Pan Armenian News
ARMENIANS OF EUROPE TO RALLY IN LUXEMBOURG ON DAY EU-TURKEY TALKS START
01.10.2005 03:26
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 3 some 3000 Armenians of Europe will hold a rally
in Luxembourg, where the official opening of the talks on Turkey’s accession
to the EU is scheduled on that day. Armenians from France, Belgium, Holland,
Germany, Italy, Cyprus and Greece will arrive in Luxembourg for the event.
As noted by Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Western Europe
Murad Papazyan, «thousands of Armenians should join the rally to confirm the
well-known fact that if talks continue for 10-15 years, during all of these
years we will keep struggling to make Turkey recognize the Armenian
Genocide.» «We come against accession of Turkey to the EU. Turkey has to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, to withdraw troops from Cyprus, to respect
human rights,» he noted. When commenting on the resolution adopted by the
European Parliament that urged Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide
before accession to the EU, Murad Papazyan called it an «important step».
The item was reflected in the resolution owing to efforts of Armenian
organizations of Europe, he added.

Pan Armenian News
AZNAVOUR: ARMENIA SHOULD TAKE EUROPEAN WAY
30.09.2005 08:28
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «Armenian origins are exclusively important to me,» famous
singer Charles Aznavour stated. «My parents and I were born not in our
fatherland: my father was born in Georgia, while my mother in Turkey. They
spoke many languages. They were widely open people and it helped up – their
children – absorb various cultures of the East and West. In France itself I
listened to Arab, Latin American and American music,» he remarked. Answering
a question about assistance to Armenia, Charles Aznavour said, «I was
engaged in assisting poor people, helped to restore electricity in the past.
Today I am busy with building new schools, repairing old ones. The future of
the country is the youth, as it is known.» Speaking of whether Armenia
should follow Georgia’s example and «turn towards the US,» the singer said
Armenia should take the European way. «Its place is in Europe. I am pleased
with Armenia preserving very good relations with Russia. By the way, I was
in Uzbekistan lately and paid attention to the fact that all Uzbeks, like
Armenians, speak Russian. From the geographic point of view Armenia also is
closer to Russia than America,» Aznavour summed up, reported the Izvestia.

