmental Conference. The European Parliament will be informed.
6. The advancement of the negotiations will be guided by Turkey’s progress
in preparing for accession, within a framework of economic and social
convergence and with reference to the Commission’s reports in paragraph 2.
This progress will be measured in particular against the following
requirements:
3 EN
? the Copenhagen criteria, which set down the following requirements for
membership:
* the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law,
human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
* the existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope
with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union;
* the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including adherence
to the aims of political, economic and monetary union and the administrative
capacity to effectively apply and implement the acquis;
? Turkey’s unequivocal commitment to good neighbourly relations and its
undertaking to resolve any outstanding border disputes in conformity with
the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the
United Nations Charter, including if necessary jurisdiction of the
International Court of Justice;
? Turkey’s continued support for efforts to achieve a comprehensive
settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework and in line with
the principles on which the Union is founded, including steps to contribute
to a favourable climate for a comprehensive settlement, and progress in the
normalisation of bilateral relations between Turkey and all EU Member
States, including the Republic of Cyprus.
? the fulfilment of Turkey’s obligations under the Association Agreement and
its Additional Protocol extending the Association Agreement to all new EU
Member States, in particular those pertaining to the EU-Turkey customs
union, as well as the implementation of the Accession Partnership, as
regularly revised.
7. In the period up to accession, Turkey will be required to progressively
align its policies towards third countries and its positions within
international organisations (including in relation to the membership by all
EU Member States of those organisations and arrangements) with the policies
and positions adopted by the Union and its Member States.
4 EN
8. Parallel to accession negotiations, the Union will engage with Turkey in
an intensive political and civil society dialogue. The aim of the inclusive
civil society dialogue will be to enhance mutual understanding by bringing
people together in particular with a view to ensuring the support of
European citizens for the accession process.
9. Turkey must accept the results of any other accession negotiations as
they stand at the moment of its accession.
Substance of the negotiations
10. Accession implies the acceptance of the rights and obligations attached
to the Union system and its institutional framework, known as the acquis of
the Union. Turkey will have to apply this as it stands at the time of
accession. Furthermore, in addition to legislative alignment, accession
implies timely and effective implementation of the acquis. The acquis is
constantly evolving and includes:
– the content, principles and political objectives of the Treaties on which
the Union is founded;
– legislation and decisions adopted pursuant to the Treaties, and the case
law of the Court of Justice;
– other acts, legally binding or not, adopted within the Union framework,
such as interinstitutional agreements, resolutions, statements,
recommendations, guidelines;
– joint actions, common positions, declarations, conclusions and other acts
within the framework of the common foreign and security policy;
– joint actions, joint positions, conventions signed, resolutions,
statements and other acts agreed within the framework of justice and home
affairs;
– international agreements concluded by the Communities, the Communities
jointly with their Member States, the Union, and those concluded by the
Member States among themselves with regard to Union activities.
5 EN
Turkey will need to produce translations of the acquis into Turkish in good
time before accession, and will need to train a sufficient number of
translators and interpreters required for the proper functioning of the EU
institutions upon its accession.
11. The resulting rights and obligations, all of which Turkey will have to
honour as a Member State, imply the termination of all existing bilateral
agreements between Turkey and the Communities, and of all other
international agreements concluded by Turkey which are incompatible with the
obligations of membership. Any provisions of the Association Agreement which
depart from the acquis cannot be considered as precedents in the accession
negotiations.
12. Turkey’s acceptance of the rights and obligations arising from the
acquis may necessitate specific adaptations to the acquis and may,
exceptionally, give rise to transitional measures which must be defined
during the accession negotiations.
Where necessary, specific adaptations to the acquis will be agreed on the
basis of the principles, criteria and parameters inherent in that acquis as
applied by the Member States when adopting that acquis, and taking into
consideration the specificities of Turkey.
The Union may agree to requests from Turkey for transitional measures
provided they are limited in time and scope, and accompanied by a plan with
clearly defined stages for application of the acquis. For areas linked to
the extension of the internal market, regulatory measures should be
implemented quickly and transition periods should be short and few; where
considerable adaptations are necessary requiring substantial effort
including large financial outlays, appropriate transitional arrangements can
be envisaged as part of an on-going, detailed and budgeted plan for
alignment. In any case, transitional arrangements must not involve
amendments to the rules or policies of the Union, disrupt their proper
functioning, or lead to significant distortions of competition. In this
connection, account must be taken of the interests of the Union and of
Turkey.
6 EN
Long transitional periods, derogations, specific arrangements or permanent
safeguard clauses, i.e. clauses which are permanently available as a basis
for safeguard measures, may be considered. The Commission will include
these, as appropriate, in its proposals in areas such as freedom of movement
of persons, structural policies or agriculture. Furthermore, the
decision-taking process regarding the eventual establishment of freedom of
movement of persons should allow for a maximum role of individual Member
States. Transitional arrangements or safeguards should be reviewed regarding
their impact on competition or the functioning of the internal market.
Detailed technical adaptations to the acquis will not need to be fixed
during the accession negotiations. They will be prepared in cooperation with
Turkey and adopted by the Union institutions in good time with a view to
their entry into force on the date of accession.
13. The financial aspects of the accession of Turkey must be allowed for in
the applicable Financial Framework. Hence, as Turkey’s accession could have
substantial financial consequences, the negotiations can only be concluded
after the establishment of the Financial Framework for the period from 2014
together with possible consequential financial reforms. Any arrangements
should ensure that the financial burdens are fairly shared between all
Member States.
14. Turkey will participate in economic and monetary union from accession as
a Member State with a derogation and shall adopt the euro as its national
currency following a Council decision to this effect on the basis of an
evaluation of its fulfilment of the necessary conditions. The remaining
acquis in this area fully applies from accession.
15. With regard to the area of freedom, justice and security, membership of
the European Union implies that Turkey accepts in full on accession the
entire acquis in this area, including the Schengen acquis. However, part of
this acquis will only apply in Turkey following a Council decision to lift
controls on persons at internal borders taken on the basis of the applicable
Schengen evaluation of Turkey’s readiness.
7 EN
16. The EU points out the importance of a high level of environmental
protection, including all aspects of nuclear safety.
17. In all areas of the acquis, Turkey must bring its institutions,
management capacity and administrative and judicial systems up to Union
standards, both at national and regional level, with a view to implementing
the acquis effectively or, as the case may be, being able to implement it
effectively in good time before accession. At the general level, this
requires a well-functioning and stable public administration built on an
efficient and impartial civil service, and an independent and efficient
judicial system.
Negotiating procedures
18. The substance of negotiations will be conducted in an Intergovernmental
Conference with the participation of all Member States on the one hand and
the candidate State on the other.
19. The Commission will undertake a formal process of examination of the
acquis, called screening, in order to explain it to the Turkish authorities,
to assess the state of preparation of Turkey for opening negotiations in
specific areas and to obtain preliminary indications of the issues that will
most likely come up in the negotiations.
20. For the purposes of screening and the subsequent negotiations, the
acquis will be broken down into a number of chapters, each covering a
specific policy area. A list of these chapters is provided in the Annex. Any
view expressed by either Turkey or the EU on a specific chapter of the
negotiations will in no way prejudge the position which may be taken on
other chapters. Also, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on
specific chapters, even partial ones, may not be considered as final until
an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters.
8 EN
21. Building on the Commission’s Regular Reports on Turkey’s progress
towards accession and in particular on information obtained by the
Commission during screening, the Council, acting by unanimity on a proposal
by the Commission, will lay down benchmarks for the provisional closure and,
where appropriate, for the opening of each chapter. The Union will
communicate such benchmarks to Turkey. Depending on the chapter, precise
benchmarks will refer in particular to the existence of a functioning market
economy, to legislative alignment with the acquis and to a satisfactory
track record in implementation of key elements of the acquis demonstrating
the existence of an adequate administrative and judicial capacity. Where
relevant, benchmarks will also include the fulfilment of commitments under
the Association Agreement, in particular those pertaining to the EU-Turkey
customs union and those that mirror requirements under the acquis. Where
negotiations cover a considerable period of time, or where a chapter is
revisited at a later date to incorporate new elements such as new acquis,
the existing benchmarks may be updated.
22. Turkey will be requested to indicate its position in relation to the
acquis and to report on its progress in meeting the benchmarks. Turkey’s
correct transposition and implementation of the acquis, including effective
and efficient application through appropriate administrative and judicial
structures, will determine the pace of negotiations.
23. To this end, the Commission will closely monitor Turkey’s progress in
all areas, making use of all available instruments, including on-site expert
reviews by or on behalf of the Commission. The Commission will inform the
Council of Turkey’s progress in any given area when presenting draft EU
Common Positions. The Council will take this assessment into account when
deciding on further steps relating to the negotiations on that chapter. In
addition to the information the EU may require for the negotiations on each
chapter and which is to be provided by Turkey to the Conference, Turkey will
be required to continue to provide regularly detailed, written information
on progress in the alignment with and implementation of the acquis, even
after provisional closure of a chapter. In the case of provisionally closed
chapters, the Commission may recommend the re-opening of negotiations, in
particular where Turkey has failed to meet important benchmarks or to
implement its commitments.

TENSE SITUATION IN JAVAKHK
Armenian Gendarme Beat Several Residents of Akhalkalak
October 5, 2005
AZG | YEREVAN – Situation in Akhalkalak was very tense yesterday. Tax
officers from Akhaltsakha closed 10 stores demanding acquirement documents
for the goods they traded. Shop-keepers told them that they bring goods from
Tbilisi and get no document there. A few hundred residents of Akhalkalak
gathered before the town administration protesting activities of tax
officers. Nairi Iritsian, mayor of Akhalkalak, told daily Azg on the phone
that Armenian gendarmes from local gendarmerie tried to break up the rally
but met resistance. The gendarmes used bludgeons calm down protesters;
several shots were heard too. As Iritsian said, one people from each side
were taken to hospital as a result of the fight. Our source in Akhalkalak
said that Georgian President’s representative in Samtskhe-Javakhk region,
Georgi Khachidze, was in Akhalkalak yesterday evening.
Mayor Iritsian claims that what they call “gendarmerie” operates only in
Javakhk and Tsalka. It employees local Armenians to press on Armenians of
Javakhk, Iritsian said.

Wisman without experienced duo
Wednesday, 5 October 2005
by Khachik Chakhoyan
Armenia coach Henk Wisman has named a 21-man squad for the final FIFA
World Cup Group 1 qualifier against Andorra. The notable absentees are
suspended defender Sargis Hovsepyan and Harutyun Vardanyan, who has
retired from the national team after being omitted from the starting
lineup against the Netherlands last month.
Armenia squad
Goalkeepers: Roman Berezovsky (FC Dinamo Moskva), Gevorg Kasparov (FC
Pyunik), Armando Hambartsumyan (PFC Slavia Sofia).
Defenders: Valeri Aleksanyan (FC Pyunik), Robert Arzumanyan (FC
Pyunik), Aleksandr Tadevosyan (FC Pyunik), Karen Dokhoyan (FC Krylya
Sovetov Samara), Egishe Melikyan (FC Metalurh Donetsk), Artashes
Baghdasaryan (FC Kilikia).
Midfielders: Agvan Lazarian (FC Pyunik), Romik Khachatryan (OFI Crete
FC), Karen Aleksanyan (CSF Zimbru Chisinau), Hamlet Mkhitaryan (FC
MTZ-RIPO Minsk), Armen Tigranyan (FC Pyunik), Samvel Melkonyan (FC
Banants), Artur Voskanyan (FC Pyunik), Artavazd Karamyan (AFC Rapid
Bucuresti).
Forwards: Edgar Manucharyan (AFC Ajax), Ara Hakobyan (FC Stal
Alchevsk), Aram Hakobyan (FC Banants), Aram Voskanyan (FC Yesil
Bogatyr Petropavlovsk), Galust Petrosyan (CSF Zimbru Chisinau).

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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) US Plays Key Role in Resolving Deadlock in Turkey-EU Talks 2) Campaign Kicks-off for November 27 Referendum on Constitutional Reforms 3) Uruguay Armenians Stage Protest against Turkey's Accession to EU 4) Opposition, Police Clashes Jar Azerbaijan Election Campaign 5) Armenia Receives $4 Million to Combat HIV/AIDS 1) US Plays Key Role in Resolving Deadlock in Turkey-EU Talks ANKARA (AFP)--US lobbying was instrumental in breaking a deadlock that threatened, until the last minute, the start of Turkey's membership talks with the European Union. The talks opened early Tuesday in Luxembourg when the 25 EU foreign ministers, after more than 20 hours of wrangling, overcame Austria's insistence to include in the negotiating guidelines an offer to Turkey of `privileged partnership' instead of full membership. Another sticking point--less in the limelight but just as vital for Turkey --was a demand that Ankara refrain from vetoing attempts by EU member states to join other international bodies. The Turkish government interpreted this as a possible means of forcing it to agree to an eventual bid by EU-member Cyprus, which it does not recognize, to join NATO. That is where US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stepped in `to underline Washington's interest in support for Turkey as they begin their accession talks with the EU,' as State Department spokesman Sean McCormack deftly put it. As EU foreign ministers struggled to broker a deal in Luxembourg, Rice called Austrian leaders and asked them to drop their objections to Turkey. She then called Turkish leaders to hear their complaints, and then persuaded Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos to soften his stance, paving the way for Turkey to clinch a deal with the EU. `We think that decisions about NATO membership should be left to NATO members,' US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington on Monday, without going into details of Rice's calls. The intervention was much appreciated by Turkey, a predominantly Muslim but strictly secular state Washington praises as a role model of co-existence between Islam and democracy. `We are very content' with the US support, foreign ministry spokesman Namik Tan told reporters here Wednesday. `They backed this project because of the importance they place on the expansion of the space where common values, such as democracy, rule of law, and market economy, prevail,' he said. The United States attracted storms of criticism from EU leaders in the past for meddling in the bloc's internal affairs by actively lobbying on behalf of Turkey. When US President George W. Bush said during a visit to Ankara last year that Turkey `ought to be given a date' for EU entry, French President Jacques Chirac angrily retorted that the US leader had gone too far. But both Turkish and US diplomats say the picture was different this time. `They [the US] did not mean to twist the EU's arm but to help them understand the global repercussions of their decision,' said Turkish diplomat, who did not wish to be named. `The US displayed a very strategic vision... If the talks had collapsed, the idea of an alliance between civilizations would have suffered; there would have been a great frustration in the East,' he said. An Ankara-based foreign diplomat said Rice's mediation should not be seen as `an attempt by the US to insert itself in EU decision-making.' `The US was not a leader in the negotiations, it only saw an opportunity to play a supportive role' to help Turkey's EU bid, the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Turkey's Vatan newspaper, meanwhile, linked the lack of any European criticism of Rice's mediation this time to improved EU-US ties, strained because of French and German opposition to the war in Iraq. `Nowadays, the US acts together with Paris and Berlin on sensitive issues such as Iran and Syria,' the daily said. But it warned that seeing Washington's support as a `kiss of life' for membership talks would be an `exaggeration.' `The real battle in Europe was essentially waged by Turkish diplomats and politicians,' it said, `...and the first to say thank you abroad are, rather than Bush and his team, the left-wing and Green parties and the intellectuals of Europe.' 2) Campaign Kicks-off for November 27 Referendum on Constitutional Reforms YEREVAN (Combined Sources)Official campaigning for a referendum on proposed constitutional reforms kicked-off in Armenia on October 4, after President Robert Kocharian signed a law establishing the nationwide vote would take place on November 27. If passed, the amendments would create a strict separation of powers between the judicial, executive, and legislative branches, and pass greater powers from the president to parliament and the prime minister, They would also remove the President from the Council of Justice, a body that plays a key role in appointing judges, and would eliminate a clause outlawing dual citizenship for diaspora Armenians. Besides the Council of Europe, the amendments have been publicly endorsed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as the US and Great Britian. To pass, the amendments must be backed by at least one third of Armenia's 2.4 million eligible voters, and would enter into force two years from the referendum. 3) Uruguay Armenians Stage Protest against Turkey's Accession to EU YEREVAN (Yerkir)--Members of Uruguay's Armenian community demonstrated outside the European Union (EU) mission in Montevideo, to protest the start of membership talks with Turkey, and to demand the latter recognize its genocide of Armenians before being granted membership into the Union. Ethnic Armenian member of the Uruguay Parliament Lilian Keshishian, accompanied by another member of parliament Iván Posadas joined the October 3 protest, organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's `Armenia' Youth Union. Protesters held posters reading `Historic truth cannot be hidden,' `Turkey, admit to your crime--the Armenian Genocide,' and `No to Turkey's accession to EU unless Armenian Genocide recognition.' A delegation handed an EU representative a petition signed by 30,000 people, demanding the EU deny Turkey membership, unless the country recognizes the Armenian genocide. 4) Opposition, Police Clashes Jar Azerbaijan Election Campaign (Eurasianet.org)--With just five weeks to go before Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections, the chances for constructive dialogue between Azerbaijan's opposition and the government seem to be fading. On October 1, after a breakdown in talks between the authorities and opposition leaders, about 700 protestors took to the streets of central Baku to call for a fair and transparent parliamentary vote on November 6. Truncheon-wielding riot police moved in quickly to break up the protest, the second such unauthorized gathering in a week. Authorities have warned in recent weeks that they will use force to prevent opposition groups from staging `provocations' against the government during the final weeks of the election campaign. The city government had refused to sanction the October 1 rally in the city center, offering instead a site far from the city center. The opposition has presented the government's reaction to the October 1 gathering as a violation of their right to free assembly. `We will fight for citizens' rights to assemble and to create a democratic pre-election situation,' said Ali Kerimli, the leader of the opposition Popular Front. `The government's illegal bans will not stop our battle.' Police report that they detained 34 people during the October 1 rally, although Kerimli claims as many as 200 were arrested. Riot police could be seen at times making free use of their truncheons to beat back protestors from the planned demonstration site, and several participants were reported badly injured The October 1 protest followed an attempt by the opposition a week earlier to hold an unauthorized demonstration in Jafar Jabbarli Square. The protest was suspended after the Azadliq bloc, which includes the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Musavat Party and Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, agreed to resume talks with government officials under the mediation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)'s Baku office. Fuad Mustafayev, deputy chairman of the Popular Front, said that the decision to negotiate with the government was taken following an appeal to the bloc's leadership from Ali Hasanov, head of the public-political department of the presidential staff. Opposition leaders said talks took place after US Ambassador Reno Harnish called President Ilham Aliyev's chief of staff, Ramiz Mekhtiev. Up to 100 supporters of the Azadliq bloc were reportedly detained during the September 25 protest. They were released following the start of the OSCE-mediated talks. Kerimli said that the negotiations focused on the `guaranteeing of our constitutional right to hold a meeting in the center of the city.' He said Azerbaijani law states that opposition political parties do not need permission to hold rallies, but must only notify the authorities ahead of time. The government disagreed, but consented to holding to further discussions on the issue, according to Kerimli. However, government representatives failed to show for a September 29 round of talks on potential venues for the October 1 rally. Maurizio Pavesi, head of the OSCE office in Baku, blamed the authorities for the breakdown in dialogue, adding that Hasanov had `personally told me' that he would attend the OSCE talks that day. `I am very surprised by the behavior of the government representatives,' Pavesi told reporters on September 29. `Frankly speaking, we had opportunities to find compromises. The failure of the Baku executive authorities and the ruling New Azerbaijan Party to attend the meeting shows that they have no will to continue a dialogue with the opposition,' Pavesi went on to say. The OSCE mission chief stated that while some of the routes proposed by the opposition for a demonstration in central Baku were problematic, others could have served as the topic of further discussion. An OSCE report issued September 30 complained that Azerbaijani authorities were not acting on OSCE recommendations for improving the election process. The head of the presidential executive staff, Ramiz Mehdiyev has maintained that the government sees no need for dialogue with the opposition. In a letter forwarded to opposition leaders by the Baku mayor's office, Mehdiyev said that the government had proposed five potential venues for a Baku demonstration. `They may choose one out of the five and hold their rally. In my view, everything is clear as for venues, and there is no need for extra conversation there,' he stated. Ali Hasanov, the presidential aide, seconded that view. He maintained that the opposition could stage demonstrations only in places assigned by the mayor's office. `The number of such places is limited and we are not going to discuss other routes', Hasanov said. Meanwhile, leaders of the Azadliq bloc insist on holding rallies in the center of the city. `We were prepared for negotiations with authorities, but we will not abandon the idea to hold a rally,' Kerimli said. The next demonstration has already been scheduled for October 8. Azerbaijani Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov that authorities would act swiftly and firmly to any illegal assembly, adding that the Azadliq bloc held responsibility for keeping its supporters within the law. Hasanov, meanwhile, urged the opposition to avoid confrontation with police, noting that strict measures will be taken against `those breaking the law.' Mediators appear to be losing hope that a dialogue between authorities and opposition leaders can be resumed. `The OSCE will spare no efforts to arrange meetings. We tried to eliminate the likelihood of the 25 September confrontation in Baku once again,' said Pavesi, commenting on the failed talks that preceded the October 1 protest. `Regrettably, we did not manage it and the government did not understand the problem.' 5) Armenia Receives $4 Million to Combat HIV/AIDS YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) has committed $4 million to support the National Program on HIV/AIDS prevention in the Republic of Armenia for the next 3 years The grant comes in the second of a two-phased, $ 7.2 million GFATM program. The first grant of $3.2 million was successfully completed in September 2005, with Armenia receiving a high score for implementation. Established in January 2002, the Global Fund aims to rapidly disburse grants to supplement existing spending on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria while maintaining sufficient oversight of financial transactions and programs. The Country Coordination Commission on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria issues in Armenia (CCM) overseas the implementation of the grant as the coordinating commission for the National Program on HIV/AIDS activities in the Republic of Armenia. World Vision was nominated as the Principal Recipient (PR) of the grant in 2003 by the CCM and, in partnership with different bodies experienced in the area of HIV/AIDS, works to support the implementation of the National Program on HIV/AIDS prevention. For the first time in Armenia PLWH gained access to the antiretroviral (ARV) therapy thanks to the GFATM grant. Presently, 23 PLWH are receiving ARV treatment, including 3 children. Through partnership with the Ministry of Health, the National Center for AIDS Prevention, Ministries, and local and international NGOs, Phase II will build on the success from Phase I, and continue to implement prevention, care, and support targeting the general population, with particular emphasis on the youth, key groups, and PLWH. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE CARDINAL OF TORONTO
His Holiness Aram I held a meeting with the Cardinal of Toronto, His
Eminence Aloysius Mattew on October 3.
The two spiritual leaders first met alone and then they were joined by
Prelate of Canada Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy
of United States Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Pastor of St. Mary church of
Toronto V Rev Fr Meghrig Parikian, Communications Officer of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia V Rev Fr Krikor Chiftjian and Staff Bearer Rev Fr
Housig Mardirosian.
Discussions revolved around issues related to cooperation between the
Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Vatican, ecumenical relations and the
problems the churches in Canada face.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.