AZG Armenian Daily #115, 23/06/2005

Armenia-NATO

‘IF ARMENIA STANDS AGAINST THE PRESENCE OF RUSSIAN FORCES IN THE COUNTRY,
NATO WILL SUPPORT YEREVAN’

Robert Simmons Does Not Consider Russian Factor an Obstacle for Armenia-NATO
Relations

The special representative of NATO Secretary General in South Caucasus and
Central Asia, Robert Simmons, says that in case Armenian government rejects
to see Russian military presence in the country then NATO will support
Yerevan.

At the meeting with Armenian, Georgian and Azeri journalists at the NATO
headquarters, Simons gave positive evaluation to the last Russian-Georgian
talks as result of which Russia agreed to remove its military bases from
Georgia by the time fixed in Istanbul in 1999.

Brussels welcomes the withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia. But Russia
maintains its military presence in Armenia and still plans to move part of
the military equipment from Georgia to Armenia. Simmons says that it does
not contradict European agreements on ordinary weapons but on the other
hand, it is not desirable to see the arms in Armenia, as they will result in
complication [once Armenia decides to remove them too].

Asked whether Russia’s military presence in Armenia stymies further
development of Yerevan-NATO relations, Simmons said that it’s no obstacle
for NATO, especially in this case when Armenia gave its consent to Russian
bases. NATO, he says, does not build its relations with partner states on
rivalry and does not consider Russia a rival country in the South Caucasus.

In his brief speech titled “The road to NATO membership”, Simmons said that
Georgia has left Armenia and Azerbaijan behind in fostering relations with
NATO. Only Tbilisi in the South Caucasus has spoke out for joining the NATO.
But it’s not realistic that Georgia will become NATO member in foreseeable
future, he said.

“Macedonia, Albania and Croatia are in the process of membership. Ukraine
has intensified and Georgia is intensifying membership process”, he said. A
state bidding for NATO has to match the criteria of the Treaty in the
spheres of defense, home politics, economy and other. Simmons added that the
doors of NATO are open to all states but today’s immediate candidates are
Albania, Macedonia and Croatia.

On June 10, Armenian defense minister handed the draft of Armenia’s
Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) to NATO secretary general. On June
16, Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian submitted the document to NATO
Council for ratification. Official Yerevan sees this as a decisive stage in
Armenian’s integration into Europe.

The IPAP was launched in Prague Summit of NATO in 2002. It is available for
all states that have political will and are able to deepen relations with
NATO. Countries involved in the Plan choose the forms of cooperation based
on their goals and possibilities that are written in a representational
document.

Neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan presented the IPAP document to NATO
secretary general in 2004. In November of that year Tbilisi and Brussels
elaborated the IPAP, Baku and Brussels did so in May.

Armenian Interdepartmental Commission chaired by defense and foreign
ministers elaborated the IPAP document. The document outlines official
Yerevan’s goals directed to fostering Armenia-NATO relations as well as the
mechanisms of productive cooperation in the spheres of security and defense.
As soon as NATO confirms the document, a program for implementation of the
items of the document will be worked out.

To daily Azg’s question if “we can consider the IPAP if not a promise for
NATO membership then a prospect”, Robert Simmons said, “The IPAP is not a
document enabling accession to NATO and does not mean a process of
membership”.

NATO does not see itself as a mediator in Nagorno Karabakh issue. “We
absolutely support the OSCE and does not want to imitate Minsk group”,
Simmons said. He pointed out that in case the sides offer NATO to get more
actively involved in the conflict resolution, then “we’ll discuss it”. NATO
shows no partiality and stands for peaceful settlement, Simmons concluded.

By Tatoul Hakobian in Brussels

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hovnanian Enterprises Presentation at the Friedman Billings Ramsey 2nd
Annual European Investor Conference to be Webcast Live

RED BANK, N.J., June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Hovnanian
Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:_HOV_ (aol://4785:HOV/) ), a leading national
homebuilder, announced that senior management will present at the
Friedman Billings Ramsey 2nd Annual European Investor Conference at
8:50 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 29, 2005. The presentation will be
webcast live and can be accessed through the Hovnanian website at
_ () .

