THE ISSUES REFERRING TO ARMENIAN – AMERICAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION DISCUSSED IN THE US
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
A wide spectrum of Armenian – American economic cooperation was
discussed in the course of the recurrent meeting of Armenian – American
intergovernmental working group on economic issues (US-Armenia Task
Force) that took place in Washington on September 26.
According to the information De Facto got at the RA MFA pres service,
the meeting’s participants discussed democratic amendments in Armenia,
economic policy and long – term development of the country, the issues
referring to development of energetic system and infrastructures,
as well as a number of other issues.

EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS ACCUSE RIGHT-WING OPPONENTS OF NOT WANTING MUSLIM TURKEY IN EU
IRNA< Iran Sept 28 2005 Brussels, IRNA The Socialist Group (PES) in the European Parliament accused Wednesday the right-wing European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED) of being against Turkey's EU membership because it was a Muslim country. "You don't want to have Turkey because it is Islamic and far away. Croatia is closer and is Catholic. That is the truth of your message. Let us not beat about the bush. We must apply the same standards to all countries," PES leader Martin Schulz told EPP leader Hans-Gert Poettering during a heated debate on Turkey's EU membership in the EP in Strasbourg. The leader of the 219-strong Socialist Group, the second-largest in the EP, said "the EPP does not want Turkey. We want to give Turkey a chance." On his part, the leader of EPP - which with 267 MEPs in the 732-member EP is the largest group - said if EU membership was not achieved at the end of the process, then the alternative result must be a privileged partnership for Turkey. He said Christians' "legitimate rights" in Turkey had to be recognised and implemented in the same way that "Moslem citizens' rights were recognised in European Union countries." Poettering urgently called on the British Presidency of the EU to apply the same criteria to Croatia as that of Turkey. "Everyone has shut their eyes on the human rights issue in Turkey while Croatia was to be refused the start of negotiations because a single general - one who was plainly not even in Croatia - had not yet been delivered up to the Hague Tribunal," he said. The EU has postponed talks on Croatia's membership because of Zagreb's failure to arrest a war crimes suspect Gen Ante Gotovina. But EU states like Austria and Hungary want Croatia to start talks at the same time as Turkey on October 3. The co-president of the Green/EFA (European Free Alliance), Daniel Cohn-Bendit, also criticized the EPP saying "some of the opponents of Turkey's accession are surfing on a wave of cultural and racist prejudices." "This is a dangerous game," he said adding that "the question of European Islam exists with or without Turkey. There are already more Muslims in the EU than there are Belgians." The EP Wednesday voted in favour of starting talks on Turkish accession on October 3, but insisted on a number of conditions before it is allowed entry. MEPs insisted that Turkey recognise the killings of thousands of Armenians in 1915 as genocide. The EP also postponed a vote on ratifying Turkey's customs arrangements with the EU because of its refusal to recognise the Greek Cypriot government. At the request of the EPP-ED group, EP voted 311 votes in favour, 285 against and 63 abstentions to postpone the vote

EU-TURKEY: ANOTHER SLIGHT FOR ANKARA
AKI, Italy
Sept 28 2005
Strasbourg, 28 Sept. (AKI) – The European Union’s parliament has
approved a resolution in which it supports the start of membership
talks with Turkey but lays down a series of provisos. The parliament
says recognition as genocide of the killing of more than a million
Armenians in 1915 was “a prerequisite for accession”. Euro-MPs also
postponed a vote on extending Turkey’s customs agreement to the
ten newest member states, because of Ankara’s refusal to recognise
Cyprus. The parliament’s decisions do not affect the start of
entry talks on 3 October but are seen as a further sign of European
reluctance towards Turkey’s bid.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, described the
postponement of an important vote on the trade agreement as ‘an
own goal’.
The decision was motivated by Turkey’s recent declaration that
signing the protocol of the Ankara Agreement did not mean any form of
recognition of Cyprus, which became an EU member last May. Euro MPs
wanted assurances that this declaration would not be part of Turkey’s
parliamentary ratification of the protocol. Turkey also refuses to
admit naval vessels and airplanes from Cyprus.
Armenia and Armenians abroad accuse Turkey’s Ottoman rulers of carrying
out genocide when 1.5 million of their people died in 1915.
Turkey denies there was any systematic killing, saying the death toll
was much lower and that the deaths occurred during a civil war. Last
week a Turkish court cancelled a historians conference which was due
to have discussed the highly taboo subject.
More negotiations are scheduled for Thursday to resolve outstanding
issues in the framework for Turkey’s entry negotiations which
officially kick of on 3 October.
Austria has been seeking to push a “privileged partnership”, also
seen positively by the German centre-right leader Angela Merkel,
while Ankara insists nothing short of full membership will do.
;loid=8.0.213277002&par=0

MEPS DEFY TURKEY ON EVE OF ENTRY TALKS
EUobserver.com, Belgium
Sept 28 2005
28.09.2005 – 17:44 CET | By Mark Beunderman EUOBSERVER/ BRUSSELS –
In a strong message of frustration with the Turkish stance on Cyprus,
the European Parliament on Wednesday postponed the ratification
of a key customs agreement with Ankara – dismaying the commission,
but not endangering the start of entry talks on 3 October.
Under EU law, the European Parliament has to formally ratify an
agreement on the extension of the customs agreement between the EU
and Turkey to all new member states – including Cyprus, which Ankara
does not recognise.
But the conservative EPP group in the parliament today (28 September)
successfully achieved suspension of ratification of the deal, with
311 against 285 MEPs voting to postpone the ratification.
EPP group leader Hans-Gert Pottering said ahead of the vote that there
had not been any “appropriate statement” by the Turkish government
on Ankara’s commitment to the customs agreement.
MEPs had demanded a public guarantee from Turkey that the Turkish
parliament, in its ratification process, would not at the same time
endorse Ankara’s unilateral declaration issued last June saying that
Turkey does not recognise Cyprus.
Formal ratification of the agreement by the European and Turkish
parliaments is no precondition for the opening of EU membership talks
with Turkey, scheduled for 3 October.
But the commission said today it regretted the Parliament’s decision.
Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn stated “Unfortunately today’s
decision does not strengthen our position in urging Turkey to stick
to its commitment, that is following the signature, to ratify and
implement the protocol without delay”.
The commission and member states are pressing Ankara to first ratify
and then fully implement the customs agreement, meaning that Ankara is
obliged to stop blocking Cypriot ships and planes from its territory.
But now the commission claims MEPs have complicated these efforts by
blocking ratification by the EU itself.
Socialist and liberal MEPs also regretted the postponement of the
ratification, with liberal MEP Andrew Duff describing the decision as
“stupid, short-sighted and mean-spirited”.
Resolution seeks tough human rights guarantees The Parliament in a
separate resolution backed the opening of membership negotiations
with Turkey on 3 October.
But the resolution, which is non-binding, further pressurises Ankara
by highlighting Turkish failures in meeting human rights standards.
The text explicitly mentions the case of Orhan Pamuk, a well-read
author who was recently charged by a Turkish prosecutor to have
“denigrated” the nation by publicly raising the issue of the Armenian
genocide in 1915.
MEPs urged the commission to suspend the accession talks once started,
in case of a persistent breach of human rights or the principles of
democracy and the rule of law.
The parliament called for further guarantees by demanding that each
session of the negotiations at ministerial level be preceded by “an
assessment of the political criteria in both theory and practice, thus
exerting permanent pressure on the Turkish authorities to maintain
the pace of the necessary reforms”.
Following an amendment by French MEPs, the parliament resolution also
calls on Turkey to recognise the genocide of Armenians by Ottoman
forces in 1915, considering this a “prerequisite for accession to
the European Union”.
The Euro-Armenian federation last week staged a high-profile conference
in the parliament, drawing attention to the issue.

EUROPARLIAMENT SAYS TURKEY MUST RECOGNISE CYPRUS, ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Cyprus News Agency, Cyprus
Sept 28 2005
CNA – Strasbourg-France – 28/9/2005 19:20
Strasbourg, Sept 28 (CNA) – The European Parliament backed Wednesday
the opening of EU entry talks with Turkey next week, but insisted
that Ankara recognise Cyprus and the genocide of Armenians during
the negotiations.
The European Parliament has also postponed a vote to ratify Turkey’s
extended customs union with the EU with 311 votes in favour, 285
against and 63 abstentions. The delay was demanded by the European
People’s Party (EPP), the biggest party in the EU parliament, due to
Ankara’s refusal to let Cypriot ships and planes use its ports and
airports, as required under the extended customs deal.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘EP DECISION HAS NO EFFECT ON NEGOTIATION PROCESS’
By Cihan News Agency
Zaman, Turkey
Sept 28 2005
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey’s accession
process to the European Union will not be affected by today’s decision
taken in the European Parliament.
The EP earlier today decided in favor of a call for Turkey to recognize
the so-called Armenian genocide allegations and for imposing the
recognition as a pre-condition for membership.

EP APPROVES DECISION DRAFT ABOUT TURKEY
By Cihan News Agency
Zaman, Turkey
Sept 28 2005
The European Parliament (EP) has approved the decision draft about
Turkey by 356 yes votes to 181 no votes.
It also approved the article requiring the recognition of the so-called
Armenian genocide.
The EP has delayed the approval of the Supplementary Protocol related
to the extension of the Customs Union Agreement for the new European
Union (EU) members.
The EP General Council accepted the EP Christian Democratic group’s
offer not to approve the protocol by 311 yes votes to 285 no votes.

ANOTHER ARRIVAL
A1+
| 20:14:07 | 28-09-2005 | Official |
Today the RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan received the delegation
of the EU special representative to Southern Caucasus, Ambassador
Heikki Talvitie.
The sides referred to the present situation in Southern Caucasus,
in particular to the course of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

PRESSED GAS IS SAFER
A1+
| 20:12:08 | 28-09-2005 | Politics |
The second official who made speech during the Governmental briefing
today was the Transportation and Communication deputy Minister Hrant
Beglaryan. He gave some information about the documents processed in
order to make the exploitation of transport safer and more civilized.
The most important point was that the Ministry will not allow the
installment of gas-cylinders into the cars which are initially not
supposed to have them. According to Hrant Beglaryan, the number of
such cars is high.
Today there are about 40 000 cars with gas-cylinders in the
Republic. The deputy Minister voiced hope that about 3-4 thousand
cars will become subject of investigation annually, and the violations
will be eliminated by special organizations.
The deputy Minister did not deny that there are gas-cylinders in the
route taxis; instead he claimed that in 4-5 years they will be ousted
from the system of transportation. He considered pressed gas safer and
excluded the possibility of increasing the fares as a result of usual
“reforms”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXPENSES INCREASED
A1+
| 20:04:53 | 28-09-2005 | Politics |
By the budget of the coming year the Government will allot 270 million
ARMD more to the city transport. 462 million AMRD has also been
allotted as compensation to those who had deposits in the unfinished
buildings’ construction.
this information was given by the Finance and Economy deputy Minister
Pavel Safaryan during today’s Governmental briefing. He also mentioned
that there is not much chance for getting financing from the USA by
the program “Millennium Challenges” till the end of next year.
On the whole, the 2006 budget expects grants of about 9 billion,
but is will also take credits of about 56 billion.
The military expenses will also be expanded by 13 billion ARMD and
will form about 150 million USD. In connection with the announcements
of Azerbaijan to equal their military budget to that of our whole
country, Pavel Safaryan said, “We also have the desire of equaling
our military budget to the budget of Azerbaijan”.