The Sunday Times (UK)
October 02, 2005
Turkey cools on joining club Europe
Gareth Jenkins, Istanbul and Nicola Smith, Brussels
SIPPING a latte at a cafe in a leafy Istanbul suburb, Inci Can, 34,
looks as if she should be a natural supporter of European Union
membership for Turkey. A graduate of Exeter University, she wears
fashionable western clothes, leaves her shoulder-length hair uncovered
and travels frequently to western Europe on business.
Yet as EU foreign ministers meet today to resolve an impasse that
threatens to prevent formal talks on Turkish entry from starting on
schedule tomorrow, Can and increasing numbers of her compatriots are
questioning whether they really want to join after all.
`If the EU doesn’t want us because we have a large population or an
undeveloped economy, then fair enough,’ she said. `But it should say so,
not keep hiding behind new excuses. All my life I’ve wanted Turkey to
join the EU but in the past few weeks I’ve begun to think that maybe we
should stay outside.’
That Can’s views are shared by many of her compatriots is evident from a
poll yesterday that showed 57% of Turks wanted to join the EU – down
from 68% a year ago. Support among workers is even lower: only 44% of
trade unionists are in favour and a mere 24% believe that Turkey will
ever be admitted.
They may be right to feel unwanted: just over half of people in the EU’s
25 countries oppose Turkish entry. In Austria, the country leading the
opposition to full EU membership for Turkey, eight in 10 are against.
At an emergency meeting in Luxembourg tonight, Jack Straw and other EU
foreign ministers will put pressure on the Austrians, who have insisted
the Turks be told from the outset they have to make do a `privileged
partnership’ that stops short of full membership. Diplomats say the hard
line taken by Wolfgang Schüssel, the Austrian chancellor, has been
dictated in part by regional elections today and hope he will soften his
stance once polls close.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has refused to proceed
with membership talks if there is any downgrading of his country’s
prospective EU status.
For Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country of 70m people, it is the
apparent whiff of racism – coupled with suggestions that it is not fit
to join a `Christian club’ – that especially rankles.
One of the main stumbling blocks is Turkey’s refusal to recognise the
Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia with which it has been at odds since
a breakaway Turkish republic was established in the north of Cyprus in
1974. Many Turkish nationalists also fear that they might be obliged to
make their country’s 13m Kurds equal partners in a federal state.
The mood has been further soured by a European parliament resolution
last week making it a precondition for membership that Turkey should
formally recognise the killing of 1.5m Armenians between 1915 and 1923
in the last days of the Ottoman empire.
Turkey’s poor human rights record also remains a matter of contention. A
two-year investigation by Mental Disability Rights International, a
Washington-based lobby group, revealed last week what it described as
`inhuman and degrading conditions of confinement’ in Turkey’s mental
health and social services system. A recent report by Amnesty
International, the human rights group, found torture and ill-treatment
continue to be a widespread problem.
While Can is seething quietly at European attitudes to her country,
Turkish politicians and businessmen are finding it difficult to contain
their anger.
At a rally on Friday Erdogan gave one of his strongest hints yet that
Turkey might walk away if the EU continues upping the ante. `They should
behave as honestly as Turkey,’ he said. `If we don’t see this honesty
then the response we shall give will be very very different to the
responses we have given to date.’
Omer Sabanci, chairman of the Turkish Businessmen’s and Industrialists’
Association, said those supporting a `privileged partnership’ were
`exhibiting a 19th century mentality’.
This morning the ultra-militant Nationalist Action party (MHP) will bus
tens of thousands of demonstrators to Ankara, the capital, to protest
against what it regards as the EU’s unacceptable demands. `Membership
should be honourable,’ said Mehmet Sandir, its vice-chairman. `It should
not convene our national interests or distort our history.’
For Straw, finding a way out of the impasse at tonight’s meeting is of
vital importance. The successful launch of entry talks would be one of
the few tangible achievements of Britain’s six-month EU presidency.
However, matters have been further complicated by the entanglement of
the Turkish issue with Croatia’s bid to join the EU. This was suspended
in March over Croatia’s failure to co-operate fully with the
international war crimes tribunal over the search for Ante Gotovina,
indicted as an alleged war criminal.
Austria is one of the strongest backers of the Croatian application.
Carla del Ponte, the tribunal’s chief prosecutor, who visted Croatia
this weekend, was due to make a statement to ministers tomorrow.
Indications this weekend were not positive.
Even if entry talks do begin tomorrow, many more hurdles remain. Angela
Merkel, expected to become Germany’s next chancellor, has misgivings,
while France has promised a referendum before the Turks are finally
admitted.
Diplomats fear the last-minute hitches could reduce Turkey’s enthusiasm
for the long and costly reforms that it must make to everything from the
regulation of industry to the judicial system as a precondition for
eventual membership.
Equally important, however, is the effect on the attitude of Can and
other Turks who are rapidly losing faith in an organisation they once
saw as a key to the modernisation and development of their country.
`Of course we are not perfect. We still have a lot of things to do
before we finally join,’ said Can. `But we have done everything that was
asked of us in order to begin negotiations. When you join a club you
have to abide by its rules. But adding new rules only for us just isn’t
fair.’

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN FINANCE MINISTER DISCUSSED IRANIAN INVESTMENTS WITH IRANIAN
COUNTERPART
01.10.2005 04:09
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian and Armenian Ministers of Economy and Finance
Davud Danesh-Jafari and Vardan Khachatryan had a meeting in the lobby of the
annual session of IMF and WB Group in Washington, D.C. The parties discussed
bilateral cooperation matters within the framework of the Iranian-Armenian
Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. The
Ministers also discussed Iranian-Armenian cooperation in various fields, as
well as issues referring to Iranian investments to the economy of Armenia
and Iranian companies’ activities in the country. Davud Danesh-Jafari and
Vardan Khachatryan were satisfied with the course of development of the
bilateral economic cooperation, specifically the rate of development of
partnership in cargo transportation between Iran and Armenia, reported Irna.

Pan Armenian News
YEAR OF ARMENIA IN FRANCE WILL BE A NEW AND IMPORTANT PHASE IN
ARMENIAN-FRENCH RELATIONS
01.10.2005 03:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 29 and 30 Armenian Ambassador to France Edvard
Nalbandyan held a number of meetings with Cannes Mayor, MP Bernard Brochand,
Nice Mayor, Senator Jacques Peyrat and Antibes Mayor, MP Jean Leonetti,
reported the Press Service of the Armenian MFA. In the course of the meeting
the possible participation of Cannes, Nice and Antibes in events marking the
Year of Armenia in France was discussed. The parties noted the importance of
the decision of Presidents of Armenia and France to organize the Year of
Armenia in France and expressed readiness to actively participate in the
events. A meeting with leaders of organizations of Cote d’Azur French region
was also held in Nice. During the session Armenian Ambassador to France
informed about the events to be organized within the framework of the Year
of Armenia in France. The 2nd session of the inter-state commission will be
held in Yerevan November 3, he also remarked. During it the draft program of
the events will be presented and discussed, as well as the symbol of the
Year of Armenia in France will be approved, Nalbandyan said.

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN NPP SUSPENDED FOR TOP-UP
01.10.2005 03:01
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Beginning on today the Armenian (Metsamor) Nuclear Power
Plant (NPP) is suspended for a top-up. As Minister of Energy of Armenia
Armen Movsisyan told journalists earlier, the process will take 45 days. It
should be reminded that at the same time A. Movsisyan informed that the
Russian party represented by the RAO UES of Russia has expressed readiness
to leave the management of the financial flows of the Armenian NPP, though
the contract allowing RAO UES of Russia manage the plant for 5 years has not
expired yet. «We have not passed a decision over the matter yet and we are
not going to hurry,» stated the Minister, noting the positive role of the
Russian holding in the financial and technical rehabilitation of the Plant.
Consisting of two energy blocks totaling 815 MW, The Armenian NPP was closed
in 1988. The station second block with the capacity of 407.5 MW was again
launched in work in 1995. Since 2003 the Armenian NPP is passed for
financial management of the Inter RAO UES CJSC, which is a branch
establishment of RAO UES of Russia.

Pan Armenian News
MARGARYAN CONGRATULATED ARMENIAN TEACHERS ON PROFESSIONAL HOLIDAY
30.09.2005 07:59
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian PM A. Margaryan congratulated Armenian teachers
on their professional holiday – the Teacher’s Day, reported the Press
Service of the Armenian Government. The PM’s congratulatory message
specifically says, «Dear teachers, I congratulate you on the Teacher’s Day.
The holiday has become a good tradition and is being marked at the state
level. It is another occasion for expressing respect you undoubtedly deserve
due to your daily laborious and devoted work. Education problems are always
in focus of the Government and steps – though small – are being taken to
reform the education system, repair school buildings. I again congratulate
you on your professional holiday and I wish you health, many years of
creative work and good luck.»

PRESS RELEASE
Meaningful World.com news
185 East 85th Street, Mezz #4
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Phone: 201 941-2266, Fax: 201 941-5110
E-mail: [email protected]
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October 1, 2005

Hurricane Katrina victims are at high risk for PTSD

New York, NY – On Monday, August 29th, the coastal areas of the Gulf
coast were hit by Hurricane Katrina. With wind speeds of up to 140 mph
(225 km/h), Hurricane Katrina destroyed everything in its path. The
hurricane first hit Louisiana and traveled 200 miles from west of New
Orleans to Pensacola in Florida. The states of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were hit. As of today, about 1000
people are reported dead as a result of this disaster.

The victims of Hurricane Katrina have lost their homes, main source of
employment, schools, and hospitals and desperately need basic
necessities. Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana has asked for
federal assistance as the crisis is “beyond the capabilities of the
state and affected local governments”.

In response to this crisis, the Association for Disaster and Mass
Trauma Studies spearheaded by Dr. Anie Kalayjian, is implementing its
Mental Health Outreach Project (MHOP) in the Gulf Coast. The MHOP is
mobilizing teams of mental health volunteers to treat
survivors. Unfortunately, at least 15% of survivors will present
symptoms of PTSD that will require treatment. The MHOP will provide
psychosocial aide to those survivors who have lost their family
members, home and jobs.

The Association for Disaster & Mass Trauma Studies has been working
for the past 16 years providing Mental Health Outreach to disaster
stricken areas such as: Armenia (Post quake, 1988), Florida (Hurricane
Andrew), California (Northridge quake, 1994), Kobe, Japan (Post quake,
1995), Turkey (Post quake, 1999), New York (post 9/11, 2001), and most
recently post SE Asia tsunami in Sri Lanka. Kindly look at our
website for details of these works.

Please help the Mental Health Outreach Project reach out to the
victims of Katrina. You can donate by sending a check to the
Association for Disaster and Mass Trauma Studies, 185 East 85th
Street, Mezz #4, New York, NY 10028. If you are interesting in
volunteering, please go to and fill out an
application or email Dr. Anie Kalayjian at [email protected] .
________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Anie Kalayjian is an international educator, American Board
Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress, logotherapeutic psychotherapist,
international researcher, and consultant. She is the recipient of the
Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from her Alma Mate, Long Island
University in NYC. She has over fifteen years of experience in
international disaster management and mass-trauma interventions &
conflict resolution; twenty years of university teaching experience
(both graduate and undergrad levels) and she has been in clinical
independent practice in both NY & NJ for 20 yrs.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 30, 2005
VENICE COMMISSION SECRETARY: DRAFT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS OF
ARMENIA MEET EUROPEAN STANDARDS
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30. ARMINFO. The draft Constitutional amendments
of Armenia meet European standards, CE Venice Commission Secretary
Gianni Buquicchio told journalists, Friday.
He noted that the provisions on the elections of Yerevan Mayor and on
the independence of the judicial system could be “more perfect.” He
refrained himself from answering the question if any sanctions
threaten Armenia in case if the referendum of the constitutional
reforms fails. G. Buquicchio just said that Armenia undertook
definite commitments when joining the Council of Europe.
In his turn, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Armenia Gagik
Haroutiunyan told journalists that he has no studied the details of
the draft amendments adopted by the parliament in the third reading.
He took a favorable view of the provision allowing the citizens to
protect their rights through the Constitutional Court.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 30, 2005
FINLAND SUPPORTS OSCE ACTIVITY IN SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30. ARMINFO. Finland supports the OSCE activity in
settlement of Karabakh conflict, says Finnish President Tarja Halonen
at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
in Baku, Azertag reports.
Finland is for settlement of the conflict through peaceful
negotiations only. Tarja Halonen expressed desire that the
conflicting parties achieve a mutually advantageous way of
resolution. ‘As you know, we paid a special attention to the problem
and aspired for appointment of EU Special Representative. And this
work was fulfilled’ the Finnish president said. The work was uneasy
as there are other states in the region, she said. They also faced
conflicts and make similar steps to settle them, the president said.
‘ OSCE is on the one side and the EU on the other side. I think
strengthening the relations of Azerbaijan with the EU can make a
definite contribution to settlement of the given problem,’ Halonen
said. She added in the course of its chairmanship Finland will
further work actively to render necessary assistance to Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan.