DAYS OF WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS STARTING IN RA AND NKR TODAY
Pan Armenian News
28.09.2005 03:37
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Traditional days of the World Armenian Congress
and the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) are starting in Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh today. The events are initiated by outstanding
public figure and entrepreneur, head of the World Armenian Congress
and UNESCO Good Will Ambassador Ara Abrahamian. The presentations
of UAR editions will be held in the National Academy of Science. The
opening ceremony of the Days will take place in the National Theater
of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiarov. The members of the
Russian delegation will meet with Armenian writers, servicemen of the
Armenian Armed Forces and Russian frontier guards. “Together Forever”
festival of schoolchildren symbolizing the age-old friendship between
Armenia and Russia will be as well organized.

RA NA ADOPTED ADDRESS TO PRESIDENT ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM
Pan Armenian News
28.09.2005 03:25
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 28 the Armenian National Assembly with
90 votes “for”, no “against” and abstentions adopted the address to
Armenian President Robert Kocharian to hold the referendum on the
constitutional amendments. Justice and National Unity opposition
factions did not take part in the voting. Today the Armenian
parliamentarians adopted the package of amendments to the Organic Law
of the country and the law “On Referendum”. As Vice Speaker Tigran
Torossian told journalists, the President is entitled either to sign
or decline the address within three weeks. According to T.
Torossian, the referendum will be held no sooner than 45 days and no
later than 60 days after the signing. In his turn Parliament Chairman
Artur Baghdassaryan informed that the referendum will be held in
the third decade of November. He also stressed that the spreading
of propaganda among the population is the task not only of parties
serving on the coalition but also of all the political forces and
public organizations, IA Regnum reports.

ARMENIAN OFFICER MURDERER TRIAL PUT OFF TILL DECEMBER 15
Pan Armenian News
28.09.2005 03:15
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recurrent court sitting on the case of Azeri
officer Ramil Safarov accused of the murder of Armenian officer
Gurgen Margarian was held in Budapest yesterday. According to Azeti
lawyer Adil Ismaylov, the court decreed to postpone the sitting
till December 15. The postponement was caused by the disagreement
of the experts on Ramil Safarov’s psychological state. The opinion
of three Hungarian experts, who were carrying out the examination,
differed and the court set another examination. To remind, the
previous court sitting was held on May 10, 2005. As reported by
AzerTage news agency, yesterday’s sitting was opened by presiding
Judge Anrdas Vaskuti. He read the request of the Armenian attorney
to involve an Armenian expert in the examination process. The request
was declined over the possible retardation of the process. The letter
sent by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary and reporting that witness
Anar Aliyev will not give testimony over illness was also read. A
witness from Lithuania did not appear either, however his testimony
was read. The court heard the evidence by witness from the Armenian
part Hayk Manucharian. Then it proceeded to the outcomes of the
examination. To remind, the first examination was made immediately
after the tragic incident. The second one was carried out later with
the participation of Azeri observers. Since the opinion of the two
expert groups differed fundamentally the Judge set another examination
and declared that the next court sitting is fixed for December 15,
2005. Members of the Azerbaijani Embassy, representatives of the Azeri
Diaspora, sportsmen and students were present in court. To remind,
the trial of Ramil Safarov started last November. He is accused
of murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian (February 19, 2004)
during NATO English courses in Budapest. The previous court sitting
took place on February 8, 2005. Ramil Safarov is accused according
to the Article 166.2 of the Hungarian Criminal Code (murder with
aggravations) calling for deprivation of liberty with a term of 10-15
years or life imprisonment.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS URGE AZERI INTERIOR MINISTRY HEAD ENSURE SECURITY FOR JOURNALISTS
Pan Armenian News
Sept 28, 2005
BAKU, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS: “Reporters Without Borders ” urged
Azerbaijani interior minister Ramil Usubov to do his utmost to protect
journalists in the run-up to legislative elections after dispersal of
the oppositionists’ action on 25 September 2005, Trend news agency
reported, citing a statement of the international organization,
issued today.
The statement notes, “the events of 25 September demonstrated
again the complicated climate set up in Azerbaijan on the eve of
the parliamentary elections”. “The situation is especially sharply
reflected on the activities of the Media representatives. It becomes
even more difficult to obtain information in Azerbaijan and the
journalist’s activities are connected with the risk”, the document
reads.
The statement was prepared in response to the tough actions of the
representatives of the law-enforcement bodies towards four journalists
during the latest action of the Azerbaijan’s opposition.

HEIKKI TALVITIE ARRIVING IN YEREVAN TODAY
Pan Armenian News
28.09.2005 05:38
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus
Heikki Talvitie is arriving in Yerevan today, RA MFA press center
reported. Mr.
Talvitie is scheduled to meet with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, Defense Minister Serge
Sargsyan as well as with the representatives of non-governmental
organizations. September 30 he well depart from Yerevan.

FINNISH PRESIDENT MET GAREGIN II
Pan Armenian News
28.09.2005 05:01
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 27 the Finnish delegation headed by
President Tarja Halonen met with Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin
II. Justice Minister Davit Harutyunian and Armenian Ambassador Vladimir
Karmirshalian were also present at the meeting, press service of Holy
Echmiadzin Chancellery reported. The Catholicos expressed satisfaction
with the developing Armenian-Finnish relations and noted the brotherly
relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Finnish
Lutheran Church.
Garegin II thanked the Finnish President for the contribution to
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement. “We believe that
the good must win and there is no other way but living in peace and
cooperation in our region and in the world”, the Catholicos of All
Armenians stated. The parties also discussed the process of Armenia’s
democratization as well as the activities of the Armenian Apostolic
Church in the educational and social fields.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STATIONING PEACEKEEPERS POSSIBLE WITH CONSENT OF BAKU, YEREVAN – FINNISH PRESIDENT
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2005
Finnish President Tarja Halonen has said that it is possible to
station peacekeepers in the region if the parties to the Upper Garabagh
conflict – Azerbaijan and Armenia – agree on the issue.
“If the parties agree on this, peacekeeping forces may be stationed
in the region. This, in turn, will increase Finland’s positive role
in the conflict settlement”, Halonen told a news conference held
jointly with her Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian in Yerevan.
The Finnish President also said that the international community
‘has much work to do’ to ensure a peaceful conflict resolution.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DOUBTS OVER AZERIS’ PARTICIPATION AT NATO SEMINAR IN YEREVAN
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2005
NATO Parliamentary Assembly will hold its Rose Roth seminar in Yerevan,
Armenia on October 6-9 that will draw 60 parliament members from 22
countries, Armenian media reported.
The participants will focus on regional cooperation, reforms in
defense and the police system, as well as ways of settling the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh.
Azerbaijani MPs have not received an invitation to attend the event
yet, the Milli Majlis (parliament) press-service told AssA-Irada.
According to the reports, Armenia has stated its readiness to receive
Azeri parliamentarians and ensure their security.*

ARMENIA INTERESTED IN STATIONING RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES – KOCHARIAN
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2005
Armenia is interested in stationing of Russian military bases in
its territory, as the country is situated in a complicated and
conflict-affected region, its President Robert Kocharian has said.
The deployment of Russian bases in Armenia is envisioned by the
country’s security concept, Kocharian said in a news conference in
Yerevan on Tuesday.
He noted that the Russian arms were earlier moved from Georgia to
Armenia in accordance with the agreement reached by the two countries.*

COUNTDOWN TO TURKEY EU TALKS
Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Sept 28 2005
Barring any last minute hiccups, Turkey will start accession
negotiations on October 3 that are expected to last for at least ten
years and are unlikely to be smooth sailing.
One of the trickiest aspects will be transport, following Turkey’s
declaration that it does not recognise Cyprus and indications by
politicians that it has no intention of opening air and transport
routes to Cyprus.
A draft political declaration that will be studied by the COREPER
meeting of EU foreign ministers this week with the aim of presenting
it to Turkey when it starts EU accession negotiations next Monday,
will emphasise that Turkey’s progress in the negotiations will depend
in implementing its commitments.
According to CNA, part of the declaration says “The monitoring of
your commitments will become a key element for taking, in the Council
context, the necessary decisions on the conduct of negotiations with
you. Particular attention will be paid to the implementation of the
Protocol regarding the adaptation of the Ankara Agreement, on which
the EU’s position was set out in its Declaration of 20 September 2005”.
Turkey is therefore unlikely to be able to open the transport chapter
until the Ankara Protocol is implemented.
At the Maritime Cyprus Conference this week, Transport Commissioner
Jacques Barrot said “Personally, I think the chapter on transport,
which means free movement of goods, can’t be opened unless there is
a change on the part of the government of Turkey”.
Cyprus’ transhipment industry has suffered from the fact that it
cannot use Turkey’s ports.
Paragraph 4 of the draft declaration says “negotiations are taking
place in an Intergovernmental Conference with the participation of
all Member States, as well as your country”.
Following an attempt by a Turkish court to prevent a conference on the
Armenian genocide from taking place in Turkey last week, the draft
also underlines the need for Turkey towards “full implementation of
the pre-accession strategy and reforms, in particular as regards
strengthening the independence and functioning of the judiciary,
the overall framework for the exercise of fundamental freedoms
(association, expression and religion), cultural rights, the further
alignment of civil-military relations with European practice and the
situation in the Southeast of the country”.
It also calls on Turkey actively to promote regional stability.
In an attempt to incorporate Austria’s wishes that Turkey be offered
an alternative to full membership, to the draft says that member
states will decide whether the conditions are right to complete the
negotiations.