Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 15 2004

Two railways to be built between Armenia and Iran

Armenia is going to restore its railway communication with Iran.
Armenia’s Minister for Transport and Communications Andranik Manukian
told the Associated Press agency on Monday that the Armenian
government has prepared a project on construction of two railways
from Iran to Mehri settlement of Armenia.
Manukian said that $760 million is required for the construction of
the first railway and $900 million for the second one, adding that
the Armenian side will not be able to pay the required sum.
The Associated Press agency quoted an Armenian government official on
conditions of anonymity as saying that Iranian and European
organizations will allocate funds for the construction of both
railways.*

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 15 2004

France may impede Turkey’s admission to EU

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told a news conference on
Monday that if Turkey wants to be admitted to the European Union
(EU), it must recognize the `Armenian genocide’.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian told local media last week
that Turkey will face pressures by several European countries if it
does not recognize the `Armenian genocide’.
`December 17 is the most convenient date for Turkey to recognize the
`Armenian genocide’. If Turkey is admitted to the EU without
recognizing the genocide, the recognition of the `Armenian genocide’
by this country in the future will be illusion,’ Oskanian
underlined.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 15 2004

NATO fails to hold another event in Azerbaijan

The NATO Military Committee’s Partners Action Groups started
unofficial seminars on cooperation in Tbilisi and Yerevan on Monday.
Twenty-three NATO member and eleven partner countries are attending
the seminars to last till Thursday.
Although the NATO event was scheduled to be held in Baku as well, it
was postponed due to the fact that the Azerbaijani side refused to
receive Armenian delegation.
The provisions of the `Partnership for Peace’ program as well as
education and training of armed forces will be discussed at the
events. The Azerbaijani delegation is not attending the seminar that
is underway in Armenia.*

Camiel EURLINGS (EPP-ED, NL)

Report on the 2004 regular report and the recommendation of the
European Commission on Turkey’s progress towards accession
(COM(2004)0656 – C6-0148/2004 – 2004/2182(INI))
Doc.: A6-0063/2004
;OBJID’678&LEVEL=3&MODE=SIP&NAV=X&LSTDOC=N
Procedure : Own initiative
Debate : 13.12.2004
Vote : 15.12.2004

Vote

The EU should begin accession negotiations with Turkey “without undue
delay”. Two days before a decision by the European Council, MEPs
adopted a resolution saying that Turkey has made impressive progress
in respecting the political criteria, enough for negotiations on EU
membership to start. The resolution was adopted by 407 votes in
favour, 262 against and 29 abstentions in a secret ballot (under rule
162 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure).

Nevertheless, Parliament acknowledged that problems continue to exist,
such as regarding minority rights, religious freedoms, trade union
rights, women’s rights, the role of the army, Cyprus and the relations
with Armenia. Therefore it stressed that, in the first phase of
negotiations, priority should be given to the full application of the
political criteria. In case of serious breaches of the political
criteria, negotiations must be suspended. MEPs also underlined that
starting negotiations will not automatically result in Turkey’s
accession and that appropriate ways will have to be found “to ensure
that Turkey remains fully anchored in European structures”, should
negotiations not be successfully concluded.

MEPs were satisfied that Turkey had fulfilled a number of
recommendations and requirements included in earlier EP resolutions,
such as the abolition of the death penalty; the extension of
important fundamental rights and freedoms, reduction of the role of
the National Security Council and the lifting of the state of
emergency in the south-east. But they said that Turkey still had to
adopt further reforms and put these, as well as current reforms, into
practice. Thus it would have to lift all remaining restrictions on
broadcasting and education in minority languages; put an end to the
discrimination of religious minorities; completely eradicate torture;
draft a new constitution; lower the threshold of ten percent in
parliamentary elections; disband the village guard system in the
south-east; apply ILO standards for trade union rights; limit the
role of the army further; continue the process of reconciliation with
Armenia; and recognise the Republic of Cyprus. MEPs also mention ed
the eradication of violence against women, freedom of expression and
press freedom as issues they would monitor closely.

The Parliament also referred to earlier conclusions of EU government
leaders that “the Union’s capacity to absorb new members while
maintaining the momentum of European integration constitutes an
important criterion for accession, from the point of view both of the
Union and of candidates for accession”. And it noted that Turkey could
only become a member after the EU’s long-term budget planning for the
period from 2014 onwards has been decided upon.

Press enquiries:
Joëlle Fiss
(Strasbourg) tel.(33-3) 881 73656
(Brussels) tel.(32-2) 28 41075
e-mail : [email protected]
&
Marjory van den Broeke
(Strasbourg) tel.(33-3) 881 74337
(Brussels) tel.(32-2) 28 44304
e-mail : [email protected]

;L=EN&LEVEL=2&NAV=X&LSTDOC=N#SECTION1

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FEDERATION EURO-ARMENIENNE
pour la Justice et la Démocratie
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B – 1000 BRUXELLES
Tel: +32 (0) 2 732 70 26
Tel./Fax : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27
E-mail : [email protected]
Web :

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
15 décembre 2004
Contact: Talline Tachdjian
Tel.: +32 (0)2 732 70 27

LE PARLEMENT EUROPEEN EXIGE DE LA TURQUIE LA RECONNAISSANCE EXPLICITE DU
GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS

Strasbourg, France – Le Parlement européen a amendé et adopté ce jour la
résolution de Camiel Eurlings (PPE / Pays-Bas) sur la demande d’adhésion de
la Turquie, par 407 voix contre 262.

En particulier, il a adopté le paragraphe 55 insistant « sur le fait que
l’ouverture des négociations sera le point de départ d’un processus de
longue haleine, qui […] ne conduit pas a priori automatiquement à l’adhésion
». L’amendement proposé par M. Toubon (PPE / France) et évoquant la solution
du « partenariat privilégié » a été rejeté après un vote à bulletin secret.

Dans sa résolution, le Parlement européen évoque les thématiques
arméniennes, et en particulier la question du génocide, dans pas moins de 8
paragraphes. Des amendements allant dans ce sens avaient été déposés par des
parlementaires de cinq groupes politiques (PPE, PSE, ALDE, GUE, IND/DEM)
respectivement à l’instigation de M. Toubon (PPE / France), de M. Poignant
(PSE / France) et Mme Carlotti (PSE / France), de Mme De Sarnez (ALDE /
France), de M. Wurtz (GUE / France) et de M. Belder (IND/DEM / Pays-Bas).

Au final, le Parlement européen invite la Turquie à se réconcilier avec le
peuple arménien en reconnaissant le génocide et fait appel au Conseil
européen et à la Commission d’exiger de ce pays la « reconnaissance formelle
de la réalité historique » de ce génocide.

La Fédération considère que cette résolution du Parlement européen est d’une
importance capitale pour l’avenir de l’Europe. « A la veille du sommet
européen, les chefs d’Etat doivent enfin prendre en compte cette leçon de
démocratie pour notre avenir » a déclaré Hilda Tchoboian, la Présidente de
la Fédération Euro-Arménienne. « C’est une victoire éclatante pour tous les
Européens qui veulent préserver les valeurs de l’Europe face à l’Etat
négationniste que demeure la Turquie » a-t-elle continué.

Depuis sa résolution de 1987 qui mettait la reconnaissance du génocide des
Arméniens comme un préalable incontournable à l’adhésion de la Turquie à
l’Europe, le Parlement européen a constamment reformulé cette demande dans
ses rapports successifs.

« L’appel du Ministre français des Affaires Etrangères et cette résolution
du Parlement européen livrent un même message : la Turquie ne peut pas
adhérer à l’Europe sans renoncer à sa politique nationaliste et agressive
envers l’Arménie. Les Arméniens d’Europe en appellent au prochain sommet
européen afin d’agir dans ce sens », a conclu la Présidente de la Fédération
Euro-Arménienne.

#####

ANNEXE :

AMENDEMENTS ADDITIONNELS ADOPTES EN SESSION PLENIERE

* Amendement 80 – Bernard Poignant, Pierre Moscovici, Marie-Arlette
Carlotti, Harlem Désir, Martine Roure et autres, adopté par 470 voix contre
198
EE bis. considérant que les autorités turques n’ont également
toujours pas satisfait aux demandes concernant les autres questions
arméniennes telles qu’exprimées par le Parlement européen dans sa résolution
du 18 juin 1987,

* Amendement 18 – Francis Wurtz et Dimitrios Papadimoulis, adopté par 395
voix contre 273
34 bis invite la Turquie à promouvoir le processus de
réconciliation avec le peuple arménien en reconnaissant le génocide commis
contre les Arméniens comme le demandaient ses résolutions antérieures
concernant le statut de candidat de la Turquie (du 18 juin 1987 au 1er avril
2004);

* Amendement 83 – Jacques Toubon et autres adopté par 332 voix contre 325
35 bis. appelle la Commission et le Conseil à exiger des autorités
turques la reconnaissance formelle de la réalité historique du génocide des
Arméniens en 1915 et l’ouverture dans un délai rapide de la frontière entre
la Turquie et l’Arménie, conformément aux résolutions adoptées par le
Parlement européen de 1987 à 2004;

ARTICLES DU RAPPORT PROVISOIRE CONCERNANT LES QUESTIONS ARMENIENNES

* EE. considérant que les autorités turques n’ont toujours pas rouvert la
frontière entre la Turquie et l’Arménie et qu’elles ont perdu une occasion
de promouvoir de bonnes relations de voisinage avec l’Arménie,

* 7. se félicite en particulier de la réforme de la procédure pénale qui
renforce les droits de la défense; considère toutefois que l’article 305 du
nouveau code pénal turc, qui réprime de supposées “menaces à l’encontre des
intérêts nationaux fondamentaux” et dont un commentaire cible explicitement
la liberté d’expression, notamment sur les questions concernant Chypre ou
l’Arménie, est incompatible avec la Convention de sauvegarde des droits de
l’homme et des libertés fondamentales de 1950; demande donc son abrogation
immédiate;

* 35. estime que les gouvernements turc et arménien doivent poursuivre
leur processus de réconciliation, éventuellement avec l’assistance d’un
comité bilatéral d’experts indépendants, afin de surmonter de manière
explicite les expériences tragiques du passé, et demande au gouvernement
turc de rouvrir le plus rapidement possible les frontières avec l’Arménie;

EU parliament to vote on backing Turkey’s membership bid on eve of key EU
summit

By CONSTANT BRAND
.c The Associated Press

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – The European Parliament is expected to call
on EU leaders Wednesday to open membership talks with Turkey, but only
if the country carries out a slew of democratic reforms, including a
zero-tolerance policy against torture.

The 732-member EU assembly meeting in Strasbourg, France, is to vote
on more than 80 amendments to a resolution concerning Turkey’s
ambitions to join the 25-nation bloc. Many of the amendments, drafted
by conservatives and euro-skeptics, call for the EU not to start entry
talks.

The resolution, which the parliament’s influential foreign affairs
committee drafted and passed two weeks ago, is nonbinding. It calls
for EU leaders, who will meet on Thursday and Friday, to “open the
negotiations with Turkey without undue delay” if Ankara meets the
conditions, including economic, political and judicial reforms.

EU leaders will decide during the summit on whether to open talks with
Turkey and when the negotiations should begin.

There has been growing public anxiety within the EU over allowing a
large, poor and predominantly Muslim country to join, and lawmakers
were expected to toughen the conditions in the resolution and try to
influence leaders to do the same during their crucial talks.

Hans-Gert Poettering, leader of the conservative European People’s
Party, the largest group in the parliament, warned of “historical
consequences” if Turkey is allowed to join and said it would change
the EU forever.

“If there are negotiations, then we will negotiate with a country in
which there are enormous human rights violations,” Poettering said
during a debate on Monday.

German and French conservatives have demanded a tougher resolution,
demanding Turkey officially recognize Cyprus as a condition to opening
talks. Other resolutions demand Turkey recognize the killing of
Armenians nearly a century ago as genocide.

One, drafted by French conservative Jacques Toubon, calls on Turkey to
“formally acknowledge the historic reality of the genocide
perpetrated against the Armenians.”

Armenians accuse Turkey of genocide in the killings of up to 1.5
million Armenians as part of a 1915-1923 campaign to force them out of
eastern Turkey.

Ankara vehemently denies the genocide, says the death count is
inflated and that Armenians were killed or displaced along with others
as the Ottoman Empire tried to quell civil unrest.

The question of Turkey recognizing Cyprus has become a key dispute
between Turkey and EU governments ahead of Thursday’s summit, but
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Ankara has no plans to do
so before the meeting.

The island has been divided into a Greek Cypriot-controlled south and
a Turkish-occupied north since Turkey invaded in 1974 after an
abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey
recognizes the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state, and Ankara does not
recognize the Greek-Cypriot government in the south.

The resolution already says that opening negotiations would
“presuppose recognition by Turkey” of Cyprus, which joined the EU in
May and so would be involved in Turkey’s membership negotiations.

Other amendments, supported by France and Denmark, call for the EU to
prepare a backup plan in case entry talks fail or Turkey backtracks in
democratic reforms.

12/15/04 03:25 EST

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer

Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

“HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT TURKEY IN EUROPEAN COMMUNITY WHEN IT STILL
IGNORES THE GENOCIDE COMMITTED AGAINST THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE”

Declared His Holiness Aram I

Antelias, Lebanon – In a context of a telephone interview with a European
press agency, and in answering to a question concerning the membership of
Turkey in European community, His Holiness Aram I expressed his concern and
said: “European community was not established only on economic interests and
political collaboration. It is fundamentally a community of human values
which ensure the identity, integrity and unity of Europe, and give a
particular place and role to Europe in international community. Among these
values human rights occupy an important place”.

His Holiness Aram I raised a great doubt and concern about the way the human
rights are respected in Turkey. He said: “To what degree and in what way the
human rights values are accepted, respected and practiced in and by Turkey?
Turkey still ignores its immediate past; it still rejects to recognize the
Genocide which was planned and executed by the Ottoman Turkey in 1915. I
believe that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey is not only
an “Armenian problem”; it is a problem that pertains to the entire
international community, since it is a problem of justice and human rights.
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey must be taken very
seriously by Europe as Turkey is trying by all means to become a full member
of Europe”.

Then concluding his remarks, said: “In this globalized world of ours
nations, religions, cultures and civilizations must live together on the
basis of peaceful coexistence. But living together as good neighbors and as
part of broader community implies to accept our fault, to affirm the truth
and recognize the rights of the others. In fact, the real community is built
on the basis of mutual trust and by doing justice. Therefore, it is my firm
expectation that beyond economic and political interests Europe will
continue to remain firmly attached to basic human values. It is the
expectation and hope of Armenians all over the world that the present Turkey
reaffirm the truth, accepting the historical reality by recognizing the
Armenian Genocide”.

In answering to a question related to the recent pressures and difficulties
surrounding the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in Turkey, His Holiness Aram I
said: “Here is another concrete example of the way the human rights are
respected in Turkey. The World Council of Churches and the Conference of the
Churches in Europe have publicly expressed their concern on this matter
expressing their solidarity with the Ecumenical Patriarch”.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

BBC News
Last Updated: Monday, 13 December, 2004, 22:20 GMT

Turkey ‘must admit Armenia dead’

France has said Turkey must improve its human rights record
France has said it will ask Turkey to acknowledge the mass killing of
Armenians from 1915 as a “tragedy” when it begins EU accession talks.
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Turkey had “a duty to remember”.

Armenians say 1.5 million of their people died or were deported from their
homelands under Turkish Ottoman rule.

Mr Barnier did not say it was genocide, although the French parliament has
done so in the past. Turkey says the victims died during civil unrest.

Mr Barnier said France did not consider Turkish acknowledgement a condition
of EU entry, but insisted his country would raise the issue once talks
opened.

France will pose this question – I think that a big country like Turkey
has a duty to remember

Michel Barnier
French Foreign Minister

Where Turkey’s bid stands
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss
plans to invite Turkey for accession talks, Mr Barnier said Turkey “must
carry out this task as a memorial”.

In addition, France believes that accession talks should not begin before
the second half of 2005, Mr Barnier said. Turkey has pushed for immediate
negotiations.

“I believe that when the time comes, Turkey should come to terms with its
past, be reconciled with its own history and recognise this tragedy,” Mr
Barnier said.

‘So-called genocide’

His comments drew no immediate official response from Turkey, which has
consistently denied orchestrating genocide.

A foreign ministry spokesman in the Turkish capital, Ankara, told Reuters
that Turkey has never and will never recognise “any so-called genocide”.

Armenia alleges that the Young Turks, in 1915 the dominant party in the
Ottoman Empire, systematically arranged the deportation and killing of 1.5
million Armenians.

Turkish relations with independent Armenia, which borders Turkey to the
north, have long been coloured by the issue.

About 300,000 Armenians live in France, more than in any other European
country, and community leaders have pledged to pressure French President
Jacques Chirac on the genocide issue during Turkish accession negotiations.

France passed a law officially recognising the Armenian genocide in 2001,
cooling relations with Turkey and scuppering a major arms deal.

Another 14 nations, including Switzerland, Russia and Argentina, also
classify the killings as genocide.

PRESS RELEASE
Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations
of the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region in Georgia
Akhalkalak, Samtskhe-Javakheti
Georgia
Contact: Khatchatur Stepanian
Tel: (+995 99) 93-75-61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Integration, not Assimilation:
Samtskhe-Javakhketi NGOs hold their first public forum

AKHALKALAK (A-Info) – The first public forum organized by the Council of
Armenian non-governmental organizations (NGO) of the Samtskhe-Javakhketi
region, was held on December 11 in Akhalkalak to discuss the
socio-economic issues of the region. The subsequent public forums are to
discuss issues related to culture and self-governance.

The public forums are titled “Integration, not Assimilation,” as the
Armenians of the region do not oppose the integration within Georgia,
but defy the “integration” policy of Georgia’s central government
leading to assimilation.

Representatives of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, the European Commission, the Council of Europe,
foreign ambassadors, ethnic Armenian and Georgian members of the
Georgian parliament as well as Georgian government officials were
invited to attend the public forum. Most of those high-ranking
officials, however, did not attend the public forum. Only Beatrice
Schulterier, the representative in Georgia of the OSCE High Commissioner
on National Minorities, and Michael Hertoft, the Akhalkalak project
manager of the European Centre for Minority Issues were present. Also
attending were members of local self-governing bodies, local
intellectuals and representatives of NGOs from the region, as well as
from Tbilisi and Yerevan,

Georgian parliament’s ethnic Armenian members, elected from the region,
also did not attend the public forum. Instead they chose to attend a
convention of one of the Armenian political parties in Yerevan.

Nevertheless, the public forum vividly discussed the issues on its
agenda.
Two reports were presented by experts on the socio-economic issues of
the region, Azat Shipaktsian and Artashes Palanjian, who stated that the
region has found itself in a difficult socio-economic state due to the
discriminatory policies of the central government of Georgia. They also
noted that the funds donated by international donors were not evenly
dispersed when it comes to the Armenian population of the region.

Following the reports, the participants expressed their opinions
regarding the socio-economic problems of the region, in fact asserting
the opinions expressed by the rapporteurs.

At the end of the discussions, the public forum adopted a resolution on
the socio-economic situation of Samtskhe-Javakhketi (the resolution is
attached), and recommended to the Council to establish a commission to
work out a program for socio-economic development of the
Samtskhe-Javakhketi region.

RESOLUTION

Adopted by the “Integration, not Assimilation” Public Forum on
Socio-economic Issues of Samtskhe-Javakhketi, Akhalkalak, 11 December
2004

Aiming:

* To contribute to resolution of the socio-economic issues of
Samtskhe-Javakhketi;
* To contribute to the improvement of the socio-economic situation of
Georgia through improvement of the socio-economic situation in
Samtskhe-Javakhketi and mitigation of the demographic problems, and to
emphasize the necessity of reforms and their equal implementation on the
basis of regions and ethnicity;
* To contribute to Georgia’s internal integration, internal political
stability and strengthening of democratic values through socio-economic
reforms in Samtskhe-Javakhketi;
* Based on a number of factual factors, such as the demographic picture
of the region and the common borders with Armenia, to contribute to
perceive the resolution of Samtskhe-Javakheti’s socio-economic problems
as the best possible model for regional integration and friendship
between the nations;
* To contribute to the real process of Georgia’s and South Caucasus’
integration into Europe, to participate in the fulfilment of Georgia’s
commitments before the international (European) community, and to make
sure that every citizen gets a share of the positive results of the
process;

Taking into consideration the opinions and ideas expressed in reports
and debates, the Public Forum states that:

* Samtskhe-Javakhketi falls considerably behind the country’s other
regions in its human development indicators;
* The unemployment rate is way too high, resulting in emigration. There
are no equal conditions in filling job vacancies; the region, and
especially the Armenian-populated areas, are not included in any
realizable social and employment projects;
* The health system is deteriorated. There are no functioning medical
ambulatories in the villages. The few district hospitals are poorly
equipped and are far from satisfying the minimum needs of the
population;
* The population’s social security is on a low level. Salaries and
pensions, which are significantly less than the consumer’s basket, are
not paid on time;
* The escalating poverty is accompanied by rising social inequality;
there is a sharp polarization of income;
* There is no functioning stable system (fuel, heating, drinking water
and other utilities) to support the population’s livelihood. The issue
of heating is especially acute in Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda;
* Roads connecting the region with Tbilisi, with the coastal and other
regions of Georgia, as well as with Armenia are damaged and in desperate
shape. In even worse shape are the local and village roads. This
situation creates insurmountable difficulties for the socio-economic
development, as well as for the economic integration of the region;
* The country’s energy crisis is felt especially harsh in the region;
the burden of these difficulties is not equally spread and Javakheti is
again penalized. The fact that the region is distant and mountainous is
neglected;
* Except for one or two cases, there are no telephone networks in the
villages. The situation is not much different in the towns. The
situation is the same for the spheres of electronic communications and
TV broadcasting;
* The agricultural and the industrial sectors are paralyzed. In the
economic and especially in the agricultural sector, many development
possibilities are neglected, even though the region’s agriculture plays
an important role in Georgia’s economy. The almost entirely agricultural
region has no irrigation network. The break up of the economic
infrastructure, the rarity or unavailability of fuel and energy supplies
seriously hinder the processing and selling of natural resources and
agricultural provisions.
* The corruption that exists in the whole country is accentuated in the
region. The reforms proclaimed in the country have not reached the
region yet. As a result there is a public perception that corruption is
not only allowed, but also encouraged;
* The region is pushed to artificial demographic changes which could
result in escalation of tension in ethnic relations and instability. It
is odd, that the authorities organize the immigration of other ethnic
groups to the region and provide them with socio-economic assistance,
while the locals are deprived of such assistance;
* The participation of national minorities in the public-political life
of the country and in formulating socio-economic policies is not
ensured.

The Public Forum, being concerned that:

* The policies being realized by the authorities in the spheres of
state-building, economy, social issues, national minority rights and
demographic issues could undermine Georgia’s image in the international
arena and the development of democracy in the country;
* Unresolved socio-economic and other issues could hinder the
integration of the ethnic minorities;
* The delay in resolving the accumulated problems could raise new and
undesirable tensions;
* The existing tense and explosive situation is aggravated by the
nationalistic and intolerant propaganda by some media outlets and
public-political organizations;

Considers it essential:

* To regard job creation, development of transportation and other
infrastructure (gas pipelines, water lines, irrigation systems,
telecommunications, etc.) as the main route to resolve the region’s
socio-economic problems;
* To completely repair – with internal and external resources — all
highways connecting the region to the coastal areas of Georgia, to
Tbilisi and to Armenia, as well as the internal roads connecting the
villages;
* To equally distribute the burden of the energy hardships between the
regions; to resolve the energy problems using local resources
(Taparvan);
* To expand the telephone network in the villages, ensure quality and
affordable telecommunications;
* To build a modern telecommunications transmitter;
* To create conditions for processing the agricultural products in the
region, implementing of new technologies in agriculture, resolving the
irrigation problems;
* To establish branches of large (including foreign) banks, financial
and credit institutions and to extend loans by them to small and
medium-sized businesses;
* To restore the health system (hospitals, emergency rooms, village
medical ambulatories);
* To renovate and operate the Akhalkalak airport;
* To take steps to create, empower and sustain a tolerant inter-ethnic
environment;
* To take measures to avert the artificial alteration of the demographic
picture of the region, which would endanger the stability of the region;
* To engage the local residents, workforce and potential in the
international economic processes underway in the region;
* To cooperate with international organizations dealing with democracy,
human rights, human development and economic integration; to involve
them actively in resolving the fundamental problems of
Samtskhe-Javakhketi, to ensure fair distribution between regions of
credit and grant funds provided by international organizations;

The Public Forum resolves:

* To recommend to the Council of Armenian non-governmental organizations
(NGO) of the Samtskhe-Javakhketi region to form an expert group in
charge of elaborating and presenting a comprehensive program for the
region’s socio-economic development based on the abovementioned
imperatives;
* To appeal once again to the Georgian central authorities and to the
relevant local self-governing bodies, expecting a multilateral
discussion of the issues in question and their resolution with state
solicitude;
* To appeal to international institutions, donor countries and
organizations, expecting their input in drawing up and implementing
concrete projects aimed at completely or partially resolving the issues
raised;
* To appeal to the Georgian non-governmental organizations and mass
media expecting them to focus on the mentioned issues, to develop
relevant public opinion, to contribute to the efficiency of the
governmental bodies, as well as to assist in engaging the business
community and individual businessmen in resolving the problems raised;
* Based on the centuries-long friendship between the Armenian and
Georgian peoples as well as the good neighbourly high-level relations
between the two states, and aiming at furthering those relations with
practical steps, to appeal to the Armenian non-governmental
organizations to assist in involving the Armenian business community, as
well as individual businessmen and other interested structures in
resolving the issues raised.

OneWorld Country Guides provide a broad introduction to human rights and
sustainable development issues in each country, reflecting the views of
global civil society in general and OneWorld partners in particular.

Armenia short guide

One of the oldest nations in the world, Armenia occupies a fraction of
its ancestral lands. Invaded and subjugated to foreign rule throughout
the centuries, much of Armenia’s present day policies have resulted from
a legacy of oppression and unresolved disputes with its neighbors.
However, as a landlocked country, its potential for economic development
and regional integration has been restricted and more than a million
Armenians have emigrated to seek better lives abroad.

Millennium Development Goals

In August 2003, the Armenian government finalized its long-awaited
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper which aims to reduce poverty to 19% by
2015. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the
main challenges facing the Republic include combating poverty, improving
the environment and addressing other pressing social issues.

The education system in Armenia is currently under reform, with a World
Bank-initiated process of `optimization’ causing some concern. Plans to
gradually close the Soviet-era specialized boarding schools for children
with disabilities have been put on hold, as they now also accommodate
normal children from vulnerable families. As with the health sector,
corruption is rampant throughout the education system, with cases of
bribery and gift-giving by students to pass university entrance
examinations.

The emigration of many men to find work in Russia and elsewhere has
resulted in changes to the stereotypical roles of the largely
patriarchal Armenian society. However, the number of women effectively
abandoned by their absentee husbands has increased and domestic violence
is a problem. The UN has only recently begun to address the issue, after
overcoming resistance from within the male-dominated society. There are
also serious concerns over the trafficking of women from Armenia to
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Politics

Armenian politics has been largely stable since independence from the
Soviet Union was declared in 1991, although there have been sporadic
episodes of unrest. In 1996 and 2003, protests against flawed
presidential elections were quickly suppressed and, even in October
1999, when several key members of the Government including the Prime
Minister were assassinated in the Armenian National Assembly, the
situation in the Republic was kept under control.

Even so, there is an increasing risk of instability, stemming from the
lack of progress in democratization since independence and the absence
of a developed civil society in the country. Moreover, the 2003
elections have resulted in a weaker coalition government that, although
united in support of President Robert Kocharian, has nothing else in
common. In recent months, this tension has manifested itself in
inter-party fighting and rivalry.

Since February 2004 opposition parties have boycotted the Armenian
National Assembly in protest at what they consider to be falsified
presidential and parliamentary elections held during 2003. Uncertainty
looms over the succession issue as the incumbent president is
constitutionally disallowed from running for a third term in office.

Human Rights

Compared to its neighbours, Armenia has a reasonable human rights
record. The Republic became largely mono-ethnic after its large
Azerbaijani population left the country at the beginning of the Karabagh
conflict. Currently the rights of national minorities are largely
respected or, at least, the problems they face are similar to those of
most ethnic Armenians.

However, in recent years, there have been concerns regarding the rights
of religious minorities, particularly Jehovah Witnesses who until
recently were refused registration and whose male adherents have been
imprisoned for refusing to take up arms. In 2004, the Armenian
Government finally complied with Council of Europe requirements to
register the organization and introduce alternative service options for
conscripts.

Of more concern, however, is the practice of detention under Soviet-era
laws that generally target opposition supporters and civil rights
activists, especially during periods of possible political instability.
Spurred on by the November 2003 “Rose Revolution” in neighboring
Georgia, opposition political parties combined forces and held peaceful
protest demonstrations in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. In response,
movement into the capital was restricted and police used unnecessary
force to disperse the crowds.

Although the constitution provides for the separation of powers and rule
of law, the President’s ability to appoint and dismiss judges raises
concerns about independence of the judiciary.

Conflict

In 1988, Armenians demanded that Nagorno Karabagh, a mainly Christian
Armenian-populated territory situated within neighboring Moslem
Azerbaijan, be united with Armenia. Pogroms against Armenians living in
Azerbaijan followed and hundreds of thousands of Armenians and Azeris
were forced to flee their respective countries, as the conflict between
the two Republics erupted into a full scale war in 1991.

Approximately 20,000 people died by the time the conflict ended, with a
ceasefire agreement signed in May 1994. Over 1 million refugees were
created on both sides and ethnic Armenian forces now control 14% of what
the international community considers Azerbaijani territory, including
Nagorno Karabagh.

Negotiations to find a lasting peace under the auspices of the
Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group
continue to be held between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but recent attempts
to broker a peace deal have faltered, leading to concerns that war might
break out again in the future and potentially destabilize the entire
Southern Caucasus region.

An ally of Azerbaijan in this conflict is Turkey, a country whose
ambitions for membership of the European Union may hinge on differing
interpretations of history of the First World War. Many European
countries consider the mass killing and starvation of 1.5 million
Armenians under Turkish Ottoman rule to be genocide – a view so far
contested by Turkey.

Health

Faced with severe economic difficulties after the collapse of the Soviet
Union and an out-dated and over-staffed healthcare system, the
independent Armenian government has been unable to guarantee free
healthcare for all. Even though some sections of the population are
entitled to free treatment, a system of informal payments exists and as
a result a sizeable percentage of the population instead resorts to
self- or home-treatment.

Health concerns are mostly limited to reproductive health and multi-drug
resistant tuberculosis, with international organizations such as
Medecins Sans Frontieres supporting treatment and public health
programmes. Infant mortality, which rose significantly in the first
years after independence, has started to stabilize in recent years,
although overall life expectancy has declined.

The number of those officially registered as HIV-positive stands at just
304. However, others believe that the actual figure is 10 times higher.
In December 2004, the United Nations warned that Armenia faces a
“potential disaster” if nothing is done to stop its spread. Access to
free HIV testing is limited, with only one HIV/AIDS center in the capital.

Information and Media

While there is no formal censorship in place, many journalists adhere to
the Soviet practice of self-censorship. In particular, as every
television station is owned or controlled by political and economic
forces close to the President, journalists seldom report news other than
that which fulfills state propaganda purposes.

A1 Plus, an independent television station that provided alternative
news, was taken off the air in April 2002. Despite concerns raised by
the Council of Europe, the station has failed to win any subsequent
tenders for a broadcasting frequency, despite well-reported
irregularities in the tender process itself.

The situation with print media is somewhat better, with a variety of
opinions and political views being represented. However, circulation is
low and mostly confined to the capital, with few newspapers able to
attract a readership of over 3,000 and thus financially reliant on
political figures or businesses with political aspirations.

Access to the internet in Armenia is not restricted and international
organizations are equipping schools with computers and connections. Most
government agencies have their own websites, financed by the
international donor community, and several critical media outlets have
migrated online – unable to disseminate their alternative viewpoints
through the broadcast media.

Nevertheless, in spite of the preponderance of internet cafes, the main
obstacle to wider internet usage is financial and linked to the legally
enforced telecommunications monopoly, ArmenTel.

Economy

The Armenian economy is considered one of the most liberal in the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Despite a record of strong
economic growth, underpinned by remittances from the large overseas
Armenian diaspora, 44% of the population lives under the national
poverty line. The informal economy accounts for as much as 60% of GDP,
which impacts tax revenue and the state’s financial capacity to improve
public services. The economic blockade set up by Azerbaijan and Turkey
as a result of the unresolved conflict over Nagorno Karabagh poses
another barrier to sustainable economic development.

In recent years, the Armenian Government has also turned its attention
towards promoting tourism, but the necessary infrastructure remains
lacking in the outer regions. There are also concerns that rather than
promoting community-based tourism, existing infrastructure caters mainly
to elite and business travelers.

Environment

Armenia is a largely mountainous country with few natural resources. At
the height of an energy crisis brought on by the economic blockade, many
people resorted to firewood to heat their homes, resulting in rapid
deforestation. The situation was ameliorated somewhat in 1995, when the
Medzamor Nuclear Reactor situated near the Turkish border was
reactivated (it had been closed in the wake of the devastating 1988
earthquake). Although the European Union has repeatedly requested that
the nuclear reactor be shut, the government has refused, citing the lack
of alternative energy sources.

Deforestation continues at an alarming rate, mainly as a result of
illegal export of timber by government-connected businessman and
military officials to Europe and beyond. Desertification affects several
areas, including Yerevan, where government officials have destroyed
parks and other green areas, often illegally, to build cafes,
restaurants and luxurious mansions.

———————–
Onnik Krikorian is a freelance journalist and photographer from the
United Kingdom living and working in the Republic of Armenia for a
variety of publications and organizations.