To access the presentation, investors should go to the “Investor
Relations” section of the Company’s website at _
() and select the webcast icon. Participants are
encouraged to log on at least five minutes prior to the start of the
presentation. For those investors who are not able to listen to the
presentations live, an archive of the webcast will be available for 90
days.

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., founded in 1959 by Kevork S. Hovnanian,
Chairman, is headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey. The Company is
one of the nation’s largest homebuilders with operations in Arizona,
California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan,
Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The Company’s
homes are marketed and sold under the trade names K. Hovnanian Homes,
Goodman Homes, Matzel & Mumford, Diamond Homes, Westminster Homes,
Forecast Homes, Parkside Homes, Brighton Homes, Parkwood Builders,
Great Western Homes, Windward Homes, Cambridge Homes and Town &
Country Homes. As the developer of K. Hovnanian’s Four Seasons
communities, the Company is also one of the nation’s largest builders
of active adult homes.

Additional information on Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., including a
summary investment profile and the Company’s 2004 annual report, can
be accessed through the Investor Relations page of the Hovnanian
website at _ () . To be added
to Hovnanian’s investor e-mail or fax lists, please send an e-mail to
[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) or sign up at _
() .

SOURCE Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.

06/22/2005 04:00 ET

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARFD CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR NKR PARLIAMENT BEATEN UP

YEREVAN, JUNE 21. ARMINFO. A member of ARFD Vazgen Manukyan, who was
the 12th in the pre-election list of ARFD-Movement-88, running for the
NKR parliament, was taken to military hospital of Stepanakert
approximately at 14:00 today with concussion of the brain and face
injury.

Chief physician of the hospital Gevorgyan says that health state of
Manukyan is stable, and there is not necessity of surgical
operation. His life is no longer in danger. The physician refused from
specifying the reason of Manukyan’s injuries. Manukyan’s wife is sure
that her husband was subjected to bodily injuries. She says at 13:00
on June 21 Manukyan was called somewhere on phone and the information
on his hospitalization was received in an hour.

Representative of the opposition bloc of Gegham Baghdasaryan thinks it
was the work of the authorities. Radio Freedom reports.

A1plus

| 16:21:49 | 22-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION 2005 |

AZERBAIJAN CALLING RF TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE STABILIZATION OF SOUTHERN
CAUCASUS

President of the Azeri delegation Samad Seyidov made speech during the
discussion of Russia meeting the commitments taken upon in front of the CoE.

«The Russian Federation is a very important country for us. RF does
everything to be integrated into Europe. If the process is difficult for
such small countries as ours is, we imagine how difficult it must be for
Russia», mentioned MR. Seyidov.

At the same time he did not deny that RF still has much to do and without
mentioning what it has to do he said, `Russia has done what seemed to be
impossible to do. We want to have a democratic Russia which will not use its
influence in Southern Caucasus but will contribute to the enhancing of peace
and stability in the region’, said the President of the Azeri delegation to
CoE.

OVER 500 VOTERS LEFT OFF THE ELECTORAL REGISTERS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
22 June 05

The ongoing process of development of civil society is entering a new
stage. The turnout of voters in the capital was very high and the
voters were highly organized. At least, this means that people trust
the authorities and are aware of their rights. Even the omissions on
the electoral rolls did not cause disorders, and the voters were
determined to observe the law and overcome the obstacles. The
omissions on the electoral rolls were corrected at the NKR Trial Court
without wasting a second. The names of five of the nine members of a
family were omitted in the roll; generally, the omissions were of this
kind. A woman was indignant with the fact that being registered in the
same election district for 40 years, her name was omitted every
time. Another person complained that electoral registration form in
the names of dead people had been delivered to them. The officer of
the polling station 7/2 Alina Beglarian was filling in the special
form for going to court for the 27th citizen. The Presiding Justice of
the NKR Trial Court Seyran Amirkhanian told us that about 500 people
had gone to court to defend their rights. He also pointed out the
activity of the citizens to defend their rights, for up to the end of
the poll people went to court. There were also people who had to leave
the polling station without voting. Besides, it should be noted that
the members of the election committees were too scrupulous. It is up
to the corresponding agencies of the City Hall to work out the
electoral rolls not to waste the time and nerves of the people.

NVARD SOGHOMONIAN.
22-06-2005

SMALL COUNTRIES SOMETIMES SHOW BIG RESULTS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
22 June 05

On the next day of the election, on June 20th, at 9.30 the members of
the US monitoring mission gave a press conference. The head of the
mission J. Hooper presented the report on the polls. The observers
stated that the election to the NKR National Assembly was free and
transparent. J. Hooper mentioned that this was enabled by the changed
to the Electoral Code, allowing the political forces to take part in
the election, which, they think, corresponded to the international
standards. These changes altered the course of the election campaign.
The monitoring mission thanked the Central Election Committee forits
commitment. In the report it was mentioned that the observers did not
detect serious irregularities in the campaign. During the campaign the
voters could get acquainted with the election programme of the
candidates, and the candidates in their turn could extend their
political standpoint to people. This is an important step for NKR on
the way leading to democracy, says the report. Another fact pointed
out in the report was that only the commissioned officers of the
Defense Army could take part in the election under the majority and
proportional representation systems. According to the American
observers, this is a progressive step which could not be overlooked by
them. During the electionthe monitoring mission visited 22 electoral
districts and did not report any irregularities. In all the regions,
according to the observers, the electoral districts were set up on the
technical and not the political basis, but there were places where
this system could be strengthened. The observers believe that
transparent elections will have a positive effect on Nagorno Karabakh
in many aspects. Small countries may sometimes show big results, said
Paul Williams. He thinks that the people of Karabakh aspire to a
higher level of democracy. According to the observers, it is important
to have a more effective self-government system from the political and
legal points of view. They believe that the results of the
parliamentary election will have a positive impact on the Minsk Group
process.

AA.
22-06-2005

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 23 2005

EU’s New Scapegoat: Turkey

* “No” votes mean Turkey can not join EU soon… The real problem is
Turkey -Prodi

Jan SOYKOK and Cathrine GULCAN, JTW(ROME and ANKARA) – Turkey has no
chance of joining the European Union (EU) in the foreseeable future,
former European Commission President Romano Prodi said in newspapers
on Wednesday. According to Prodi, one of the key reasons of `nos’ in
the referendums of France and Netherlands was Turkey. However experts
say `Turkey is not EU member and cannot be responsible for any
current problem. The EU leaders are reluctant to face the real
reasons’. Only 3 percent in France said `the real reason for their no
votes was Turkey.’

European Commission President Jose Barroso called also for a “frank
discussion” of Turkey’s prospects of joining the European Union,
saying opposition to Turkish membership helped defeat the EU
constitution. `We should discuss seriously the signals that were sent
by the electorate regarding Turkey” Barroso told a Brussels press
conference. `We need to have a frank discussion on that matter’ he
added.
The commission will on June 29 outline its strategy for entry talks
with Turkey, a decade-long process due to start Oct. 3. All 25 EU
countries will have to approve the negotiating road map.

Barroso said that `for the time being’ the EU governments haven’t
altered the bloc’s commitment to Turkey. Polls in Germany suggest
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will be ousted in an election in
September by `anti-Turkish’ Angela Merkel. Merkel is against Turkey’s
membership and favors a `privileged partnership’ with Turkey which in
fact means keeping Turkey outside. Turkey has already had customs
union with the EU.

Turkey, which says the talks with the EU will help attract record
levels of foreign investment to its more than $300 billion economy
(17th biggest economy in the world). Turkey will be the first and
only Muslim EU member if it will be accepted. It has a population of
70 million people, almost equal to the total of the 10 countries that
joined the bloc last year.
Romano Prodi, who as Barroso’s predecessor championed Turkey’s entry
last year, has changed his mind about Turkish membership, according
to an interview with the Gazzettino newspaper.
`I now believe that there are no longer the conditions for Turkey to
join the EU in the short or medium-term,’ Prodi told the daily
newspaper. `We need to rethink things.’

Prodi, now leader of Italy’s centre-left opposition, implied many
Italians had an emotional fear of Turkey, a populous and
predominantly Muslim country on the edge of mostly Christian Europe.
“I come from a country where my mother, when she wanted to say
something scary, would say: ‘The Turks are coming’.”

Prodi’s position marks a clear difference with Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi, who supports Turkey’s EU entry despite opposition from
many in his centre-right government.

“Better late than never. Finally even he has realized Turkey must
stay out,” Calderoli told the Corriere della Sera daily.

Many politician in the EU countries believe that Turkey must be out
because of religious and cultural differences.

`EU NEVER KEPT ITS PROMISES’

Dr. Sedat Laciner from Ankara-based Turkish think tank ISRO says
`Turkish public will not be surprised, because they know that the EU
has never kept its promises about Turkey’. According to Dr. Laciner
the main reason is cultural differences and the EU leaders’
narrow-minded civilization understanding:

`Europe has changed very little since the Medieval Europe. Religion
and civilizational differences are still vital. There are very little
difference between Chirac and Pope when we are talking about Turkey’s
entrance to the EU. Turkey is one of the first countries, (even
before the UK, Ireland, Spain and many others) who applied to become
EU member. Turkey’s economy and political conditions were better than
Poland, and other Eastern European countries after the Cold War. All
these former communist countries are now inside, while Turkey has
been kept outside.’

French President Jacques Chirac on June 17 urged the EU to re-
examine the planned enlargement, calling for a special summit on how
the process can continue `without having the institutions capable of
making the enlarged union function efficiently.’

`FULFILL YOUR PROMISES’

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan today urged Europe’s
politicians to fulfill its promises to Turkey.

“The negotiations must start on Oct. 3,” he told his deputies in a
speech at the Turkish parliament.

“We are implementing the steps that we promised. I believe that the
EU will overcome the current problems that it’s experiencing.”

Similarly Dr. Gulcan says `the EU does not keep its promises’:

`We are used to it. They said the isolation of the TRNC (Turkish
Cyprus) would be left if the Turkish Cypriots had supported the UN
Peace Plan. Turkish Cypriots strongly supported the Annan Plan, while
the Greeks rejected the Peace Plan. However the EU accepted the Greek
Cypriots and kept no promises about the Turkish Cypriots at all.
Turkish public understood the role of religious differences in the EU
policies. The EU leaders has showed religious solidarity and accuse
only Turkey in Turkey’s relations with the Christian neighbors. For
instance, Armenian forces occupied Azerbaijan. However no EU leader
focuses on Occupation problem of 20 percent of Azerbaijani
territories. Armenia does not recognize two European countries’
(Turkey and Azerbaijan) national borders, yet no one warns Armenia.
Ordinary Turkish now thinks that if you are Christian, you are right.
If you are Muslim, you must die’.

`THE WORLD NEEDS A MIRACLE’

Sedat Laciner says the EU leaders cannot understand the vital
importance of Turkey’s EU membership for the global security and
peace:
`The Muslim world does not believe the EU’s and the West’s sincerity.
There are many Muslim nations in Europe, but none of them is the EU
member. Turkey, Albania, Bosnia, Azerbaijan, Turkish republic of
Northern Cyprus… None of them has a hope to become EU member, while
many problematic countries like Southern Greek Cyprus became EU
member. Turkey’s EU membership will prove that a coexistence is
possible between Muslims and Christians. The Islam world and the
globe needs a miracle. And Turkey is the miracle the people have
expected for the long years.’
The U.S. and Britain have urged the EU to embrace Turkey to help
democracy in the Middle East, which Turkey borders.

POPE: `TURKEY IS NOT EUROPEAN’

Pope Benedict XVI, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church,
showed a suspicious attitude towards Turkey’s EU membership in the
first book he has written since becoming the new Pope in the Vatican.
Pope Benedict XVI indicates in his new book titled “The Example of
Benedict in the Crisis of Cultures” (L’Europa di Benedetto nella
crisi delle culture) that Turkey does not have Christian roots
contrary to European countries. According to the news published by
Apcom, a private Italian news agency, the Pope invites readers to
think about Turkey’s EU bid. The Pope had defended that Turkey should
not be EU member because it is not Christian. The new Pope is
considered `anti-Turkish’ by most of the Turkish public.

AUTHORITIES OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH APPLY MAXIMUM EFFORTS TO HOLD FAIR
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

STEPANAKERT, June 22. /ARKA/. The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh
applied maximum efforts to hold fair parliamentary elections in
Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the democratic standards, as
stated in the act signed by international observers after the
parliamentary elections on June 19 in Stepanakert.

According to the ARKA’s reporter in Stepanakert, the observers stated
that they hadn’t noticed any substantial violations in the course of
registration of voters, organization of voting, processing votes and
transportation of protocols to election commissions. It’s emphasized
in the signed document that for the first time transparent
ballot-boxes were used in NKR to ensure transparency of the election
process. According to the document, over 130 international observers
from Russia, GB, USA, CIS, France, Italy, Iran, Greece, Czech
Republic, Croat, Israel, Serbia and Montenegro, Netherlands and other
countries watched the elections.

A group of observers from RF, which called the elections “democratic,
transparent, free, independent, legitimate, in line with the NKR
Election Code and all international standards” made a separate
statements.

According to the document, the elections showed the striving of the
NKR people for strengthening the institute of democratic elections and
dynamic development of civil society in NKR. “Democratic achievements
of NKR require support and recognition on the part of the civilized
world which would foster quick settlement of the conflict,
establishment of stability and peace in the region, and would be in
the interests of all the nations in the region and world”, according
to the statement of Russian observers. A.H. -0-

NAGORNO-KARABAKH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 3RD CONVOCATION TO HOLD ITS
LAST PLENARY SESSION ON JUNE 22

STEPANAKERT, June 22. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh National Assembly of
the 3rd convocation will hold its last plenary session. According to
NKR NA Press Service, the following issues of the agenda will be
discussed by the parliament: the draft bill on the decision of NKR NA
on Approval of the Annual Report on the Execution of NKR State Budget
for 2004″, the information of NKR Ministry of Finance and Economy on
Execution of NKR State Budget in Q 1, 2005, draft bill on Fixed
Payments for Petrol and Diesel Fuel, draft bill on making amendments
to the NKR law on Tax on Trade, draft bill on making amendments and
additions to the NKR law on Fixed Payments, comments of NKR NA, and
statement of the NKR NA Chairman. Also questions addressed to the
government and statements by deputies are envisaged.

To remind, NKR NA of the third convocation had two factions: “Artsakh
Democratic Party” and ARF “Dashnaktsutyun”. The first included 19
members, the second – 8. Six of them had the status of independent
deputies. According to preliminary data, the new parliament includes
12 members from the ruling “Artsakh Democratic Party”, 10 – from “Free
Motherland” party, 3 – from ARF “Dasnaktsutyun-Movement 88” opposition
bloc. 8 Deputies are considered to be independent. A.H. -0–

CIS foreign ministers agree on ratification of adapted conventional arms
treaty

Interfax news agency
22 Jun 05

Moscow, 22 June: The foreign ministers of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization’s member-states on Wednesday [22 June] signed a
statement on the ratification of the agreement on the adaptation of
the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.

“The Collective Security Treaty Organization’s member-states believe
that the adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty is a
fundamental security guarantee in Europe and are doing everything
possible to ensure the earliest possible implementation of the
political commitment to make active efforts to finalize the national
ratification procedures, which were adopted in Istanbul in 1999,” the
foreign ministers said in a statement circulated today.

“The member-states hope that all signatories to the CFE treaty will
make similar efforts, which would allow the CFE treaty to remain an
important factor of stability and trust in Europe, and encourage other
countries to join it, which is expected to seriously strengthen the
architecture of European security,” the statement says.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization comprises Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress