AZERI TV SLATES BRITISH MP’S VISIT TO KARABAKH

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
19 Oct 04

(Presenter) Britain has on more than one occasion stated that it is
interested in the resolution of the Karabakh problem, it recognizes
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and condemns separatism. However,
regrettably, all these are verbal statements. A new visit by Baroness
Caroline Cox from Britain’s House of Lords to Stepanakert might cause
a diplomatic row between London and Baku.

(Correspondent) A person who is a member of the House of Lords,
Britain’s most influential and prestigious body, damages the influence
and dignity of the House. She is separatist Baroness Caroline
Cox. This woman has been in contact with the Karabakh separatists for
a long time. She completed her latest 55th visit to Karabakh
lately. Although the Azerbaijani government has repeatedly protested
against the visits by the high-ranking British parliamentarian, London
diplomats stress that Cox visits Karabakh at her own expense. However,
it is obvious this time that the British embassy could not keep to
itself its false peace-loving mission and decided to help the
separatist baroness and did this in an open fashion.

Certainly, we are speaking about the British embassy in Armenia. Today
Armenian web sites reported that Caroline Cox’s visit to Nagornyy
Karabakh was arranged precisely by the British embassy in
Yerevan. British diplomats may interpret this differently – allegedly
they organized her visit to Armenia, and Cox, in turn, went to
Karabakh herself, and they were allegedly unaware of Cox’s programme
and so on.

It is intriguing that Britain, which is a member of the UN Security
Council, has always stated that it recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity and is against separatism.

Nevertheless, the failure to see a British citizen who embraces
separatists in Azerbaijan is disrespect for Azerbaijan and the
manifestation of double standards, to put it in diplomatic terms. The
separatist baroness, who describes herself as a champion of the truth,
has never visited Azerbaijan despite numerous invitations. She refused
to come to Azerbaijan to eyewitness the situation in Azerbaijan and
the state of the refugees. In return, she voices the slogan Freedom to
Nagornyy Karabakh, which does not go hand in hand with official
London’s policy. This is British-style justice and truth.

Etibar Mammadov for “Son Xabar”.

DELEGATION OF USA’S ARMENIAN CONGRESS IN ARTSAKH

Azg/am
20 Oct 04

Delegation of America’s Armenian Congress, headed by Ani Totah,
arrived in Stepanakert on a three-day visit.

The delegation members visited the HALO Trust office, the Center of
Child’s Works in Stepanakert and then headed for Shushi.

Accompanied by first lady Inna Ghukasian, they visited secondary
school N2. On the initiative of Inna Ghukasian and AAC’s support $120
thousandwas gathered in Los Angeles for repairing the school. Repair
started on August of the current year. The guests learnt of the
working rate and handed out copybooks and pens to pupils.

Ani Totah said that an Armenian American promised to contribute $270
thousand to one of Stepanakert’s schools only in case it is named
after him.School N6 was chosen for this purpose.

Delegation visited Gandzasar and Stepanakert’s carpet weaving factory
yesterday. President of Artsakh Arkady Ghukasian and chairman of
National Assembly Oleg Yesayan received the guests at the end of the
day.

According to the schedule, AAC delegation will visit Stepanakert’s
Museum of History and Geology after which they will leave Artsakh.

By Kim Gabrielian from Stepanakert

ARMENIAN “HOSTAGES” OF SOUTH OSSETIA TURNING TO KOFI ANNAN AND PRESIDENTS OF
ARMENIA AND GEORGIA

3 Children and a Woman Taken Out of Ergneti

Azg/am
20 Oct 04

As the “custody” of dozens of Armenian citizens carries on in South
Ossetia, they turned to the Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan,
OSCE current chairman Solomon Pasi and presidents of Armenia and
Georgia.

