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02/07/2005
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1) French Parliament Head Raises Genocide, Cyprus Issue During Turkey Visit
2) Rice Holds Talks in Turkey, Gives Assurances over Iraq
3) Azeri Officer’s Trial to Begin on February 8
4) Three Men Arrested After Deadly Shootout in Yerevan
5) CBC Radio Provides Platform to Armenian Genocide Deniers, Say Canadian
Armenian Leaders

1) French Parliament Head Raises Genocide, Cyprus Issue During Turkey Visit

ANKARA (Combined Sources)–Heading a French delegation to Turkey last week,
French Parliament Speaker Jean-Louis Debre addressed the Armenian genocide and
Cyprus issues during his meetings with Turkish officials.
With France’s ruling UMP party at odds with its most prominent
member–President Jacques Chirac–on the prospect of Turkey’s full EU
membership, Debre raised the contentious issue of the Armenian genocide during
a meeting with Chairman of the EU Commission in the Turkish Parliament Yasar
Yakis and other parliamentarians.
Debre proposed that an independent international institution conduct
research on the Armenian Genocide, stating it would be the only fair way to
affirm the facts.
An article in Paris’s Le Monde addressed the issue, quoting Debre as
telling
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that “Turkey’s attitude to the Armenian
genocide” of 1915 “poses a real problem for France.”
According to Le Monde, Erdogan’s response was that he was “disappointed” with
“Paris’s position” and “did not know that 400,000 (dead) Armenians could
decide
the referendum” Paris intends to hold on Ankara’s membership bid.
Turkish authorities, the newspaper reported, expressed willingness to
“consider” a proposal which would give an international commission of
historians access to its archives.
Addressing the Cyprus issue, Debre said although it is impossible to stay
indifferent to the request of a country with a population of 71 million to
join
the EU, questions such as Cyprus and Turkey’s human rights record must be
solved.
During a joint news conference with Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc,
Debre assured that both the Armenian genocide and the Cyprus problem were
discussed with Erdogan.
“Everything works more comfortably as long as people are in peace with their
own history,” Debre said.
During his visit, Debre also met with Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Archbishop
Mesrob Mutafyan.
Archbishop Mutafyan expressed, “Together with all the other non-Muslim
minorities in Turkey, our Patriarchal See and the Turkish Armenian community
support the accession of Turkey into the European Union.” He added that
Armenians also support the process in hopes that it might bring the
long-awaited peace not only between Turkey and Armenia, but also among all
countries in the region.

2) Rice Holds Talks in Turkey, Gives Assurances over Iraq

ANKARA (AFP)–US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who held talks with
Turkish leaders in Ankara, was quick to assure wary ally Ankara that its
concerns over the future of neighboring Iraq are not being ignored.
Rice, on a whirlwind tour of eight European capitals, Israel, and the West
Bank, met with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and was also to hold
talks
with her counterpart Abdullah Gul.
Rice’s visit follows harsh warnings from Ankara that Washington is turning a
blind eye to Kurdish moves in northern Iraq aimed at paving the way for future
Kurdish independence in the region.
The accusations come at a time when the two NATO allies are already
struggling
to repair their ties in the wake of a severe diplomatic crisis prior to Iraq’s
invasion in March 2003, when Ankara stunned Washington by denying US troops
access to Turkish territory to attack Iraq from the north.
“The United States favors a unified Iraq in which the rights of all Iraqis
are
represented and respected,” Rice told NTV television Sunday, with voice-over
translation into Turkish.
While shaping their post-war nation, the Iraqis have the responsibility to
create a country that will live in peace with its neighbors, she said.
The prospect of major Kurdish political gains in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk
following the January 30 elections has irked Ankara, which suspects that the
Kurds want the ethnically mixed city to become the capital of an independent
Kurdish state.
Such a state, Ankara fears, would fuel moves towards independence among the
restive Kurds of adjoining southeast Turkey, sparking regional turmoil.
Rice told NTV that it was up to the Iraqis to decide on the future status of
Kirkuk, but stressed that the ethnically volatile city, which is also home to
Turkish-speaking Turkmens, should be a place where “all Iraqis will live
together without fears.”
She also sought to assure Ankara that Washington was “very determined” to
ensure that Turkish Kurd rebels holed up in the mountains of northern Iraq are
prevented from using the region as a springboard for violence against Turkey.
Ankara has long been frustrated with US reluctance to take military action
against the guerrillas, who found refuge in the enclave prior to the US-led
invasion of Iraq and who last summer ended a five-year unilateral ceasefire
with Turkey.
She said trilateral security meetings between Turkey, Iraq, and the United
States should continue and that the parties should also seek to use
non-military measures, such as cutting off sources of finance for the rebels.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to which the rebels belong, is considered
a terrorist organization by Washington.
Rice stopped short of pledging military action against the PKK, highlighting
the difficult security situation in other parts of Iraq.
Bilateral differences over Iraq are believed to have increased anti-US
sentiment in Turkey, a strictly secular Muslim nation which Washington has
often praised as a model for co-habitation between democracy and Islam.
However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has often led the
criticism towards Washington, insisted that Turkish-US ties remained strong.
“Our ties continue with the same maturity and in a positive spirit…at the
level of strategic partnership. We have confirmed this between ourselves,” he
told reporters after talks with Rice late Saturday.
The toughening US policy towards Iran, another troubled neighbor of Turkey,
and efforts to revive the Middle East peace process were also expected to be
high on Rice’s agenda here.
Rice was to hold a news conference with Gul later on Sunday before flying out
to Israel, her next point of call.

3) Azeri Officer’s Trial to Begin on February 8

BAKU (Combined Sources)–The murder trial of Azeri senior lieutenant Ramil
Safarov will begin on February 8 in Budapest, Hungary. Safarov is being tried
for the February 19, 2004 slaying of Armenian serviceman Gurgen Margarian.
Safarov’s attorney, Adil Ismayilov, said that a Hungarian lawyer will join
the
case during the next two days in order to help fend the charges. Margarian’s
family will be represented by Nazeli Vardanyan and Gabriela Kaspar. The
Armenian serviceman’s lawyers will also represent Hayk Makuchyan–a member of
the Armenian military who Safarov attempted to murder. The Azeri officer is
being charged with Article No. 166.2 of the Hungarian Criminal
Court–first-degree murder and attempted murder–for which he could face 10
years to life imprisonment.
In an attempt to partially curb Safarov’s responsibility, Bilal Mirzalioghli
Asadov, Chief Psychologist of Azerbaijan, has asked that the defendant undergo
a psychological examination. Safarov told the count during his previous trial
that he was in an “unconscious” state during the murder. Medical examinations,
however, indicate that he was fully aware of his acts.

4) Three Men Arrested After Deadly Shootout in Yerevan

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenian prosecutors announced on Monday the arrest of three
unidentified men suspected of taking part in a late-night gunfight in Yerevan
that left one person dead and two others seriously wounded.
The spokesman for the Prosecutor-General’s Office, Gurgen Ambarian,
refused to
identify the suspects and comment on possible reasons for the shootout.
The deadly incident occurred late on Friday in the city’s southern outskirts
mainly occupied by Soviet-era idle factories. Television pictures from the
scene showed a bullet-holed car and spent cartridges strewn on the ground.
More
than a dozen cars were reportedly parked in the deserted area when the gunfire
erupted.
Police said three young men were rushed to a nearby hospital as a result. One
of them, aged 30, died shortly afterward, while the two others were
reported to
remain in a critical condition on Monday.
A spokesman for the national Police Service, Zarzand Gabrielian said that two
people who participated in the shootout turned themselves in over the weekend.
He said one of the men surrendered a Kalashnikov rifle and a pistol. It was
unclear whether they were among the detainees mentioned by the prosecutors’
spokesman.
Gabrielian revealed that investigators searched the apartment of the murdered
man and found an arsenal of firearms and ammunition, including eight
Kalashnikovs. He added that law-enforcement authorities have already
“established the identity of a number of suspects” and have already begun to
“interrogate their relatives.” But he declined to give further details of the
case.

5) CBC Radio Provides Platform to Armenian Genocide Deniers, Say Canadian
Armenian Leaders

MONTREAL–The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) demonstrated a lack of
judgment when it failed to invite representatives of the Canadian-Armenian
community to its Feb. 6, Sunday Edition radio program during which, following
discussions of a book on the Armenian genocide, only the Turkish Embassy was
allowed to present its side.
“It’s regrettable that deniers of the Armenian Genocide [Turkish Government]
have been provided with a platform while the representatives of the
Canadian-Armenian community have not been offered the opportunity to
respond to
the Turkish Government’s propaganda,” commented Armenian National Committee of
Canada (ANCC) president, Dr. Girair Basmadjian.
In a 25-minute segment, host Michael Enright interviewed Prof. Taner Akçam,
the author of “From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian
Genocide.” Following the interview, Enright read a lengthy statement by the
Turkish Embassy in Ottawa. No such statement, however, was requested from the
Armenian Embassy of Ottawa.
Akçam is one of many Turkish historians to recognize publicly the mass
killings and deportation, in 1915, of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. His
book represents a scholarly attempt to document the Armenian genocide from the
perpetrator’s, rather than victim’s, perspective. In the interview, Akçam
stated that he has been refused posts in Turkish universities because of his
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
“We commend the CBC and thank Michael Enright for their decision to shed
light
on the Forgotten Genocide of the 20th century, and Prof. Akçam’s scholarly
research. At the same time we were surprised and disappointed to hear Enright
read the Turkish Embassy’s statement that was, as usual, full of historical
fabrications and misinformation–the usual official stance of successive
Turkish governments. To us, it is a sheer error of judgment to confront an
honest academician with a baseless political onslaught, without even giving a
chance for the author to respond,” said Dr. Basmadjian.
The Canadian-Armenian community leader said that it was unfortunate the CBC
provided an opportunity for such a statement from the Turkish Embassy while
not
affording Canadian-Armenians the same opportunity. “Moreover, the statement
was an outright insult to the author, Dr. Akçam, who did not lack courage to
express the historical truth. The Canadians of Armenian origin representing
survivors of the said Genocide are commemorating the 90th anniversary this
year, are insulted by such statements on a respectable broadcasting
corporation
such as the CBC,” added Dr. Basmadjian.
The program also omitted the fact that the Armenian genocide has officially
been recognized by the Senate and House of Commons of Canada in 2002 and 2004
respectively, and by the provincial legislatures of Ontario and Quebec dating
back to 1980.
“Genocide denial out of ignorance or a false sense of “balanced
journalism” or
“political correctness” is irresponsible and only serves to promote
revisionist
policies…Do we provide Holocaust deniers with such courtesies or platforms?”
asked Dr. Basmadjian.
The ANCC is seeking an apology from the CBC to its Armenian listeners and a
promise to afford equal time to the Armenian Embassy in Canada.

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PRESS RELEASE

UN Department of Public Information, Yerevan Office
2 Petros Adamyan str., First Floor
Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Contact: Armine Halajyan, UN DPI Information Assistant
Tel.: (374 1) 560 212
Fax/Tel.: (374 1) 561 406

UN Expert Group to Meet in Azerbaijan on Issues in Linking Implementation of
Beijing Action Plan, Millennium Goals, 7 – 10 February

The United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women will organize an
expert group meeting on “Achievements, gaps and challenges in linking the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium
Declaration and Millennium Development Goals”, hosted by the Government of
Azerbaijan, in Baku, from 7 to 10 February 2005.

The meeting is being convened in preparation for the session of the
Commission on the Status of Women in New York from 28 February to 11 March
2005, which will consider the 10-year review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the
outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first
century”.

The Platform for Action was adopted by consensus in 1995 at the Fourth World
Conference on Women and embodies the commitment of the international
community to the advancement and empowerment of women and to gender
equality. It sets out measures for national, regional and international
action in 12 critical areas of concern: women and poverty; education and
training; health, including reproductive rights; violence; armed conflict;
economy; power and decision-making; institutional mechanisms; human rights;
media; environment; and the girl child. The outcome document of 2000
identified further action required to achieve the full implementation of the
Platform for Action and emphasized the crucial links between the advancement
of women, gender equality and progress for society as a whole.

The Millennium Declaration, adopted by United Nations Member States in
September 2000, represents a global political commitment towards the
promotion of sustainable human development, peace and security, human
rights, democracy and good governance. The Declaration includes equality
among the fundamental values essential to international relations, and
governments resolved to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women
as effective ways to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate
development that is truly sustainable. States also resolved to combat all
forms of violence against women and implement the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The objectives in
the Millennium Declaration were derived from the outcomes of the major
summits and conferences of the 1990s, including the Fourth World Conference
on Women. Some of the objectives were subsequently formulated as eight
Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved by 2015.

The findings and recommendations of the expert group meeting in Baku will
provide inputs for the discussion on the contribution of the Commission on
the Status of Women, transmitted through the Economic and Social Council, to
the review of the Millennium Declaration at the high-level plenary of the
General Assembly in September 2005. The 12 independent experts and
additional observers will consider national, regional and global experiences
and approaches and formulate conclusions and recommendations on enhancing
the linkages in the implementation of the Platform for Action, the
Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals.

Labour protests raise doubts over France’s EU vote

Financial Times
February 7, 2005

By John Thornhill in Paris

The French government said yesterday it would not retreat from its
determination to loosen the 35-hour working week, in spite of mass
opposition in 118 protest marches across the country on Saturday.

But some officials expressed concern that the fierce fight to extend
the length of the working week could galvanise many members of the
left into rejecting Europe’s constitutional treaty when it is put to a
national referendum, before the summer.

The government’s concerns were heightened last week when the
“parliament” of the CGT trade union, one of France’s biggest, voted
against the European constitution, claiming it was too “liberal”.

Saturday’s marches, which attracted 321,000-600,000 protesters
according to different counts, were led by some of France’s biggest
trade unions as part of their fight to preserve the statutory
35-working week. This reduction in hours has been hailed by the left
as the greatest achievement of the previous Socialist government.

Jean-François Copé, government spokesman, said the government had no
intention of withdrawing a law that gave workers greater
liberties. The draft law, allowing employees to work longer hours so
long as they reached a collective accord with their employers, would
be further debated in the lower house of parliament today.

The government commands a clear majority in parliament and is expected
to carry its draft law, which it argues is essential to render the
eurozone’s second biggest economy more competitive. A recent report by
Michel Camdessus, former IMF head, concluded that the chief reason for
the economy’s performance was its “work deficit”.

Many CGT members on Saturday’s march in Paris carried placards
rejecting the government’s vision of Europe and calling for stronger
workers’ rights. “It is impossible for a member country to revise this
constitution, so I am going to vote against it,” said Raphael Darmon,
sporting CGT and anti-constitution stickers as he demonstrated in
Place de la Nation. “France has never adopted a constitution in the
past that it cannot revise.”

Patrick Devedjian, industry minister, said a “coagulation of
discontents” among the left was a “worry” when considering the
referendum. And he appealed to François Hollande, leader of the
Socialist party, which has already held an internal vote in favour of
the constitution, not to play with fire in supporting the mass
protests.

Mr Devedjian’s fears appeared to be reinforced by an opinion poll
yesterday in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper showing that 46 per
cent of voters remained undecided on the constitution. The main
reasons for rejecting the treaty, among respondents intending to vote
No, were listed as concern about Europe becoming “too liberal”, the
general social and economic situation in France, and opposition to
opening accession talks with Turkey.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF CANADA
3401 Olivar-Asselin
Montréal, Québec
H4J 1L5
Tél. (514) 334-1299 Fax (514) 334-6853

PRESS RELEASE
06 February 2005

Contacts: Shant Karabajak 514-334-1299
Roupen Kouyoumdjian 514-336-7095
Aris Babikian 416-497-8972

“CBC Radio Provides Platform to Armenian Genocide Deniers”: Canadian
Armenian Leaders

Montréal, Feb. 6 – The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
demonstrated a lack of judgment when it failed to invite representatives
of the Canadian-Armenian community to its Feb. 6 Sunday Edition radio
program where following the discussion of a book on the Armenian
Genocide, only the Turkish Embassy was allowed to present its side.

The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) president,
Dr. Girair Basmadjian, said: “It’s regrettable that deniers of the
Armenian Genocide (the Turkish Government) have been provided with a
platform while the representatives of the Canadian-Armenian community
have not been offered the opportunity to respond to the Turkish
Government’s propaganda.”

In a 25-minute segment, host Michael Enright interviewed Prof. Taner
Akçam, the author of “From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and
the Armenian Genocide”. Following the interview, Mr. Enright read a
lengthy statement sent by the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa. No such
statement was read from the Armenian Embassy of Ottawa.

Prof. Akçam is one of many Turkish historians to recognize publicly
the mass killings and deportation, in 1915, of 1.5 million Armenians as
genocide. His book represents a scholarly attempt to document the
Armenian Genocide from the perpetrator’s, rather than the victim’s
perspective. In the interview, Prof. Akçam stated that he has been
refused posts in Turkish universities because of his recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.

“We commend the CBC and thank Mr. Michael Enright for their decision to
shed light on the Forgotten Genocide of the 20th century, and Prof.
Akçam’s scholarly research. At the same time we were surprised and
disappointed to hear Mr. Enright read the Turkish Embassy’s statement
which was, as usual, full of historical fabrications and misinformation,
the usual official stance of successive Turkish governments. To us, it
is a sheer error of judgment to confront an honest academician with a
baseless political onslaught, without even giving a chance for the
author to respond.” said Dr. Basmadjian.

The Canadian-Armenian community leader said that it was unfortunate that
the CBC provided an opportunity for such a statement from the Turkish
Embassy while not inviting Canadian-Armenians the same opportunity.
“Moreover, the statement was an outright insult to the author, Dr.
Akçam, who did not lack courage to express the historical truth. The
Canadians of Armenian origin representing survivors of the said Genocide
are commemorating the 90th anniversary this year, are insulted by such
statements on a respectable broadcasting corporation such as the CBC.”
added Dr. Basmadjian.

It was omitted by the programmer the fact that the Armenian Genocide was
recognized as such by the Senate and House of Commons of Canada on 2002
and 2004 respectively, and by provincial legislatures of Ontario and
Quebec dating back to 1980.

Genocide denial out of ignorance or a false sense of “balanced
journalism” or “political correctness” is irresponsible and only serves
to promote revisionist policies. “Do we provide Holocaust deniers with
such courtesies or platforms?” asked Dr. Basmadjian.

The ANCC believes the denial of the Armenian Genocide is an
encouragement for its repetition, as it eventually happened in Ukraine,
Germany, Cambodia and Rwanda. In light of these events, it is
appropriate that the CBC apologize to the Armenian listeners and promise
to present the same opportunity to the Armenian Embassy in the future.

-30-

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
U.C. Berkeley Armenian Studies Program
Contact: Prof. Stephan H. Astourian
Tel: (510) 643-8872
Email: [email protected]

AMBASSADOR JOHN EVANS TO SPEAK AT U.C. BERKELEY, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19.

UC Berkeley-The Honorable John M. Evans, U.S. Ambassador to the
Republic of Armenia, will speak in the Toll Room of the Alumni House
at U.C. Berkeley on Saturday, February 19, 2005, from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Ambassador Evans was confirmed by the Senate on June 25, 2004 and was
sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia on August 11, 2004. He
presented his credentials to President Kocharian on September 4, 2004.

This event is organized by Professor Stephan Astourian, Executive
Director of the Armenian Studies Program at UC Berkeley. Ambassador
Evans will give a speech entitled `Report from Armenia: 2004-2005,’
present a video about the work of the Embassy and of the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) in Armenia, and engage in
an open conversation with the faculty, students, and community members
attending this forum.

A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Mr. Evans studied Russian history
at Yale (B.A., 1970) and Columbia, where he began a Ph.D. before
joining the Foreign Service. In the first part of his career, he
served in Tehran (1972-74), in Prague (1975-78), in the Executive
Secretariat and Office of the Secretary of State (1978-80), in Moscow
(1981-83), at the U.S. Mission to NATO (1983-86), and as Deputy
Director of the Soviet Desk (1986-89). His role in coordinating the
American response to the Armenian earthquake of 1988 earned him a
medal and statement of appreciation from the Armenian government of
that time.

Mr. Evans also served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Prague (1991-94),
and as Consul General in St. Petersburg (1994-97). He was then chosen
to lead the OSCE Mission to Moldova, an international mediation and
peace-keeping effort (1997-99). On his return to Washington in 1999,
Mr. Evans assumed the direction of the State Department’s Office of
Analysis for Russia and Eurasia, winning a Meritorious Honor Award and
the CIA Director’s Exceptional Performance Award. From May 2002 until
his appointment to Yerevan, he directed the Office of Russian Affairs
at the State Department. Ambassador Evans will be accompanied by
Mrs. Donna Evans, former President of the World Affairs Council of
Washington D.C.; Mr. Robin Phillips, Mission Director in Armenia for
USAID; and Mr. Aaron Sherinian, the Embassy’s Political Officer and
Assistance Coordinator in Yerevan

The best public parking for this event is the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Student Union Garage located on Bancroft Way (left turn from Telegraph
Avenue). More information about all available parking lots can be
found at

For traveling directions to the campus, please go to the following
URL: A large campus
map is available at
The Alumni House is in the D3 square.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]

7 February 2005

LAUNCH OF 1600TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE ARMENIAN ALPHABET IN
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Sydney, Australia – Sunday, 6 February, 2005 on the Feast of St Vartan the
Warrior, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Aghan
Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and
New Zealand. During the Divine Liturgy, the Encyclical of His Holiness
Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians dated 29
January 2005 was read proclaiming 2005 the year of commemorating the 1600th
anniversary of the discovery of the Armenian Alphabet by St Mesrob Mashdots
at the instigation of King Vramshabouh and Catholicos Sahag. Also during
the Divine Liturgy, Hayrabedagan Makhtank was performed with the full rank
of clergy and deacons as it was the name day of His Holiness Karekin II.

In this auspicious year of celebration and in acknowledgment of the national
treasure that is the Armenian Alphabet, Archbishop Baliozian will soon
launch the Inaugural Archbishop’s Writing Award aimed at stimulating thought
and consciousness in Armenian youth about the relevance of maintaining the
values and faith of Armenian heritage in communities of the Diaspora in the
21st Century. The topic for the 2005 Award is “The Armenian Alphabet is
important for the Armenian identity”.

The Archbishop’s Writing Award will become an annual event and is open to
all Armenian youth from Grades 5 to12 residing in Australia, New Zealand and
South-East Asia.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 6 2005

Separatist ‘minister’ says breakaway ex-Soviet regions united

Sponsored Links

AFP 06/02/2005 09:08

BAKU, Feb 5 (AFP) – Breakaway regions in the former Soviet Union have
pledged mutual support in the case of military intervention, the
‘foreign minister’ of a self-proclaimed republic in Georgia said in
an interview published Saturday.

“Our countries have an agreement that will come into effect in case
of war,” Sergei Shamba, the foreign minister of the self-styled
republic of Abkhazia told Azerbaijan’s Echo daily in a front-page
interview.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region of Azerbaijan, as well as
Georgia’s two separatist regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia; and
Moldova’s Transdniestr republic, “can act quite effectively”
together, Shamba said.

A series of ethnic conflicts shortly after the collapse of the Soviet
Union led to the breakaway of the regions from the newly independent
states; they have since existed in a legal limbo and are unrecognized
by the outside world.

Shamba did not go into the details of how the outcast regimes would
act in case of an attack but said “the mutual support and solidarity
between our countries is real.”

“When a people rises to fight for its victory and independence, no
force, no matter what military might it has at its disposal, can
quash this determination,” Shamba told Echo.

Three separatist republics in the Caucasus region, Karabakh, Ossetia
and Abkhazia, straddle the route of the four billion dollar BTC
pipeline, which is scheduled to begin pumping Caspian Sea oil to
western markets through Turkey later this year.

Western governments have recently stepped up their efforts to find
settlements for the simmering conflicts, which lend to instability in
the region and inflate the security costs for the BP-led pipeline
project.

Agence France Presse
6 février 2005 dimanche 9:21 AM GMT

Patrick Devedjian “choqué” par les propos de M. Erdogan sur les
Arméniens

PARIS

Le ministre délégué à l’Industrie, Patrick Devedjian, s’est dit
choqué dimanche sur France Inter par les propos tenus jeudi par le
Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan qui a déclaré qu’il ne
savait pas qu’en France, “400.000 Arméniens pouvaient faire échouer
un référendum”.

“J’ai été très surpris par la brutalité de la réponse du Premier
ministre turc.

Je suis choqué car d’une certaine manière, il semble exprimer le
regret qu’il y ait encore 400.000 Arméniens survivants en France “, a
déclaré M. Devedjian.

Le Premier ministre turc faisait référence, devant la mission
parlementaire française en visite en Turquie, à l’éventualité d’un
référendum en France sur l’adhésion de la Turquie à l’Union
européenne.

Tous les interlocuteurs turcs rencontrés par cette mission
parlementaire ont exprimé leur “déception” ou se sont dit “choqués”
face aux réticences suscitées en France par la candidature de la
Turquie à l’UE, notamment en raison de sa non reconnaissance du
génocide arménien.

M. Erdogan “n’a pas l’air de comprendre que par exemple, la Shoah
n’indigne pas seulement les juifs mais tous les démocrates. Pour le
refus de la reconnaissance du génocide arménien, c’est la même
chose”, a poursuivi M. Devedjian.

“Il devrait comprendre que l’Europe s’est reconstruite sur la
réconciliation des peuples (…). De ce point de vue là, M. Erdogan a
encore des choses à apprendre”, a-t-il conclu.

L’Assemblée nationale a reconnu le génocide arménien en 2001.

Agence France Presse
5 février 2005 samedi 3:58 PM GMT

Les parlementaires français face à l’incompréhension et l’amertume
des Turcs (PAPIER GENERAL)

Par Sylvie MALIGORNE

ISTANBUL 5 fév 2005

Le président de l’Assemblée nationale Jean-Louis Debré et les
présidents de groupe ont été confrontés en Turquie à
l’incompréhension et à l’amertume des Turcs vis-à-vis des réticences
françaises sur l’adhésion d’Ankara à l’Union européenne.

Venus “sans a priori, ni préjugé”, M. Debré et les présidents de
groupe, Bernard Accoyer (UMP), Jean-Marc Ayrault (PS), Alain Bocquet
(PCF) et Hervé Morin (UDF) ont pu mesurer, pendant trois jours,
d’Ankara à Istanbul, le fossé créé entre les deux pays par le débat
en France.

Tous leurs interlocuteurs, du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan
aux parlementaires, en passant par les chefs d’entreprise, les
associations et les universitaires, ont exprimé leur “déception” ou
se sont dit “choqués”.

L’éventualité d’un référendum sur cette adhésion a soulevé le plus de
critiques, dont celle de M. Erdogan, qui, selon un membre de la
délégation, a lancé jeudi: “Je ne savais pas que 400.000 Arméniens
pouvaient faire échouer un référendum”.

Même incompréhension samedi à Istanbul où les responsables de
l’Université francophone de Galatasaray ont vilipendé le traitement
particulier réservé à leur pays alors qu’aucun référendum n’est prévu
pour la Croatie.

M. Ayrault a souligné que les socialistes français étaient opposés à
cette disposition, de même que M. Bocquet, tandis que M. Debré l’a
défendue. Ce dernier a expliqué qu’une telle consultation était
“normale” s’agissant d’un “grand pays de 71 millions d’habitants”, en
rappelant qu’il en avait été ainsi pour la Grande-Bretagne.

“Passerelle”

Le patronat turc (TUSIAD) a manifesté son amertume en s’étonnant “des
peurs et des inquiétudes” des Français qui leur font oublier
“l’essentiel”, à savoir que “la Turquie et l’Union européenne peuvent
créer de la valeur ajoutée”.

Tous les membres de la délégation française se sont employés à
“écouter et comprendre”. M. Accoyer, partisan d’un partenariat
privilégié avec la Turquie, a eu la tche un peu plus dure, face aux
Turcs critiquant la phrase du président de l’UMP Nicolas Sarkozy “si
la Turquie était en Europe, ça se saurait”.

Sans changer d’avis sur le partenariat “car le chemin est encore très
long” avant l’adhésion, M. Accoyer a souligné le “souhait très fort”
de la Turquie d’entrer dans l’UE et estimé que l’on n’avait “pas le
droit d’avoir un préjugé définitif”.

Pour sa part, comme M. Accoyer, M. Morin n’a pas écarté la
possibilité que la Turquie remplisse les critères requis pour
l’adhésion. Pour autant, il a mis l’accent sur le “nationalisme” des
Turcs et douté de leur capacité à accepter “le partage de
souveraineté”.

Favorable à l’entrée de la Turquie, M. Bocquet a estimé que
“l’adhésion stimulait les combats démocratiques”. Pour le responsable
communiste, il faut faire en sorte que ce pays soit “une passerelle”
entre l’Europe et “d’autres continents”.

Au terme de ce déplacement, Jean-Louis Debré s’est montré satisfait
du dialogue “vrai et franc” ainsi noué. Ce ton, voulu par M. Debré, à
mille lieux du langage diplomatique habituel, a parfois étonné. Mais,
a-t-il dit, l’Assemblée n’était “pas venue pour négocier mais pour
s’informer”, ce qui lui autorise une plus grande liberté.

“Je voulais que nous identifions les problèmes, aller droit au but,
et associer l’Assemblée au processus”, a-t-il dit, avant d’ajouter:
“Je ne veux plus revoir un débat à l’Assemblée où certains affirment
sans savoir”.

Georgian president urges national unity in speech at PM’s funeral

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
6 Feb 05

Text of President Mikheil Saakashvili’s speech at the funeral of Prime
Minister Zurab Zhvania at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi on 6
February; the ceremony, which also included speeches by parliament
speaker Nino Burjanadze, former EU envoy to Georgia Denis Corboy and
head of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II, was broadcast live by
Rustavi-2 TV and other major Georgian networks

[Saakashvili] Your Holiness [Ilia II], Kalbatono [polite form of
addressing a woman in Georgia] Rema [Zhvania’s mother], my dear Nino
[Zhvania’s wife] and my dear children.

I certainly had not planned and could not have imagined that I would
be standing here in front of you in such circumstances. For all of us,
the past four days have been a major test in our lives.

Most of us have never experienced losing such a person. I have to say
that, naturally, each of us has their own way of struggling and coming
to terms with what has befallen us.

No-one should be leaving this world so meaninglessly. On the other
hand, I know of very few people whose life has been so full of meaning
as that of our friend Zurab Zhvania.

Our friends from all over the world are here today. They have
abandoned everything to come here. Many more have been unable to make
it. You have heard the text of the letters from President Bush and
legendary Vaclav Havel. I have received hundreds of such letters in
recent days. After reading these letters, I want everyone to stop to
think. You can all see what these letters say and how greatly Zurab
Zhvania was valued. You have seen in recent days how everyone on TV
has been rushing to praise and glorify him. Does a person really have
to depart from this world for us to be able to value him? When will we
learn to value living persons and to respect the dignity of living
persons? When will we learn to appreciate what we have and not to be
constantly focused on our country’s past? That is the question every
person living in Georgia should answer.

Despite this pessimism, nihilism and cynicism [changes thought] – We
all went through years when everyone was saying that nothing would
work, we were as bad as them and we would also botch everything. We
have proved them and all other cynics wrong, and now Georgia is a
proper state. This has been done, above all, together with all of us,
thanks to Zurab Zhvania’s efforts. No-one will ever be able to erase
this.

I just want to tell everyone, our friends, not to fear because it is
fear itself that we should fear as a result of the tragedy that has
befallen us. I wish to tell everyone who is listening to us that if we
want to learn to win, we should be able to unite at times of tragedy
because we should be able to overcome everything in order to unite in
victory. Over the past few days we have shown everyone that we can
unite in victory, or, rather, tragedy, which means that we will be
able to unite for our common victory.

I also wish to tell Georgia’s ill-wishers that they are pursuing a
lost cause. They should have no illusions. Although Zurab Zhvania is
no longer alive, we still are. If anyone has the illusion that it will
be possible to undermine the cause which we all started together,
which was started by the generation that came to power through Zurab’s
efforts, their hopes are in vain. We will not allow you to succeed for
the sake of Zhvania, for the sake of everyone else, for the sake of
the future of his children and all our children.

Georgia will become a very strong country. It is my personal duty and
our duty to our future and to our friend Zurab Zhvania.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress