Armenian president to hold “major” presser on Karabakh soon – agency

Mediamax news agency
26 Nov 04

Yerevan, 26 November: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said in
Yerevan today that “the positions of Armenia’s first and second
presidents on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict have not changed over
the past seven years and each of them sticks to his own opinion”.

Robert Kocharyan said this while commenting on former Armenian
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statements for journalists. As far as
the former president’s communication with the press is concerned,
Kocharyan said he considers it “natural after so many years of
silence”.

The Armenian president also promised journalists that he would hold a
“major news conference” on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict before the
end of this year.

[Passage omitted: reported details of Ter-Petrosyan’s interview]

Armenian leader recalls envoy to India

Mediamax news agency
26 Nov 04

Yerevan, 26 November: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has signed
a decree dismissing Armen Bayburdyan from the post of Armenia’s
ambassador to India, the press service of the Armenian president has
told Mediamax.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NATO seminar in Azeri capital debates Karabakh, Caucasus security

ANS TV, Baku
25 Nov 04

Azerbaijan is a target of terror plotted by the Armenian special
services, Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov said at the 58th
Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Baku on 25
November. The minister said that 32 terror attacks had been carried out
against Azerbaijan and that the authorities had exposed six branches
of charity organizations suspected of financing terrorists. Also
speaking at the seminar, US political expert Brenda Shaffer said
that Washington should play an active role in the settlement of
the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and be more
helpful. Asked about NATO’s plans to expand towards the South Caucasus
and Central Asia, NATO Parliamentary Assembly Secretary-General
Simon Lunn said that the aim was to hold peacekeeping operations. The
following is the text of the report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on
25 November:

[Presenter Natavan Babayeva] Except for Armenian MPs, parliamentarians
of NATO member countries are in Baku today. The 58th Rose-Roth seminar
has been kicked off in Baku. Despite the Armenians’ absence from the
seminar, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict was in focus.

NATO’s eastward expansion questioned

[Correspondent over the seminar participants] Security issues in
the South Caucasus were the topic of the 58th Rose-Roth seminar of
NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly. Representatives of several states
highlighted the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by the Armenian
army. The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, including open debates with
the participation of the NATO member countries on the security of
the Euro-Atlantic space, were of special significance, Speaker of
the Milli Maclis Murtuz Alasgarov said, adding that the discussions
in the seminar would contribute to the resolution of the conflict in
conformity with respect for international legal norms, territorial
integrity, and inviolability of borders.

In turn, NATO Parliamentary Assembly Secretary-General Simon Lunn
stressed that NATO is not just a military alliance, but also a
democratic organization. The secretary-general said that as a
democratic body, NATO is concerned about the conflict, like many
other international bodies. Today, 26 countries are members of NATO,
Simon Lunn said, adding that it is a priority issue to expand its
boundaries towards the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus
and Central Asia in the near future.

After his speech, MPs put questions to the secretary-general.

[MP Rauf Qurbanov from the Communist Party of Azerbaijan] What concrete
aims does NATO pursue in eastward expansion and involvement of the
ex-Soviet republics in this military bloc?

[MP Siyavus Novruzov] My question is about combating terrorism,
extremism, drug trafficking and ethnic cleansing. What could be NATO’s
role in dealing with these issues in uncontrolled territories in the
South Caucasus?

[Correspondent] These are Simon Lunn’s answers to the questions:
First, the aim of expanding the military bloc is to hold peacekeeping
operations. As for the other question, NATO can only have an exchange
of opinions based on consultations.

USA’s role in Karabakh settlement

The head of the Caspian Research Center, Dr Brenda Shaffer, did not
agree with the term of frozen conflicts in the region. She believes
that people in the region are not yet ready for the resolution of
the conflict. A special mechanism should be worked out to resolve the
conflict. We are building a bridge between the sides to the conflict,
however, a tornado sweeps it aside. Now we should do our best, build
a bridge and protect it from the tornado, she said.

A Turkish MP made a remark about Shaffer’s opinion. He said that the
talk is not about the conflict, but the occupation. Armenia is not a
party to the conflict, but the occupier. Regrettably, the USA is not
neutral in this issue and is more pro-Armenian. Shaffer consented to
this opinion partly.

[Shaffer in English with Azeri voice-over] As for America as the
super state, I deem this criticism natural. The USA should play an
active role in the resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh problem and
be more helpful.

[Correspondent] MP Aleksey Volkov from Russia wanted to know when
NATO will deal with the Nagornyy Karabakh problem in earnest. MP
Rizvan Cabiyev from Azerbaijan commented on the OSCE Minsk Group’s
US co-chairman, Steven Mann’s, statement that it will take decades
to resolve the Nagornyy Karabakh problem.

[MP Rizvan Cabiyev] The use of such terms could lay the foundation
of a dangerous tendency which, in turn, may provoke a more perilous
war. In this context, do you, Mrs Shaffer, not think that double
standards exist in dealing with the South Caucasus, in particular,
the Nagornyy Karabakh problem?

[Correspondent] Mrs Shaffer’s answer to the question was that the
Karabakh problem should be resolved between the two sides on the
basis of dialogue.

Azerbaijan target of terror

Speaking about potential factors that could undermine domestic
stability, Interior Minister Ramil Usubov said that Azerbaijan was a
target of terror plotted by the Armenian special services. Thirty-two
acts of terror have been committed against Azerbaijan.

The minister also said that branches of six aid organizations
suspected of transferring money to terrorists were unveiled and 43
people cooperating with those organizations were arrested.

However, Armenian MPs did not hear these accusations. They made up
their opinions at the last minute and refused to arrive in Baku
trying to put the blame on Baku for their refusal to attend the
Baku-hosted seminar.

Let us recall that Armenian MP Mger Shakhgeldyan, who was due in Baku
today, explained the reason for the refusal to visit Baku with the
failure of the Azerbaijani parliament to guarantee their security.

Actually, when our crew members went to Heydar Aliyev airport to film
the Armenian MPs, they saw officers of the presidential security
guard. The 58th Rose-Roth seminar of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly
will complete its work on 27 November.

Afat Telmanqizi, Azar Qarayev for ANS.

Fight against terrorism

Baku Sun, Azerbaijan
Nov 26 2004

BAKU (AP) – Azerbaijan is stepping up the fight against terrorism
by tracking down terrorist organizations and their sponsors, the
country’s defense minister said Thursday. During the past six years,
authorities have exposed six branches of charity foundations believed
to be financing terrorists, Defense Minister Ramil Usubov said at a
NATO Parliamentary Assembly seminar.

The organizations have been shut and 43 people associated with them
have been expelled from the country, Usubov added.

Meanwhile, in the last five years, authorities have detained 30 people
connected with the Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Army of the Caucasus
terrorist organizations, he said. Twenty members of rebel groups have
been tried in courts.Usubov also said that Azerbaijan has detained
and extradited to Russia 14 rebels believed to have organized various
terrorist attacks.

He stressed that one of Azerbaijan’s main problems was illegal
migration, which fuels drugs and weapons trafficking, as well as
human trafficking and the smuggling of goods across borders.

The three-day seminar was supposed to have been attended by two
Armenian lawmakers, but they failed to show up at the last minute.

The Armenian deputies decided not to attend because their letter
to the heads of the Azerbaijani parliament and NATO Parliamentary
Assembly with a request to guarantee security of the Armenian
deputies had been left unanswered, said Mher Shakhgeldian, head of
the Armenian parliament’s commission for defense matters.Previous
visits to Baku by Armenian officials resulted in protests staged by
activists of Nagorno-Karabakh – an ethnic Armenian enclave disputed
by both countries.

Neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan is a NATO member, but both former
Soviet republics participate in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.

ARF DASHNAKTSUTIUN ATTENDANT UNIONS PRESENT THEIR ACTIVITIES AND OBSTACLES

BEIRUT, November 25 (Noyan Tapan). The Unprecedented Congress Of The
Attendant Organizations And Unions Of The ARF Dashnaktsutiun Party
(Hamazgayin, The Armenian General Physical Training Society, The
Union Of Armenian Relief), Which Was Opened In Beirut On November 18,
Officially Started Their Working Sittings At The “Aghbalian” Sport
and Cultural Complex.

According to the report of the Union of Armenian Relief, the
successfull implementation of such programs as, for example, the
provision of social services for the Armenians of Javakhk, support
to the Armenians of Iraq, the publication of the book dedicated to
the 100th anniversary of the Union of Armenian Relief, as well as
fundraising are of great importance.

The report of the Central Board of Hamazgayin, was on the three-year
activities of the current central board of Hamazgayin, i. e. the funds,
the “Vahe Setian” printing-house, the “Bagin” monthly newspaper, the
“Arevik” festival.

Levon Mkrtchian touched upon the issue of the coordination of
Armenia-Diaspora relations, stressing that the assessment of
the possibilities of Armenia and the Diaspora is necessary for
the effectiveness of the process. He presented the spheres of the
activities and the ways of the establishment of relations with the
national structures of the Diaspora.

ARF STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES OPPRESSED

A1 Plus | 14:24:48 | 26-11-2004 | Social |

Today’s press conference of ARF “Nikol Aghbalyan” Student Union has
been over the seminar on “Corruption in State Colleges of Armenia”
they held on November 16, 2004.

Let’s remind that during September-October, 2004, they conducted
experimental surveys among 1100 students of state colleges in Armenia
to find the ideas of students on corruption in institutes of higher
education. The survey results were published on November 16, which
caused discontent of chairmen of student boards for some IHE.

Ishkhan Saghatelyan, Head of ARF “Nikol Aghbalyan” Student Union
considered as baseless the statement made by representatives of
S-boards who said that no polls had been held and even if they were,
in a non-professional way only.

Members of ARF “Nikol Aghbalyan” Student Union stated that after
their statement some heads of IHE exert pressure on some students,
especially in Physical Training Institute. Representatives of “Nikol
Aghbalyan” SU didn’t indicate in which faculties exactly.

Despite the pressure, ARF “Nikol Aghbalyan” Student Union announces
that it will be more resolute and will keep unveiling corruption
in IHE.

POLICY OF HINDERING TALKS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
26 Nov 04

“And if Azerbaijan, nevertheless, does not give up its undertaking in
the UN, it will have to continue negotiations with Karabakh,” said the
foreign minister of Armenia during the joint press conference with
the Italian vice foreign minister Margaret Boniver in Yerevan. On
November 24 the undertaking of Azerbaijan on the situation in
the so-called “occupied territories” was to be discussed by the UN
General Assembly. Making the territories adjacent to Artsakh a topic
of discussion at the UN Azerbaijan practically created a foreign
political crisis for itself. Just remember that the OSCE, EU, United
States have criticized the non-constructive position of Azerbaijan. The
foreign minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanian touched upon the official
position of Armenia at the press conference. “Our position in the UN
is clear. We find that Azerbaijan commits a mistake by taking such
a step, and if the resolution is passed, some time later they will
recognize that they were mistaken,” said Vardan Oskanian. The vice
foreign minister of Italy, touching upon the same question, said that
hopefully the delegation of her country will abstain, and will vote
in accordance with the common standpoint of the EU. Nevertheless,
if the resolution set forth by Azerbaijan is passed, it is not known
who will profit and how. Nevertheless, Mr. Oskanian asked not to
worry regarding it as a mere political process. According to him,
there would be reason for anxiety if the document tried to determine
the fate of Karabakh. Moreover, the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO
assumed that there are three conflict sides – Azerbaijan which tries
to maintain its territorial integrity, Karabakh which tries to maintain
its right for self-determination, and Armenia which backs Karabakh. The
minister of foreign affairs of Armenia assured that if, nevertheless,
the resolution is passed, “we will continue to take part in the talks
but the main talks will be with NK.” Thus Azerbaijan will have to
recognize Nagorni Karabakh as a conflict side. According to the article
7 of the resolution the UN will suggest the OSCE Minsk Group sending a
multinational mission to the “occupied territories” of Azerbaijan. In
this reference Mr. Oskanian mentioned, “We have always appealed to
international organizations to visit and give their evaluation to
those territories. The Minsk Group has this mandate but the UN does
not have such an experience to come and fulfil a mission.” Touching
upon the settlement of people in those territories, Oskanian said,
“There are people who went to live there as they anticipate the
liberation of their homes in Shahumian and Getashen.” In answer to
the question whether it is possible that the UN or NATO documents on
NK are later used against Armenia, Vardan Oskanian said, “If decisions
are made on the future status of NK, it will be dangerous, of course,
but there is no report or resolution containing decisions. There are
evaluations of the present situation. There is a point in the NATO
resolution, which is favourable for us – the conflict has three sides,
NK, RA and Azerbaijan.” Nevertheless, if suddenly Azerbaijan gives up
the undertaking of discussion the problem of Nagorni Karabakh at the
UN, the foreign minister of Armenia assured that Armenia will be ready
to resume the process of Prague during which the foreign minister of
Azerbaijan Eldar Mamediarov and he achieved certain arrangements.

CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.

26-11-2004

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION CALLS UPON EU PRESIDENCY AND ALL COUNTRIES
MEMBERS TO BLOCK AZERBAIJANI-SPONSORED UN RESOLUTION

BRUSSELS, November 25 (Noyan Tapan). The European Armenian
Federation for Justice and Democracy calls upon the European Union
Presidency and all countries members of the European Union to block
the Azerbaijani-sponsored UN resolution in the name of peace and
stability in this sensitive region.

Azerbaijan introduced a resolution asking the United Nations General
Assembly to condemn the so-called Armenian colony created in the
territories under Armenian control.

“The UN resolution submitted by Azerbaijan and Turkey, coupled with
another current initiative being taken up at the Council of Europe,
are both deadly blows to the negociation process initiated by the
Minsk Group” declared Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European
Armenian Federation.

Over the past several years, Azerbaijan has rejected a number of
proposals put forward by the OSCE Minsk group including the “Common
State” option in 1998. Former President Heider Aliyev walked away
from commitments made in Paris and the Key West summits during talks
with Armenian President Robert Kocharian.

The European Armenian Federation notes that since assuming power,
the current Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliev, has continuously
discredited the OSCE process, threatening to resolve the Karabagh
issue militarily.

The European Armenian Federation remains concerned that the
disintegration of the Minsk peace process will exclude Europe of any
active role in the South Caucasus, at a time when the European Union
has just included this region in its new neighborhood policy. It
affirms that the end of the process could introduce a new period of
instability in the region.

The European Armenian Federation notes that France joined the
Presidency of the Minsk Group in 1997 to establish peace, but also
with the intention of representing Europe, which did not have great
influence in the region until that time. “It balanced the Russian
and American interests in the region,” explained Tchoboian.

HRANT MARGARIAN: “WE NEED ORGANIZATION FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF OUR MIGHT”

BEIRUT, November 25 (Noyan Tapan). The congress of the attendant
organizations and unions of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun Party (Hamazgayin,
the Armenian General Physical Training Society, the Union of
Armenian Relief) was opened at the “La Ruayal” hotel on November
18. Representatives of these organizations from the countries of the
five continents participated in the congress. The forum organized by
the ARF Bureau lasted two days.

Touching upon the problems of the Armenian Diaspora in the whole
world, representative of the ARF Bureau Hrant Margarian said:
“Today the purpose of our organization is to make the Independent
Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people an influential force in
the region and even in the world. The force, which is able to provide
existence and security of Armenia and the Armenian people. The force,
which is able to guarantee the prosperity of Armenia and the Armenian
people. We should use all our national potential for the realization
of this purpose. And our organization should contribute to it.”

Speaking about the work carried out in connection with the problems of
Hay Dat and Western Armenia “consigned to oblivion”, H. Margarian said:
“Isn’t it high time to fasten our eyes to Yerkir – Western Armenia,
as the Armenian youth did in the late 19th century.”

“The existence of our independent statehood is the realization of our
centuries-old dream. We are the ideological movement responsible for
today and tomorrow of the Armenian statehood. We should constantly
care of Independent Armenia in our agenda,” said the representative
of the ARF Bureau.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Titillating Turkey Trivia

Brox International Press – Features & Discoveries of the World
11-24-2004

The American turkey was accidentally named after the country. After
the Spanish first found the bird in America more than 400 years ago
and brought it back to Europe, the English mistakenly thought it was
an African bird they had named for the country it was shipped through;
Turkey. The name stuck even after they realized the birds weren’t
the same.

The highest point in Turkey is Mount Ararat which is 5,166 meters
tall. The remains of Noah’s Ark are thought to be buried on this
mountain.

Turkey produces 65% of the world’s hazelnuts.

The national drink of Turkey is called ‘çay’ and is a type of tea
drunk black without milk.

Popular sports in Turkey include oil wrestling and camel
wrestling. Camel wrestling consists of two camels pushing against
each other until one is knocked over or runs away. Weightlifting and
wrestling are the sports that Turkey usually wins at the Olympics.

Turkish Bath Houses have operated for hundreds of years. They are a
cross between swimming pools, health clubs and communal baths, and
often have very plain exteriors with beautiful, ornately designed
interiors.

Nearly 99% of people are Muslims, and any Turkish city skyline will
include the many brightly colored domes of many mosques, which can
have diameters up to 30 m.

Turkey still has many unresolved issue with neighboring Christian
Armenia, including well-documented massacres and deportations that
Armenians refer to as the First Genocide of the 20th century.

Ingenious population of Kurdish minority is not recognize by Turkey
as a distinct nation group, even though they comprise about 30 percent
of the south-eastern provincial population.

The ancient city of Troy was made famous in Homer’s The Odyssey
and The Iliad, written between 1500 and 1200 B.C. Though initially
believed to be mere legend, a German explorer discovered what some
think to be the ruins of Troy on the west coast of Turkey in 1871.

–Boundary_(ID_xx12IgLWey/t3/EWDoptfA)–