“We, citizens of Armenia, are in a desperate situation on our way back
from Russia and ask for help. We are not allowed to continue our way
at the Ergneti police station. We have to live in a bus devoid of
primary needs. We appealto you for help. We want you to know that the
Armenian embassy’s and Armenian diocese’s efforts turned abortive. We
ask you again to help us”, the appeal reads.

Georgy Khosroev, Armenian ambassador to Georgia, informed Azg Daily
that employees of the embassy, with the support of Apaven good
transportation company and Armenian diocese, visited Armenian citizens
on Saturday for the second time bringing blankets, food, water and
medicine.

Ergneti is a settlement on Georgian-South Ossetian border where
gunshots are not a rare thing. Official Tbilisi considers border
crossing of Russian-Georgian border’s South Ossetian part as
illegal. Armenianstraveling back to Armenia from Russia have to try to
cross the border on this site, as the Russian-Georgian checkpoint of
Upper Lars remains closed.

Artur Sargsian, Armenian consul to Georgia, who visited Armenians in
Ergneti together with ambassador’s aide and a priest from St. Gevorg
Armenian church, informed that state of the Armenian citizens remains
desperate, they sleep in the bus, hygienic condition is disastrous,
few children ailed and were taken to hospital. If it keeps this pace,
humanitarian crisis will be unavoidable.

The embassy keeps on negotiating with Georgian officials to take the
Armenians out of South Ossetia to Armenia. They managed to get access
for 4adults and 3 children on Saturday. President Robert Kocharian is
going to visit Georgia on October 22-24. Perhaps, the Georgian border
will open allowing dozens of Armenians to pass on the days of
President’s visit.

The information spread by few Armenian and Russian media that the
Upper Lars border crossing is open is false. Kakha Mikeladze, head of
the Northern customs of Georgia, informed that the border never opened
again after October 10, either from Georgian or Russian side.

Russian mass media informs that the crowd at the Russian side
increases. Few dozens of Russian Defense Ministry’s trucks are among
others waiting for access to reach 102 Russian military base in
Gyumri.

By Tatoul Hakobian

KERRY IS RESOLUTE IN GENOCIDE ACKNOWLEDGING

Turkish Zaman Unconsciously Supports Him

Azg/am
20 Oct 04

While Armenian traditional political parties call on Armenian
Americans to give their votes to the Democrat’s candidate, Turkish
circles show signs of worry.

The Armenian community of America has no intention to vote for Bush,
as that will simply mean encouraging his negative approach to the
Armenian Genocide and justification of his broken promise (to
recognize the Genocide, given in 2000).

John Kerry used to carry out pro-Armenian policy for 20 years in the
Senate and in the state of Massachusetts thus supporting Armenian
Genocide acknowledgment formula. Therefore, Kerry’s electoral promise
to theArmenians is not the only reason of Turks’ worry: they surely
know about his pro-Armenian penchant. That’s the reason why the
former foreign minister of Turkey Ilter Turkmen speaks out in the
August 7 issue of the Hyuriet: “If pro-Armenian Kerry is elected a
president, it will be impossible to demolish Armenian formulae inthe
US”.

It’s interesting that while the Turkish diplomat was speculating
another Turkish newspaper, Zaman, denied Kerry’s readiness to
recognize theGenocide in its October 8 issue. The newspaper was
suspicious about Kerry’s letter to the Armenian community containing
his promise to “commemorate 2005 April 24 as the 90-th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide”.

We touched upon Zaman’s denial of Kerry’s suchlike statements in Azg
Daily’s October 12 issue. On October 12 Kerry refuted Zaman’s
statement concerning his denial to recognize Armenian Genocide.

These cases of falsification of reality by Turkish press reveal
Turkey’s fears and make Kerry more resolute in his decision.

Thus, Zaman does more harm than good to the Turks and that must be
reason why Turkish Nathaber news agency writes: “Who in this case is
inconstant, Kerry or our press which is painting the reality in colors
it likes?”

