40 CITIZENS OF ARMENIA IN DESPERATE SITUATION IN SOUTH OSSETIA

Georgy Khosroev: “We Spare No Efforts to Save People from Hard Situation”

Azg/am
19 Oct 04

It is almost a week that 40 citizens of Armenia are in desperate
situation in South Ossetia. As Upper Lars Russian-Georgian border
crossing is blocked, our compatriots have to go to Lower Zamarag
Russian-Ossetian checkpoint to pass from Russia to Armenia. But,
passing through unknown South Ossetia, they became hostages in Ergneti
settlement, by the Georgian-Southern Ossetian border.

Georgy Khosroev, RA ambassador to Georgia, said in a telephone talk
that the embassy spares no efforts to save the people from the hard
situation. “We attentively follow the fate of our citizens. Those
people are in hard situation. In order to help them the employees of
the embassy fetched food, medicines and water to Ergneti,” Khosroev
said.

RA embassy continues the negotiations with the Georgian authorities to
help 40 RA citizens pass the Georgian-South Ossetian border. Artur
Sargsian, RA Counsel to Georgia, left for Ergneti to help the
Armenians and to study the situation there. He said in the interview
to Azg Daily that there are children, old people and a pregnant woman
in the cars stuck by the border.

When Russia blocked Upper Lars border crossing and advised the
Armenian citizens to travel through Lower Zamarag-Tskhinvali-Ergneti
road, Tbilisi announced officially that Russia-Georgia road through
South Ossetia is illegal and the only legal border point is Upper
Lars. Earlier, as a result of the Armenian-Georgian negotiations, the
official Tbilisi allowed the cars and the citizens struck in Ergneti
to continue their way, on the other hand, the Georgian officials gave
a friendly piece of advice to the Armenians to find other ways and not
to use that road again.

Ambassador Khosroev reminded that earlier, as a result of
negotiations, they managed to lead away three groups of Armenians, 58,
36 and 31 people correspondingly, from Ergneti to Bagratashen
checkpoint of the Armenian-Georgian border. It’s worth reminding that
Ergneti is the area where shooting between Georgian and South Ossetian
armed forces is being heard frequently.

Mikheil Kareli, representative of Georgia’s President in Shida Qarteli
region, said in the interview to Rustavi-2 TV channel that there are
three legal border checkpoints for reaching Russia from Georgia,
i.e. Upper Lars, Tbilisi airport and Poti harbor. Correspondingly, all
the foreigners, either Armenians or Azeris should use only the
abovementioned border points, Kareli said. Kareli added that by
keeping open the Roki tunnel for the Armenian citizens and
transportation of the Armenian goods to Russia may embroil Georgia
with Armenia.

It’s worth mentioning that only the Armenians that leave for working
in the republics of the North Caucasus are using the land road from
Russia to Armenia and in the opposite direction, as well as the people
who can’t afford airplanes tickets for returning to Armenia.

RA ambassador to Georgia said that on October 15, early in the morning
the employees of the embassy would leave for Ergneti to take food,
water, medicines and warm covers for RA citizens stuck there. “It may
be possible to lead these people out of the hard situation. The
diocese of the Armenian church in Georgia, as well as Apaven NGO are
also concerned with the fate of the Armenian citizens and they try to
render help to them,” Khosroev said.

By Tatoul Hakobian

Analysis: Energy Geopolitics In The Caspian

RFERL
18 Oct 04

By Houchang Hassan-Yari

Intense competition for unimpeded access to the world’s natural
resources is continuing and is likely to increase, according to the 21
April edition of “Jane’s Foreign Report.” The current unprecedented
surge in fuel prices illustrates the growing need for a greater supply
and consequently demonstrates the volatile nature of the energy
market.

The Caspian Sea could meet some of that demand, because it has
sizeable proven and possible oil and gas reserves (“proven reserves”
are defined as oil and natural-gas deposits that are considered 90
percent probable, and “possible reserves” are defined as deposits that
are considered 50 percent probable). The littoral states of the
Caspian Sea — Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan
— collectively have an estimated 10 billion-32 billion barrels of
proven and another 233 billion barrels of possible oil reserves. In
comparison, Saudi Arabia has 261 trillion barrels of oil, while the
United States, China, and India’s proven oil reserves are respectively
22.677 trillion, 18.25 trillion, and 5.371 trillion barrels. The
proven natural-gas reserve of the five Caspian countries is an
estimated 170.4 trillion cubic feet (4.83 trillion cubic meters) while
their possible reserve is 293 trillion cubic feet (8.30 trillion cubic
meters).

Like the Persian Gulf, Nigeria, Venezuela, and other regions rich in
energy resources, the Caspian Sea is becoming a battleground for
states and business entities with competing interests. Eni, BP,
ChevronTexaco, Caltex, LUKoil, and Royal Dutch Shell are the main
companies actively developing Caspian Basin oil and gas as they
continue building pipelines to transport those hydrocarbons to
international markets. The United States, China, Russia, Iran, several
European countries, and to a lesser extent Japan are interested in
exploring and investing in Caspian resources as a supplement to
Persian Gulf supplies.The Persian Gulf countries normally maintain
almost all of the world’s excess oil production capacity.

The situation in the Persian Gulf has increased pressure on Caspian
countries and oil companies to contribute to global oil supplies. The
Persian Gulf contains 715 billion barrels of proven oil reserves,
representing over half (57 percent) of the world’s oil reserves, and
2,462 trillion cubic feet (69.72 trillion cubic meters) of natural gas
reserves (45 percent of the world total), according to the Energy
Information Administration’s “International Energy Outlook 2003.” At
the end of 2003, Persian Gulf countries maintained about 22.9 million
barrels per day of oil production capacity, or 32 percent of the world
total. Perhaps even more significantly, the Persian Gulf countries
normally maintain almost all of the world’s excess oil production
capacity. As of early September, excess world oil production capacity
was only about 0.5-1 million barrels per day, all of which was located
in Saudi Arabia.

Since the demise of the Soviet Union and emergence of independent
states in Central Asia and the Caucasus, a major issue in the Caspian
Basin has been the division of the energy resources that lie beneath
the sea. Other sources of regional tension include the complex
unsettled legal status of the sea; the existence of unresolved
conflicts in Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia; terrorism; and
increasing Islamic militancy. The landlocked position of Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan causes further tension, as all three
countries depend on their neighbors’ good will in order to export
their oil and natural gas to international markets.

In terms of reserves, production, and access to international markets,
Russia and Iran are in better positions than their neighbors. The CIA
“World Factbook 2004” put Russia’s proven oil reserves at 51.22
billion barrels, its proven natural-gas reserves at 47.86 trillion
cubic meters (1 January 2002), and its natural-gas exports at 205.4
billion cubic meters (2001 estimates). It puts Iran’s proven oil
reserves at 94.39 billion barrels (1 January 2002), its proven
natural-gas reserves at 24.8 trillion cubic meters (1 January 2002),
and its natural-gas exports at 110 million cubic meters (2001
estimate).

Regardless of how much oil is produced, there will still be enough
customers. For example, China’s rapid economic growth means the
country’s energy needs are increasing. China already uses a great deal
of foreign energy, and in a decade or so it is expected to be totally
dependent on the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea area for its energy
needs. Russia and Kazakhstan are both already eyeing the expanding
Chinese market. The United States, Europe, India, Japan, South Korea,
and many other countries will also be seeking alternative supplies of
oil. Guaranteed access to energy resources is becoming an important
component of foreign policy for these states and is gaining even more
prominence in light of the continuing insurgency in Iraq, as well as
the expanding U.S. presence in the Caspian region at the expense of
Iran, Russia, China, and India.

Caspian Sea Basin energy assets have the potential to significantly
reduce consumers’ reliance on Middle Eastern oil. Yet this raises the
prospect of crises and conflicts that directly involve China, Iran,
Russia, and the United States. The actual production of oil and gas is
not the only potential source of competition between international
actors; for the last decade there have been disputes over the best
routes for pipelines that would transport oil and gas to markets. Iran
promotes itself as the most economical route from Central Asia, while
the United States promotes the export of Caspian oil via Georgia and
Turkey.

(Houchang Hassan-Yari is the head of the Department of Political and
Economic Science at the Royal Military College of Canada.)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Nicholas D. Kristof: Our least efforts save thousands of lives
By Nicholas D. Kristof

The New York Times
Tuesday, October 19, 2004

ALONG THE CHAD-SUDAN BORDER In June I wrote several columns about
Magboula Muhammad Khattar, a young Sudanese woman whose parents and
husband had been murdered in Darfur and who had escaped by night to
the Chad border.

She was living under a tree there. One of her sons was then so sick,
probably from contaminated water – 20,000 people were living out in
the open without a single toilet – that he seemed likely to die. On
returning this month, I searched again for Khattar.

Now each time I write about the genocide in Darfur, I hear from
readers who say something like: “It’s terrible to hear the stories,
but face reality – Africans are always slaughtering each other.” Or:
“It’s none of our business, and anyway we don’t have extra troops to
send.” Or: “There’s nothing we can do.” If that were true, then
Khattar would now be dead.

So would the woman I met huddled under the very next tree, Zahra Abdel
Karim, whose husband and two young sons had been slaughtered by the
Janjaweed militia. She had been gang-raped along with her two sisters,
who were then killed.

Zahra was slashed with a sword and left to hobble away, naked and
bleeding – but determined to survive so she could stagger across the
desert to Chad and save her remaining child.

Yet I had a wonderful reunion here with Khattar and Zahra, who are now
fast friends. They and the other 200,000 Darfur refugees in Chad are
living in camps, with tents for shelter, purified water, medical care
and food distributions.

Even within Darfur itself, the UN World Food Program managed to get
food to 1.3 million people last month out of the 2 million who need
it. “It’s much better here now,” Khattar told me, flashing a beautiful
smile as her son – now recovered – played with other children a few
feet away.

I also tracked down two lovely orphans, Nijah and Nibraz Ahmed, 1 and
4 years old, whom I had met in June after their parents were both
killed by the Janjaweed. Their grandmother sneaked back into Darfur
two weeks ago to try to find their older brother, so their widowed
aunt is caring for them. Her situation has improved enough that she
fed me a home-cooked breakfast on the ground outside her tent.

The improvement for the refugees in Chad underscores how easy it is to
save lives in a situation like this. Just a dollop of international
attention led Sudan to rein in the Janjaweed to some degree, and to
provide more humanitarian access. An international aid effort,
overseen by the United Nations, is saving countless lives by spending
as much in a year as Americans spend in Iraq in a few days.

I wish President George W. Bush had done more to help Darfur. But he
has done more than just about any other leader, and his legacy will be
hundreds of thousands of lives saved in Darfur – but also tens of
thousands of deaths that could have been averted if he had acted
earlier.

Dr. David Nabarro of the World Health Organization estimates that
within Darfur itself, 70,000 people have perished of hunger and
illness since March 1. Add the deaths from violence, the deaths of
refugees in Chad and the deaths before March 1, and my guess is that
the Darfur genocide has claimed more than 100,000 lives so far – and
the total is still rising by 5,000 to 10,000 deaths per month.

If a halfhearted effort can save hundreds of thousands of lives –
without dispatching troops, without a visit to the region by Bush,
without providing all the money that is needed – then imagine what we
could accomplish if we took serious action.

Sudan’s leaders are not Taliban-style fanatics. They are pragmatists
who engaged in genocide because they thought it was the simplest way
to end unrest among tribal peoples in Darfur. If we raise the costs of
ethnic cleansing with a no-fly zone, an arms embargo, travel
restrictions on senior officials and other targeted sanctions, then I
think they can be persuaded to negotiate seriously toward peace.

The history of genocide in the last century is one in which
well-meaning Americans were distressed as Turks slaughtered Armenians,
Nazis rounded up Jews and Gypsies, and Serbs wiped out Bosnians – but
because there were no good or easy options, they did nothing. Note to
Bush: This time, we can still redeem ourselves – but time is running
out, at the rate of 200 lives a day.

Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
October 18, 2004

Contact: Armen Carapetian
(818) 500-1918

ANC Praises Republican Senator John Ensign of Nevada
Senator Serves As Vice Chairman of Republican Steering Committee

Las Vegas, NV – The State of Nevada’s largest Armenian American public
affairs organization issued a statement today praising Senator John
Ensign (R-NV). The Senator was commended for his outstanding tenure
in the U.S. Senate and his advocacy on behalf of the growing Armenian
American community in Nevada.

`John Ensign is our community’s best friend,’ commented ANCof Nevada
Chairman Hriyr Dadaian. `The Senator’s leadership on human rights
issues is deeply appreciated by Armenian Americans in Nevada. Since
he was elected to the U.S. Senate in November of 2000, Senator Ensign
has been a true supporter of the issues so important to Armenian
American voters here in Nevada, like recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and building stronger economic ties between the United States
and Armenia,’ Dadaian added.

In June of 2003 Senator Ensign drafted and introduced S.Res.164, a
Genocide Resolution that marks the 15th anniversary of the U.S.
implementation of the Genocide Convention. The bill reaffirms the
commitment of the American people to this landmark treaty and
specifically cites the importance of applying the lessons of past
genocides, like the Armenian Genocide, in order to make the world safe
from future genocides. Support for the Genocide Resolution has been
widespread outside of Congress as well, with a diverse coalition of
over 100 ethnic, religious, civil and human rights organizations
calling for its passage, including American Values, National
Organization of Women, Sons of Italy, NAACP, Union of Orthodox Rabbis,
and the National Council of La Raza.

Since his election to the U.S. Senate on November 7th of 2003, Senator
Ensign has passionately served the people of Nevada. Before being
elected to the Senate, Ensign was a veterinarian, small business owner
and distinguished member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Armenian National Committee of Nevada is part of the ANCA, the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization.

Working coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and
supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

#####

A1 Plus | 16:47:33 | 18-10-2004 | Social |

NATIONAL LIBRARY FATE IS OBSCURE

Yerevan vice-mayor Kamo Areyan said Monday that National Library no longer
belongs to the municipality. It was handed over to the government.

Yet in 1998, Credit-Yerevan Bank built an additional third floor in the
library house and moved the library to that floor. The bank was given the
first two floors for that.

In 2003 the government got its eye on library premises and declared them
its territory.

It means the building’s fate is in the hands of the government-affiliated
state property department.

Afterward, Credit-Yerevan Bank went bankrupt and his premises were
occupied by Unibank.

The library personnel fear they will be evicted from the building. They
sent a protest letter to the PM.

KARABAKH PREMIER BACK HOME AFTER US FUND-RAISING VISIT

Mediamax news agency
18 Oct 04

YEREVAN

The prime minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (NKR), Anushavan
Danielyan, has completed his visit to the USA. The aim of the visit
was to prepare the upcoming telemarathon here in November to raise
funds for the construction of a North-South highway in Nagornyy
Karabakh.

At the end of the visit, Anushavan Danielyan met Californian
Congressman Adam Schiff. On behalf of the NKR authorities, Danielyan
thanked the congressman for the US humanitarian aid to Nagornyy
Karabakh.

Adam Schiff expressed concern about Baku’s belligerent statements,
noting that they do not contribute to the establishment of a lasting
peace and stability in the region.

All is black in Baku

The Times (London)
October 19, 2004

By Martin Samuel

Just blew in from the Windy City. The Windy City ain’t mighty pretty
and it ain’t got what we got — because we’ve got what its got.

Message from Baku: Can we have our oil back, please? Or some of the
money from it, at least? Winter is coming and we are freezing to death
here. This isn’t called the City of Wind for nothing, you
know. Heating costs are through the roof; fuel is scarce.

P. J. O’Rourke wrote that communism was brought to its knees because
nobody wanted to wear Bulgarian shoes. What he didn’t tell the freshly
empowered was that ten years on, moccasins from Plovdiv would be the
least of their worries. The liberating army of petrochemical
executives in Azerbaijan are having a fine time: an almost completed
pipeline connecting the land-bound Caspian oil reserves with the
Turkish coast; a choice of five-star hotels; a Breitling on the wrist,
an SUV in the garage and a Britannia pub that shows the football at
the weekend. For the eight million permanent residents, however, their
country might as well be back in the USSR.

Azeri oil is being exploited efficiently after years of Soviet
incompetence; but its impact at the local level is minimal. Times are
high for hookers and taxi drivers, but more than half the population
exists below the poverty line in crumbling apartments as the best of
their filthy-rich country trickles into the pockets of the oil boys.

It used to be that when oil executives located a new source they would
pop the $64 million question to Foreign Office diplomats. “Seriously,
how long have we got?” These days, ballpark insurrection estimates are
no longer required. Azerbaijan was ruled by Heydar Aliyev, a former
KGB boss who passed power to his son, Ilham, having first rigged the
election. Some ballot boxes were stuffed; others disappeared, along
with most of the opposition and the free press. Aliyev Jr is just as
accommodating to the West, though, so it turns a blind eye to his
human rights infringements.

Possibly it will use the need to protect Caspian oil and prop up his
ghastly regime as a pretext for an assault on Iran. The hope is that
the riches of Azerbaijan will stave off Western dependency on Opec,
and the last thing the West wants is for the mad mullahs to stake a
claim. Meanwhile, in the region that built the world’s first oil well
in 1849, a fuel shortage is predicted. Too bad. Let them burn Jimmy
Choos, eh?

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE

Contact Person: Peter Ara Guekguezian
Phone: 1-559-224-1000
October 15, 2004

PRIME MINISTER VISITS CENTRAL VALLEY, BAY AREA

Fresh from elections that observers applauded as one
of the best in the region, Artsakh Prime Minister
Anoushavan Danielian paid his first visit to the
Diaspora in the Central Valley of California on
October 8th and 9th. The Fresno-based Armenian
Technology Group, Inc. (ATG) and its Executive
Director Varoujan Der Simonian had the privilege of
arranging his itinerary and accompanied him and his
entourage, which included the Artsakh representative
in Washington, D.C., Vardan Barsegian, and three
representatives for Armenia Fund in Los Angeles, for
the two days that he was in and around Fresno.

Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister attended a
private welcoming reception at the house of Dr. & Mrs.
Hagop Tookoian, ATG Treasurer. In addition to many
well-respected members of the Armenian community,
representatives from the offices of Congressman George
Radanovich, Senator Diane Feinstein, and State Senator
Chuck Poochigian were present at the reception. Both
Congressman Radanovich and Senator Barbara Boxer
presented letters of welcoming and congratulations to
the Prime Minister. Congressman Radanovich welcomed
him to the Central Valley and both its “agriculture
bounty” and thriving Armenian community; Senator Boxer
expressed her appreciation for his presence here, as
well as his ongoing work in Karabagh.

The Prime Minister also was interviewed on the
‘Armenia Radio Hour’ that night. He expressed his
interest in visiting the San Joaquin Valley to learn
more about Armenian accomplishments in agribusiness.
He also talked about the current situation in
Karabagh, as well as the upcoming ‘Armenia Telethon’.

On Saturday, he visited the Masis Ararat Cemetery, the
only Armenian cemetery in America, to visit and lay
flowers at the graves of Soghomon Tehlirian, an
Armenian hero and avenger of the Genocide, and William
Saroyan, the most prominent writer of the
Armenian-American community. He then visited the
following local, Armenian-owned businesses with Der
Simonian and ATG President Sarkis Sarabian: OK
Produce, Baloian Packing, Mid Valley Packing, National
Raisin Company, Sarabian Farms, and Hye Cuisine. The
Bedrosian family, owners of National Raisin Company,
hosted him for a hospitable lunch. He and his
entourage witnessed the stories of many
Armenian-Americans who, despite their successes here,
have never forgotten their homeland.

The Prime Minister and his entourage left for San
Francisco on Saturday night. Mr. Khajag Sarkisian, a
leader in the Armenian community, organized and led
the Bay Area leg of the trip; thanks to his tireless
efforts, the Prime Minister’s visit to Northern
California was successful. Upon arriving, the Prime
Minister visited St. John’s Armenian Church for a
public forum. In the morning he attended services at
St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church. After the
social hour there, he attended several private
meetings. At night, he had a dinner and business forum
with several business representatives and members of
the Armenian community. He then left for Los Angeles
to continue his visit with the Diaspora in America,
enthusiastic and thankful for the support of his
fellow Armenians in the Bay Area and the Central
Valley.

Attached please find the letters from Congressman
George Radanovich and Senator Barbara Boxer. For
photographs relating to this article, please go to the
ATG website at , or call ATG at
1-559-224-1000.

Shad shnorhagal em,
Peter Ara Guekguezian
Armenian Technology Group, Inc.
Administrative Assistant

=====
Varoujan Der Simonian, Executive Director
Armenian Technology Group, Inc.
1322 East Shaw Ave., Suite 255
Fresno CA 93710-7904 US
1.559.224.1000 Fax 1.559.224.1002
[email protected]

University Of British Colombia
Center for Public Opinion and Democrcy
October 14, 2004

Armenians Review Post-Independence Achievements

(CPOD) Oct. 14, 2004 – Armenians are divided over their country’s
accomplishments since independence, according to a poll by the Armenian
Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS). 28.8 per cent
say the establishment of the army is the country’s main achievement,
while 17.9 per cent mention the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabagh
region from Azerbaijan.

The Republic of Armenia declared it independence at the end of World
War I, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in the 1920s.

Armenia regained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of
the Soviet Union. On that same year, the country went to war with
neighbouring Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabagh region. A bilateral
ceasefire was reached in 1994.

Polling Data

What is the main achievement of Armenia since its independence?

Establishment of the army 28.8%

Liberation of Nagorno-Karabagh 17.9%

Strengthening of ties with Diaspora 8.9%

Formation of people’s free thinking 6.2%

Formation of market economy 6.0%

Return to national and religious roots 3.7%

Development through democracy 3.5%

Confidence in our abilities 2.6%

Shaping and clarification of national policy (domestic and foreign)
2.0%

Shaping of national institutions 1.9%

National unity and solidarity 1.4%

Formation of national mindset 0.9%

None 11.7%

Difficult to answer 4.2%

Other 0.3

Source: Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)

Methodology: Interviews with 1,956 Armenian adults, conducted in
September 2004. No margin of error was provided.

Other poll highlights: Negative phenomena since independence; Comparing
losses and gains since independence; Standard of living and national
institutions in Armenia; International organizations and Armenia.

La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest
16 octobre 2004

Yves Dauge ;

Le sénateur-maire de Chinon rentre d’Istanbul d’une mission pour
l’Unesco. Pour lui, l’élargissement de l’Europe à la Turquie est une
bonne chose, dans le cadre d’une « Europe à deux têtes »
(France-Allemagne).

1 Vous venez de passer plusieurs jours en Turquie. Pour quelles
raisons ce déplacement ?

« C’était dans le cadre d’une mission pour l’Unesco, à Istanbul.
Depuis 1997, je travaille sur un projet de réhabilitation de
quartiers historiques très pauvres. Nous avons monté un dossier avec
l’Europe. Là, se tenait un séminaire pour faire un bilan des actions
en cours. »

2 La Turquie fait actuellement la Une de l’actualité. Quelle est
votre position sur son entrée dans l’Europe ?

« Sur le sujet, je me trouve dans la lignée de gens que j’ai
fréquentés souvent comme François Mitterrand et Jacques Delors.
L’élargissement est une bonne chose. Si on refuse l’entrée de la
Turquie, on fait une erreur. C’est (la Turquie) comme un pont vers
une zone du monde (l’Asie) qui est absolument stratégique.
L’élargissement est une bonne chose, autour d’une Europe à deux têtes
(France et Allemagne) ou encore avec l’Espagne, les Pays-Bas,
l’Italie quand leur gouvernement aura changé, etc. Il y aura des pays
(comme la Turquie) qui ne seront pas aussi concernés que nous. On
peut d’ailleurs se poser la question de l’Angleterre qui – je n’ai
rien contre les Anglais – préfère l’Europe marchande et économique à
une Europe politique comme celle que nous défendons. »

3Le Parti socialiste est actuellement divisé sur la question.
Hollande et tous ses amis d’un côté, Fabius de l’autre. Qu’en
pensez-vous ?

« Fabius n’a pas dit vraiment non (!) Il y a eu dernièrement un vote
unanime au sein du PS sur une motion qui permet d’engager des
négociations au terme de laquelle on se décidera. La Turquie devra
respecter certains critères comme la laïcité, reconnaître le génocide
arménien, des questions socioculturelles… Tout ça, la Turquie le
sait […] Il faut profiter de ce temps de négociation qui est en
lui-même porteur de progrès pour les uns comme pour les autres […]
Et savoir que les Turcs se sont libéré des emprises coloniales en
1923 pour devenir une république. Ce qu’ils ont fait, c’est aussi
important que chez nous (en 1789). Les Français doivent réapprendre
l’Histoire, les politiques en particulier. »

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress