The Messenger, Georgia
Sept 30 2005
Minister: despite uncertainties, winter energy forecast good
“It is difficult to guarantee that there will be no accidents” warns
minister
By Christina Tashkevich
Minister Nika Gilauri
Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri predicts that the Georgian energy
system will be able to avoid accidents this coming winter.
Talking at the meeting of the Parliamentary Sectoral Economy
Committee on Wednesday, Minister Gilauri forecast the system may face
some breakdowns because it has been operating on such a heavy
schedule in recent years.
“We will have capacity so that there will not be a deficit in the
energy system, but it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no
accidents,” Minister Gilauri said.
According to Gilauri, the system may still face accidents even after
hydroelectric stations and thermoelectric stations are rehabilitated.
However, the minister thinks that due to the repairs of energy
infrastructure this summer and autumn which included the Tbilsresi
thermoelectric station in Gardabani, the system can work in a 24-hour
regime with a 1,800 megawatt capacity this year. As part of the
repairs, Gardabani is purchasing two gas turbines from the U.S.
company Pratt and Whitney (see related story, page 9).
Gilauri added that the bulk of the energy in the system would be
locally produced, while only 350 megawatts would be imported.
“We hope that the system will endure working in a 24-hour regime in
winter 2006,” news agencies report Gilauri saying on Wednesday.
Tbilisi electricity distribution company Telasi claims it can supply
the capital with 24-hour electricity without any disruptions granted
there are no “force majeur situations.”
The head of Telasi public relations department Valeri Pantsulaia told
The Messenger Wednesday that the reliable supply of electricity will
be ensured by energy produced by the ninth electricity bloc in
Gardabani, the Khrami hydroelectric station, and electricity imports
from Russia and Armenia.
The ninth power plant will start operation on October 1 after routine
repair works. Pantsulaia says it will work with a 200 megawatt
capacity in October and its capacity will rise to 250 megawatts in
November.
Negotiations with Russian gas company Gazprom was another issue
discussed at the meeting of the parliamentary committee on Wednesday.
Representative of Gazprom in Georgia David Morchiladze confirmed at
the meeting that Gazprom has already made its first offer to the
Georgian side about the cost of gas imports.
“The first offer by Gazprom at negotiations in Moscow was USD 110
[for 1000 cubic meters of gas instead of the previous USD 60],”
Morchiladze said. He added that Georgia plans to agree with Gazprom
on a contract for 10 years.
The Russian company also demands that the Tbilisi gas distribution
company Tbilgazi pay off its existing debts to Gazprom’s subsidiary
company Gazexport. Tbilgazi still has a USD 5.7 million debt to
cover.

A1+
| 18:32:37 | 30-09-2005 | Politics |
THE MEETING PLACE MUST NOT BE CHANGED
«I am glad that International Constitutional Legislative Conferences are
traditionally organized in Yerevan. Armenia is preparing for serious
Constitutional reforms. They must be harmonious with the social developments
and contribute to them», said the RA President Robert Kocharyan today during
the Conference organized in connection with the 10th anniversary of the
adoption of the Constitution and formation of the Constitutional court.
The CoE Venice Commission secretary, the heads of the Human Rights European
Court and the Constitutional Right International Association as well as
heads of the Constitutional Courts, lawyers and scientists of several CoE
member-countries have arrived in Armenia in order to participate in the
Conference.
By the way, this is the 10th time a suchlike conference has been organized
in Yerevan.

A1+
| 18:08:41 | 30-09-2005 | Politics |
NATIONALIST REFORMERS MAKE OFFERS
The party `One Nation’ and the Armenian Nationalist Union have decided to
take the legislative initiative and offer the Parliament to deprive the
deputies who have been inadequately absent from the Parliament for a month
of their mandate.
Mentioning the fact that in that case the opposition who has announced
political boycott will be deprived of the mandates first, the leader of the
party «One Nation» Gor Tamrazyan said that in any case they are against the
behavior of the opposition as they have received their mandate to represent
the interest of the people in the Parliament and to process and adopt laws.
As for the boycott, they simply hinder the work of the other fractions and
the legislative body is not able to do its work properly.
The head of the Armenian Nationalist Union Rouben Gevorgyan finds that the
opposition must continue the struggle from the Parliament although he
realizes that the struggle of the opposition is in vain as the «majority is
always right.
The other offer referred to the educational field; the nationalists consider
that the schools must have a general uniform. The also offered to teach the
«Theory of Nzhdeh» at school.
The spiritual field was not neglected either; an offer was made to give a
super status to the Church. By the way. On October 16 the party «One Nation»
is going to organize an anti-sect march and calls all the church workers to
join it.
And the last offer is about the enhancing of the security of borders. Rouben
Gevorgyan announced that the Parliament must think about the security of the
borders of the country and make the conditions favorable for organizing
business in the areas near the border.
By the way, the NA President Arthur Baghdasaryan liked the idea of the
Nationalists to offer legislative reforms and he said they must be
represented to the NA in a written form. They wiil meet soon.

The News Tribune, WA
Sept 30 2005
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Systematic progress
ERNEST A. JASMIN;
Published: September 30th, 2005 12:01 AM

KARL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES
System of a Down singer Serj Tankian says the band’s upcoming album,
`Hypnotize,’ was recorded during the same sessions as last May’s
`Mezmerize.’

Two of the most progressive bands in hard rock will be on display
when System of a Down and The Mars Volta invade KeyArena on
Wednesday.
System, the show’s headliner, cemented its reputation as one of the
most off-the-wall bands in metal with the May release of `Mezmerize.’
Song titles such as `Violent Pornography’ and `This Cocaine Makes Me
Feel Like I’m on This Song’ give even the uninitiated an idea of how
out there the band’s progressive sound can be.
`Hypnotize,’ the band’s next album, is due in record stores in
November. It was recorded during the same sessions that spawned
`Mezmerize.’ And during a recent phone interview, singer Serj Tankian
said fans could expect a similar vibe from the new songs.
`It’s a double record, so it’s kind of a continuity of the story,’
Tankian said. `The departure isn’t that much off. … In some ways I
think it’s a little more progressive than `Mezmerize.”
The track listing had not yet been finalized, Tankian said on Sept.
15. But he read the names of several tracks that might wind up on the
album from a demo copy he had with him. Among the ones he read were
`Attack,’ `Dreaming,’ `Stealing Society,’ `Tentative,’ `Holy
Mountains,’ `Vicinity,’ `She’s Like Heroin’ and `Soldier’s Side,’
that last one a sequel to the brief ballad that opens the `Mezmerize’
album.
System has already begun playing a couple of other new songs – `Kill
Rock ‘N’ Roll’ and `Hezze’ – on the first leg of the tour. MTV
described the latter as an instrumental.
`I’m not sure that’s going to be on `Hypnotize’ yet,’ he said, adding
that it might be released on some kind of limited-edition bonus disc.
System – also guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and
drummer John Dolmayan – crafts an intellectual brand of metal that is
both affecting and thought-provoking.
Among the social and political themes the band has explored since its
self-titled debut hit record stores in 1998 are the relationship
between global conglomerates and the waging of war (`Boom!’);
privatization of American prisons (`Prison Song’); and Armenian
genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turkey in 1915. (Members of the band
are of Armenian heritage, and the event remains contentious, as the
Turkish government does not acknowledge it happened.)
True to form, `B.Y.O.B.’ and `Cigaro,’ the first singles released
from `Mezmerize,’ tackle weighty issues. The former is an enraged
indictment of the war in Iraq. `Why do they always send the poor?’
Malakian shrieks as the song begins.
The latter attacks the political powers-that-be in broader strokes.
`We’re the regulators that deregulate,’ Tankian screams during the
song’s refrain. `We’re the propagators of all genocide/Burning
through the world’s resources, then we run and hide.’
Another track, `Sad Statue,’ decries the growing rift between
so-called red states and blue states and the impact it might have on
democracy.
However, Tankian suggested that the new album would be lighter on
political themes.
“Attack’ might have a little politics in it,’ he said after giving
it a moment’s thought. `Lyrically, it was more
stream-of-consciousness kind of stuff. … Daron wrote a good part of
the lyrics as well.’
Tankian also founded political activist group Axis of Justice
() – with Audioslave guitarist Tom Morrello.
`It’s hard to be fully active. We’re both on tour, but we have huge
breaks,’ he said. `To me I do what’s in my heart. … The concepts of
justice and injustice are what happen to be important to me.’
The singer is also involved with some non-System musical projects. He
contributes to the forthcoming Buckethead album `Enter the Chicken’ –
due Oct. 25 from Tankian’s Serjical Strike Records – and also
recently remixed Notorious B.I.G.’s `Who Shot Ya’ for a video game
project.
Regarding his penchant for keeping so many plates spinning, Tankian
said, `I know I can handle a lot, so I put myself under a lot of
stuff.’
Ernest Jasmin: 253-274-7389
[email protected]
What: System of a Down, with The Mars Volta
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: KeyArena, Seattle
Tickets: $31.50 to $44
Information: Ticketmaster (253-627-8497 in Tacoma, 206-628-0888 in
Seattle or )

EUobserver.com, Belgium
Sept 30 2005
[Comment] Why we should delay opening accession negotiations with
Turkey
30.09.2005 – 11:02 CET | By Peter Sain ley Berry EUOBSERVER / COMMENT
– The British Presidency, we are told, has been working very hard to
ensure that the negotiations to allow Turkey to accede to the
European Union will begin, as scheduled, on 3rd October – that is
next week. They may indeed begin. Or on the other hand they may not.
If they begin they may be broken off, perhaps indefinitely. If they
are postponed now they may never start. The situation is not a happy
state of affairs for anybody. This may be the 21st century but
diplomacy remains an artisanal craft.
The immediate reason why the talks may not commence is that Austria
is reportedly still not happy with the UK Presidency’s negotiating
framework. The only intended outcome this envisages is full EU
membership for Turkey. Austria would prefer to see reference to a
‘privileged partnership,’ as an alternative. Turkey has countered by
indicating that it would not enter negotiations on this basis.
Regardless of this there are at least seven other good reasons why
the talks should not commence next Monday, despite that being the
desire of the British Presidency, the European Commission, the
European Parliament, at least 23 of the EU’s 25 member states and, of
course, Turkey itself. These reasons, moreover, have nothing to do
with the merits, or otherwise, of Turkey’s case for Union membership
sometime around 2015. Nor do they have anything to do with Turkey
being predominantly poor, predominantly Muslim or predominantly in
Asia.
EU cannot negotiate honestly
The first is that the Turkish negotiations are already in a big hole
before they have even started. And the first thing you should do when
you are in a hole is to stop digging, or as the early pilots were
instructed should they find themselves in a tailspin: ‘centre all
controls and pray like hell.’ Pursuing the negotiations now is likely
to harm both parties: both Turkey’s prospect of eventual membership
and Europe’s own necessary constitutional reform process.
The second reason to postpone the talks is that the EU is simply not
in a position itself to negotiate honestly with Turkey at this time.
It is currently deeply divided on Turkish membership. There is major
– if not majority – opposition in all the EU’s institutions and in
national parliaments. A substantial part of the European Parliament
is opposed, as are an even wider section of the European electorate.
This absence of full-hearted consent will hamper the negotiations.
The persistence of such a split will damage coherence within the EU,
making constitutional and economic reforms far more difficult to
achieve.
This split in European opinion can be attributed to several factors –
several of which can be addressed. If they are – and Turkey does
certain things and Europe does others – public opinion may well
become more favourable.
Not recognising Cyprus is ridiculous
It is ridiculous, for instance, that Turkey does not currently
recognise one of the states of the Union it is seeking to join. As
its delegates sit down to negotiate Turkey will still be banning
certain EU ships and aircraft (namely those from Cyprus) from its
ports and airports.
It is also ridiculous that Turkey should be still prosecuting
writers, like the respected novelist Orhan Pamuk, for expressing
non-violent opinions and that it should keep active on the statute
book laws that make it a crime to ‘denigrate Turkish identity.’ This
is the third reason why talks should not start now. Turkey should
address such fundamental un-Europeanism before embarking on accession
negotiations: not during those negotiations.
But Europe also needs to do certain things if it is to bring its own
citizens ‘on-side.’
It needs to have, for instance, an overall enlargement policy – not
just for Turkey, but for the Ukraine, for the Balkans, for the
Caucasus states, for Belarus and Moldova. How large should the Union
become? How should it be managed at that size? How financed? In other
words, where are we going? Many, especially in France and the
Netherlands, would like to know.
EU needs overall enlargement policy
Until we ourselves have formed an opinion on these matters how can we
negotiate with Turkey? That is the fourth reason for delay. We need
to be able to fit Turkey into a wider enlargement framework before we
open talks.
Part of this framework would be the institutions we might need to
manage an expanded Europe. The late lamented European constitutional
treaty proposed institutional change to accommodate 25 member states,
not 35. In any case it was rejected and we are left with the existing
‘stretched’ version of a system designed for 15. We can’t honestly
embark on discussions about further European enlargement before we
put our own constitutional house in order – for what is adding new
member states but changing the fundamental nature of the Union? This
is the fifth reason why the accession talks should not begin now.
Then we have the problem of Northern Cyprus. Of course, with
hindsight, we should not have allowed Cyprus to join the Union before
reunification of the island. The Turkish Cypriots loyally voted for
the UN backed reunification settlement. The Greek Cypriots, knowing
they had nothing to lose, did not. The result is an unresolved mess
and a state of bitterness and non-recognition between Turkey and the
Cypriot government. This festering sore needs to be healed before the
Turkish accession talks commence. This is the sixth reason to delay.
A seventh reason is the events – I don’t want to be prejudicial – of
1915. So many Turkish diplomats have been killed and still are killed
by those who hold them, even today, responsible for tragedies that
occurred ninety years before, that this is also unfinished business
that risks clouding a new political future. What happened to Turkey’s
Armenian population – and to indigenous Turks in Turkish Armenia –
should, three generations later, surely be a matter for independent
historians. That also requires action by Turkey, but not only by
Turkey.
Turkey’s hinterland
These then are the reasons for delay. But postponing the talks by a
few years need not delay eventual Turkish accession. Both sides have
problems to sort out. Once these are resolved, the accession
negotiations will proceed more speedily and still could conclude by
2015.
In the meanwhile, Turkey and the EU should talk about the economic,
military and political future of the eastern Mediterranean and its
large hinterland. Turkey is not an island: it is rather the centre of
a region, one of the reasons that a hundred years ago it had a large
empire. The future of the region as a whole should not be divorced
from Turkey’s bid for EU membership. And that provides yet another
reason, if one were needed, for not rushing into talks which, on
present omens, look destined to end in tears. The enemy of diplomacy
is rush. ‘N’ayez pas trop de zèle,’ as Talleyrand used to say.
The author is editor of EuropaWorld

Pravda, Russia
Sept 30 2005

Armenian church leader in Turkey urged EU to support Turkish EU bid
The leader of the Armenian church in Turkey urged European leaders to
support Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, saying postponing
Turkish membership would harm regional stability.
Pressure to delay Turkish membership “will be a blow not only to
Turkey and Europe but to reconciliation between East and West,”
Mesrob II wrote in a letter to the 25 EU foreign ministers, who will
hold an emergency meeting Sunday aimed at overcoming Austrian
objections to starting entry talks with Turkey.
Vienna insists that Turkey be offered the option of a lesser
partnership rather than full membership in negotiations. All 25 EU
nations have to agree on a negotiating mandate before talks can begin
with Ankara as scheduled on Monday, reports the AP.
I.L.

Pan Armenian News
AZERBAIJANI REPRESENTATIVE ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF UN GA COMMITTEE
30.09.2005 04:38
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijani permanent representative in the UN Yashar
Aliyev has been elected Chairman of the UN General Assembly Special
Committee on Decolonisation. The structure is included in 6 UN GA committees
dealing with the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, use of outer space for
peaceful purposes and conduction of peacekeeping operations in conflict
zones. Yashar Aliyev will preside over the Committee during the 60-th
Session of the UN GA, reported Day.az.

OregonLive.com, OR
Sept 30 2005

Mellow metal
Friday, September 30, 2005
Heavy-metal music once was all about cutting class, chasing chicks
and getting down with Satan. In this post-millennial era, however,
decadence is out, raging against the machine is in. And nobody’s
raging as loudly as System of a Down.
The Armenian American act brings its inexplicable blend of thrash,
operatic vocals and folk music to town, touring behind its latest CD,
“Mezmerize.” A companion disc, “Hypnotize,” is due in November.
“Mezmerize” delivers the required social content (pro: justice; anti:
violent pornography) but also includes touches of surrealist humor
and jarring changes that suggest jet engines tearing themselves
apart.
Opening band Mars Volta (formerly At the Drive-In) shares System’s
fearless eclecticism but favor moments of Afro-Cuban rhythms and
horns along with the expected guitar crunch on its latest CD,
“Frances the Mute.”
So what if the dudes in Motley Cre wouldn’t consider these guys hard
rockers? As Beavis once said to Butthead, “Heavy metal has come a
long way.”
7 p.m. Thursday, Rose Garden arena; Ticketmaster; 503-224-4400. Also
appearing: Hella. — Curt Schulz Special to The Oregonian

Pan Armenian News
TARJA HALONEN: EU WILL SPARE NO EFFORT FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
30.09.2005 03:51
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Achievement of peace within the shortest terms is an
important factor for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Certainly, each party to conflict has its claims. However a compromise
meeting the EU criteria should be achieved. We support the negotiations held
within the OSCE Minsk Group framework. As a state assuming presidency in the
EU we will do everything within the limits of the possible to promote the
peaceful negotiations and provide security of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
citizens. We believe that the New Neighborhood Policy will prove fruitful
for the South Caucasian states’, Finnish President Tarja Halonen stated in
Baku during the joint press conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev. She said she has been to the region with the OSCE Minsk Group
delegation and is informed about the conflict. `In my opinion all the
conflicting parties will derive profit from the peaceful process. The
European Union is interested in the peaceful settlement of the conflict. We
support Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the OSCE and EU,’ Mrs. Halonen noted
adding that the EU will spare no effort for Karabakh conflict settlement.
`The New Neighborhood Policy is very important both for Azerbaijan and the
EU. I welcome your joining to the policy and hope that the negotiations in
this direction will start at the nearest possible date. Democracy in the
region is developing but there is still a great deal of work to be done.
Democracy is a process. I welcome the accession of Azerbaijan to the Council
of Europe. It is obvious that your country is aspired to meet the
commitments undertaken to the CoE’, she said. When commenting on the
forthcoming parliamentary election in Azerbaijan the Finnish President said,
`I believe the authorities and the opposition will act within the criteria
set by the CoE. Let us wait till November. At the moment I call upon the
President and government to hold a democratic election, since the democratic
development of Azerbaijan greatly depends on the upcoming election.’

Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
Sept 30 2005

President Halonen calls for honest elections in Azerbaijan

“I wish you an honest and lively election”, said President Tarja
Halonen, on Thursday as she said farewell to the Speaker of the
Parliament of Azerbaijan. The Azeri capital Baku was the last stop on
the Finnish President’s visit to the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan holds Presidential elections in just over a month,
and observers around the world are wondering if the same kinds of
accusations of fraud will arise that were prevalent in connection
with the Presidential election of 2003 and the referendum on the
country’s constitution in 2002.
It was on the basis of these votes that Azeri strongman Heidar
Aliyev transferred power to his son Ilham Aliyev in the face of
opposition riots and boycotts.

President Ilham Aliyev was the official host of the visit. Heidar
Aliyev, who died in late 2003, has become the focus of a personality
cult of sorts; during Halonen’s visit, he was repeatedly referred to
as “our great leader” and “our national leader”.
Streets in Baku are full of posters depicting the late
President, and Halonen had to lay a wreath of red roses at the statue
of Heidar Aliyev, located in front of the Heidar Aliyev Centre.
President Halonen did not appear to be bothered by the matter.
“It would not seem to be a completely strange phenomenon in Finland’s
past either. We do have quite a few statues of presidents in our
country”, Halonen pointed out to Finnish journalists.

President Halonen appealed for honest elections at every possible
turn on Thursday. Sitting next to Ilham Aliyev at a press conference,
she emphasised that it is the responsibility of the government and
the President to see to it that the elections meet all criteria set
by the Council of Europe and the OSCE.
She also pointed out to the Azerbaijan opposition that it needs
to exercise proper conduct as well.
A large opposition demonstration is scheduled to take place in
Baku during the weekend, and President Aliyev expressed concern that
the opposition would try to provoke clashes, because it knows that it
will lose the elections.
Halonen would not make any predictions about the honesty of the
election, but she did predict that Aliyev’s party would win. At 43,
the younger Aliyev is a very popular figure in the country.

There was discussion on Thursday on increasing trade between Finland
and Azerbaijan, on possible investments, as well as over the conflict
in the ethnically Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Halonen urged the three countries of the Southern Caucasus,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, to work together to find a
solution. According to her calculations, “1+1+1 equals more than
three”.
President Halonen returns to Finland on Friday evening.