By Hakob Chakrian

ARMENIA RESUME SUPPLYING GEORGIA WITH ENERGY

Azg/am
20 Oct 04

It Won’t Be Dark in Javakhk This Winter

Armenian-Russian joined Hayrusgazard Company and Georgian United
Switch Energy Company signed an agreement these days according to
which Armenia will resume supplying Georgia with energy, Ministry of
Energetics of Armenia informed Azg Daily. According to the agreement,
Armenia will provide energy for Georgian Samtskhe-Javakhk and Kvemo
Qartli regions through Ashotsq-Ninotsminda and Lalvar medium-voltage
lines.

The Georgian United Switch Energy Company, which is run by American PA
Consulting Company, informed yesterday that energy supply from Armenia
willcontinue till April 1 of 2005. Georgia is going to pay 13 AMD per
kilowatt-hour. Around 60 megawatt of energy will be exported to
Georgia daily.

The price for consumers is uncertain so far. Georgy Ioseliani, head of
the Samtskhe-Javakhk line of the United Switch Energy, stated later on
that the population will pay 22 AMD per kilowatt-hour. The population
of Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda used to pay 30 AMD last winter.

Nika Gulauri, minister of energetics and fuel of Georgia, said to
Novosti news agency that Telasi Company (belonging to Russian RAO EES)
is also tending to import energy of 100 megawatts per hour from
Armenia. Georgia’s debt from previous energy supplies amounts to $4
million.

By Tatoul Hakobian

Xinhua, China
Oct 19 2004

Armenia, China to boost bilateral ties

ERIVAN, Armenia, Oct. 19 (Xinhuanet) — Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on
Tuesday that Armenia stands ready to further strengthen cooperation
with China.

Meeting Li in the Armenian capital, Kocharyan said his September
visit to China was a success, during which the two sidesreached
consensus on developing bilateral relations. Armenia stoodby China in
its choice of a development path suited to its own conditions and is
impressed by China’s active role in international affairs, he said.

In a separate meeting with the Chinese foreign minister on
Tuesday, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian echoed
Kocharyan’s remarks on enhancing bilateral ties. He said his
government is working to implement the agreements reached during
Kocharyan’s visit to China.

Cooperation in technology and agriculture between the two
countries had been fruitful and Armenia hopes to see broadened
cooperation between the two countries’ enterprises and more Chinese
investment in Armenia, Margarian said.

Both Kocharyan and Margarian reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment
tothe one-China policy. They reiterated that the Armenian
governmentbelieves there has always been and will be only one China
in the world.

Li told his Armenian hosts China is keen to develop friendly
cooperation with Armenia and his trip is an instance of China’s
concrete actions to implement what has been achieved in the consensus
established by the leaders of both countries. Li said heis optimistic
about further strengthening bilateral ties.

Li arrived in Erivan Monday on an official visit to Armenia. Heis
also to visit Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

Agence France Presse
Oct 19 2004

Europe’s Greens meet to debate Turkey’s EU access
AFP: 10/19/2004
ISTANBUL, Oct 19 (AFP) – Europe’s Greens, once Turkey’s most vocal
critics and now the staunchest supporters of its EU membership, began
a three-day parliamentary group meeting here Tuesday with strong
criticism against any plans to hold national referendums on whether
Ankara should join the bloc.

“We are against holding referendums in one country about another
country,” Greens group president Daniel Cohn-Bendit said. “There are
seven million Turks living in Europe, so the real question in the
referendum will be, ‘Do you like Turks — do you like Muslims?'”

He singled out President Jacques Chirac, criticising his proposal to
amend the French constitution to allow referendums on future EU
members as “foolish” and “ridiculous.”

“How can a democratic president, even Chirac, say what will happen in
10 years’ time?” Cohn-Bendit asked at a press conference here opening
the meeting.

“Are they going to have referendums on the memberships of Romania,
Bulgaria, Bosnia? The French will go crazy!” he said. “This is
ridiculous. Don’t waste our time with what will happen in 10 years.”

Cohn-Bendit was flanked at the press conference by co-chair Monica
Frassoni of Italy, Dutchman Joost Logendijk and Germany’s Cem
Oezdemir, both of the EU-Turkey joint parliamentary committee.

Cohn-Bendit urged Turkey to accept the fact that it is different from
other candidate countries and that a special negotiating process is
needed to allow it into the EU.

A generally favorable European Commission report on October 6 advises
EU leaders to agree at a December 17 summit in Brussels to launch
membership talks with Turkey.

“When you say, ‘We want equal treatment,’ you do not mean it,”
Cohn-Bendit said. “Turkey is not Malta, it is not Romania, it is not
Bulgaria. It is a big country, it is a proud country, and its entry
into the EU will be an important event.”

He said the Greens had arrived in Turkey as “critical friends” in
hopes that many issues that remain to be ironed out — the situation
of the Kurds and other minorities, women’s rights, the Armenian
massacres — could be “openly discussed among friends.”

“We must have uncomfortable discussions on, for example, Cyprus and
the role of the army,” Frassoni said, adding: “The process of
building a European democracy is not finished.”

The Greens support Turkey’s EU membership, the Italian MEP said, but
so does Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — “his
reasons are not the same as ours,” she added.

“What is the Greens’ message to Turkey?” asked Oezdemir, who is of
Turkish origin. “The message is that we are here and not somewhere
else.

“If Turkey is today at another point than where it was several yuears
ago, it is also because of civil society, not only because of
politicians,” he said.

Another message from the Greens to Turkey’s politicians, Logendijk
said, is: “Don’t panic.”

He said the Commission report contained elements Turkey and the
Greens both disagree with, such as the open-ended nature of the talks
and mention of permanent derogations concerning this country, such as
barring its citizens from free circulation in Europe.

“But,” he said, “don’t lose your focus, don’t lose sight of the main
point: (membership) negotiations should begin next year.”

The meeting of the joint Greens/European Free Alliance group next
goes into a series of panel conferences covering aspects of Turkey-EU
ties.

Panelists include foreign ministers Joschka Fischer of Germany and
Abdullah Gul of Turkey, Kurdish activist Leyla Zana and Turkish
novelist Orhan Pamuk.

Putinru.com, Russia
Oct 19 2004

Putin appreciates political dialog between Russia and Azerbaijan

Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates top-level political
dialog between Russia and Azerbaijan.
Opening the Kremlin meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilkham
Aliyev, Vladimir Putin said:

“We meet regularly, which I am very happy about.”

According to the Russian President, the volume of trade between the
two countries is growing, and humanitarian contacts are
strengthening. However, this is not enough, he argued.

“We ought to do more,” he said.

The Azerbaijani President agreed with what his Russian counterpart
said.

“I am very happy to see such intensive contacts: this is my third
visit to Russia – to Moscow – since I was elected president. A
permanent political dialog has been in place,” Aliyev said.

“The coming year will mark a milestone as The Year of Azerbaijan will
be held in Russia; the following year we will hold The Year of Russia
in Azerbaijan,” he added.

According to Aliyev, this is an expression of a mutual commitment to
develop cooperation in all areas.

He said that the All-Russian Congress of Azerbaijanis that is
underway in Moscow has shown how close, how sincere and friendly our
peoples are to one another.

The Russian President said that Aliyev had another reason to come to
Moscow, apart from attending the All-Russian Congress of
Azerbaijanis: on the previous day the leader of Azerbaijan, a
graduate of the Moscow International Relations Institute, had visited
the alma mater on its 60th anniversary.

“I am very happy that you have also a personal reason to come to
Moscow,” the Russian leader remarked.

Aliyev said on his part he “could not help coming [to celebrate] such
a glorious jubilee.” He recalled that he had been with the Institute
for over a decade, studying there, then doing post-graduate studies,
then teaching.

“This is another important factor of our bilateral relations,” Aliyev
joked.

The Russian President suggested that the two leaders address the
problem of Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

“I am sure today we will have an opportunity to talk calmly about
this most acute problem of the Caucasus,” he said.

The Azerbaijani President expressed his hope that Russia would remain
a contributor to the resolution of this long-term conflict as a
neighbor to Armenia as well as Azerbaijan and as a country
co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group.

“Your participation in our meeting [with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan] in Astana gives us hope that we could make a step
forward,” Aliyev said.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Oct 19 2004

MEETING OF PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV AND PRESIDENT OF
RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN
[October 19, 2004, 20:23:08]

President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev on 19 October has met
in the Kremlin President of Russia Vladimir Putin, AzerTAj
correspondent reported.

Warmly greeting Head of the Azerbaijan State, President Vladimir
Putin said he was pleased with his visit to Moscow, underlining that
he has another opportunity to discuss bilateral problems and
expressed confidence that the meeting would pass in full mutual
understanding.

Noting that he was also delightful of seeing President of Russia,
President Ilham Aliyev said it was his third visit to Moscow after he
was elected President and these visits have played important role in
development of bilateral relations.

Expressing his consent with the increasing goods turnover between the
two countries, President of Azerbaijan emphasized that bilateral
political dialogue is also at high level, which proves existence of
large opportunities for development of relations for the interests of
the two peoples.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed hope that Russia as a co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group would make further efforts for the settlement of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict.

Addressing the Head of Azerbaijan State, President Vladimir Putin
said: `I am very pleased that Your Moscow visit has personal aspect.
I was told that You were sincerely greeted at the ceremony on the
60th anniversary of the Moscow State Institute of International
Relations. You feel yourself a Muscovite’.

Head of the Azerbaijan State reminded that ten years of his life are
connected to this Institute and he had many friends here.

In the meeting, also were discussed issues of realization of the
agreement reached during the official visit of Azerbaijan President
to Moscow in February 2004, execution of the task to raise the goods
turnover twice, the prospects of strengthening of joint activity of
Russia and Azerbaijan in combat against terrorism. The sides
underlined necessity of increasing efforts of world communities in
fighting international terrorism.

The heads of State also had exchange of views related to situation on
the Caucasus region. President of Russia Vladimir Putin welcomed
continuation of meetings related to settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict at the level of
presidents, saying that Russia stands ready to render active
assistance in finding acceptable way of settlement of this conflict.

***

After the meeting, Heads of State had dinner in the Kremlin.

Catholic World News, United States
Oct 19 2004

Catholic, Jewish leader urge respect for Jerusalem

Rome, Oct. 19 (CWNews.com) – A three-day meeting of Catholic and
Jewish officials has concluded with a joint statement urging
political leaders to respect the sacred character of the city of
Jerusalem.

The statement punctuated the 4th session of dialogue arranged by the
Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with Jews, together
with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Rabbi Shar Yishuv Cohen of Haifa
led the Jewish delegation; Cardinal Jorge Mejia, the retired Vatican
archivist, was the top representative of the Holy See.

After three days of discussions in Grottaferrata, just south of Rome,
the group issued a three-part statement. It began with a clear
commitment to continuing the inter-religious dialogue: “We are not
enemies, but unequivocal partners in articulating the essential moral
values for the survival and welfare of human society.”

The statement went on to affirm that “Jerusalem has a sacred
character for all the children of Abraham.” The group asked world
leaders “to respect this character and to prevent actions which
offend the sensibilities of religious communities that rely in
Jerusalem and hold her dear.”

The third point of the joint statement was directed at religious
leaders, asking them to “protest publicly” against “actions of
disrespect toward religious persons, symbols, and holy sites.” The
statement specifically mentioned a recent violent assault on the
Armenian Apostolic Patriarch of Jerusalem and the desecration of
cemeteries.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress