Russian cleric calls for boosting public relations against terror
By Viktoria Sokolova

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 29, 2004 Wednesday 8:56 AM Eastern Time

MOSCOW, September 29 — Terrorism and counteraction to this menace
were the main subjects discussed by the Council for cooperation with
religious organisations under the Russian president on Wednesday.

“The main issue is terrorism, mobilisation of public forces, the entire
spiritual resource of the country to make Russia capable of stopping
activities of terrorists,” Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad
Kirill said after the meeting.

Metropolitan Kirill called for “giving a new impetus to public
relations, in order to make the country capable of stopping war that
has not been declared but is being waged on Russia.”

All the Council members noted the importance of the meeting, especially
the fact that it was held under the chairmanship of Russian President
Vladimir Putin after a pause in its meetings.

The presidential Council meeting was held in the Kremlin.

The meeting also focused on discussing ‘activities of religious
organisations on consolidating the civil society and counteracting
to the global threat of terrorism and extremism.’

The Council has recently undergone changes.

By his decree the president included in the Council the head of
the Russian Orthodox Church of Old Belief, Metropolitan Andrian
(Chetvergov).

So now the Council consists of 22 members.

There are four hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, three muftis,
the Chief Rabbi of the Federation of Jewish Communities, the Head of
Buddhists of Russia, the Old Believers Metropolitan, a representative
of the Armenian Church, heads of Russian Catholics, Lutherans,
Baptists and Adventists, as well as seven secular experts among them.

Addressing the Council meeting Putin said it is inadmissible and
harmful to wreak wrath against terrorists on people of other faith
and other nationality.

“It is inadmissible to toe the line of criminals and terrorists, as
well as to wreak wrath against terrorists on people of other faith and
nationality, and it is even pernicious to do so in a multi-confessional
and multinational country,” Putin stressed.

Alcatel to supply equipment worth 2 mln euro to ArmenTel

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
September 29, 2004

MOSCOW, Sept 29 (Prime-Tass) — France’s telecom equipment supplier
Alcatel SA is to provide equipment worth 2 million euros to Armenia’s
national fixed-line and mobile operator ArmenTel by August 2005,
Alcatel said in a press release Tuesday.

The equipment includes high-capacity switching units that are to be
installed in the cities of Stepanavan and Gyumri. This will improve the
telecommunications infrastructure in northern areas of the country,
which has a population of about 235,000 and has not yet completely
recovered from the damage incurred from an earthquake in Armenia in
December 1988.

ArmenTel shareholders are Greece’s Hellenic Telecommunications
Organizations SA (OTE) with 90% and Armenia’s government with 10%.
OTE has invested more than U.S. USD 200 million in upgrading and
development of Armenia’s telecom infrastructure, Alcatel said. End

Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press
September 29, 2004

SOCHI COMPACT. — Russia Casts Its Vote for President of Abkhazia.
Kommersant, Aug. 31, 2004, p. 9. Condensed text of first and complete
text of second of two items:

(By Alla Barakhova in Sochi and Vladimir Novikov in Tbilisi). —
Moscow has made its choice for the presidential election in Abkhazia,
set for Oct. 3. On Sunday evening [Aug. 29], . . . Russian President
Vladimir Putin, who was vacationing in Sochi, met with Abkhaz Prime
Minister and presidential candidate Raul Khadzhimba. In Tbilisi,
officials saw the meeting as indicating that, for all practical
purposes, Moscow has recognized Abkhazia’s independence.

Mr. Putin’s visit to Sochi’s Dagomys Hotel, which is about a
30-minute drive from Bocharov Ruchei, the president’s Sochi
residence, was portrayed as an impromptu occurrence. The head of
state was accompanied by just a few bodyguards and a small group of
reporters. . . .

Vladimir Putin . . . sequestered himself with Raul Khadzhimba in
the Panorama Cafe, on the Dagomys Hotel’s 22nd floor.

Members of the Kremlin administration have declined to comment on
what the Russian president and Abkhaz premier discussed at the
meeting. According to the official account, the parties discussed
“matters relating to cooperation between Russian and Abkhaz veterans’
organizations.” Unofficially, however, Kremlin spokesmen have
acknowledged that the meeting was directly connected to recent
developments in Georgia. It may be recalled that, one week ago,
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said in an interview in the
French newspaper Liberation that Georgia was “on the brink of war
with Russia.” At the same time, mass protests were being held in
Georgia in front of the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi. The Russian
leadership was particularly outraged by slogans that were projected
onto the building and that read, “Putin is a liar” and “The
double-headed eagle is a two-faced birdie.” In connection with these
actions, the Russian Foreign Ministry sent a protest note to the
Georgian leadership, and the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi was even
forced to suspend its operations for a time. . . .

A source in the Kremlin administration told Kommersant that the
meeting between Putin and the Abkhaz prime minister at the Dagomys
should serve as a “lesson in peaceableness” to the Georgian
president. The source added, “If we wanted to destroy Georgia, all we
would have to do is switch off the gas. End of story.”

Messrs. Putin and Khadzhimba left the Dagomys together around 8
p.m., to the sound of applause from vacationers [who had gathered in
front of the hotel]. . . . Kremlin officials conceded later that that
“lesson” might not find much favor with Mikhail Saakashvili, who has
repeatedly voiced his intention to reassert Georgian control over
Abkhazia. According to the Kremlin, however, technically he has no
grounds for complaint, since no political statements were made at the
meeting.

In Tbilisi, reports of the Sochi meeting between Putin and
Khadzhimba set off shock waves. Members of the Georgian Parliament
whom a Kommersant correspondent asked for comment were bewildered,
and even said initially that the reports were disinformation, “since
Vladimir Putin could not possibly have taken such a step.” Officials
at the Georgian Foreign Ministry told Kommersant they were studying
reports of the meeting between the Russian president and the Abkhaz
prime minister, and that an official response might come later. . . .

In the absence of Georgia’s president [who was away in Athens], the
chairwoman of the Georgian Parliament, Nino Burdzhanadze, commented
on the meeting between Putin and Khadzhimba. After expressing
puzzlement at the very fact the meeting took place, she posed a
question: Does this mean that Russia recognizes Abkhazia’s
independence and the legitimacy of a presidential election that will
be held “in the absence of two-thirds of Abkhazia’s population?”
[Burdzhanadze was alluding to the Georgian refugees who fled during
the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in 1992-1993. — Trans.] She promptly
answered her own question: Russia would find itself the only country
in the world taking the Abkhaz election seriously. “Along, perhaps,
with Belarus,” Ms. Burdzhanadze added, correcting herself.

Our sources in Tbilisi confirm that during the Putin-Khadzhimba
meeting, one of the matters discussed was that of reestablishing rail
links. As long ago as last year, Putin and [former Georgian
President] Eduard Shevardnadze agreed on the need to open a
through-traffic rail line from Russia through Abkhazia and on to
Tbilisi and Armenia, but the Georgian side linked the issue to a
return of Georgian refugees to Abkhazia’s Gali District, which was
inhabited almost exclusively by Georgians prior to the war. Tbilisi
and Sukhumi have deep disagreements over this matter. And that is why
no decision on restoring full-scale rail connections has been reached
as yet. Nevertheless, all indications are that a Sukhumi-Moscow route
will start operating at full capacity in the near future, first for
freight trains and later for passenger service.

Overall, the meeting between the Russian president and the Abkhaz
prime minister indicates that the Kremlin has cast its lot with Mr.
Khadzhimba in the upcoming presidential election in the unrecognized
republic. The Abkhaz prime minister is supported not only by the
“party of power,” but also by the republic’s incumbent leader,
Vladislav Ardzinba, who will not be running in the election. Mr.
Ardzinba is seriously ill and is quitting the political arena,
although he remains a very respected figure in Abkhazia, since he
symbolizes Sukhumi’s victory in the Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992-1993
and Abkhazia’s secession from Georgia. The Abkhaz leader’s top aides
believe that Raul Khadzhimba will continue Mr. Ardzinba’s policies.
As does Moscow, apparently.

* * *

What’s at Stake. (By commentator Gennady Sysoyev). — Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with the prime minister of
Abkhazia, a candidate for president of that unrecognized republic,
had nothing to do, of course, with discussion of the social welfare
of Great Patriotic War veterans, as the official protocol reads. The
meeting was immediately taken as a sign of Moscow’s direct support
for Mr. Khadzhimba’s candidacy in the coming election. Abkhazia is a
tiny republic, so the news that its premier had met with the
president of Russia would presumably spread to the whole population
in minutes, and everyone would know which candidate to support on
Oct. 3.

This is all undoubtedly true. But the real import of the meeting at
the Dagomys Hotel lies much deeper. By arranging the meeting, Moscow
clearly indicated that it views Abkhazia as, at the very least, a
zone in which it has special interests. And there are a great many
reasons for this.

Abkhazia is traversed by a road that connects Russia with Armenia,
Moscow’s chief ally in the Transcaucasus. Not far from the Abkhaz
city of Gudauta is a strategically important air base that
specialists describe as unique: Takeoffs of military aircraft from
this base are virtually undetectable by NATO radar installations in
Turkey. In addition, the Russian president’s southern residence,
Krasnaya Polyana, is situated on the Psou River within 10 kilometers
or so of the unrecognized republic’s border, and Abkhaz leaders
regularly remind Moscow that the moment Georgia regains political
power in Sukhumi, a NATO observation and listening post will go up in
that same area along the banks of the Psou. Finally, Moscow has
financial motives for keeping Abkhazia within its zone of influence
as well: Over the past few years, Russia has acquired a considerable
amount of real estate in the unrecognized republic, and the drumbeat
of statements from Georgian politicians about reviewing privatization
outcomes in Abkhazia once Tbilisi reestablishes its rule there is
compelling Moscow to do everything it can to prevent Tbilisi from
doing so.

But that’s still not all. Moscow would like to preserve its
influence with Georgia, since in view of its strategic partnership
with Armenia, this would give it control over the Transcaucasus as a
whole. And retaining its influence in Tbilisi is something Moscow
expects to do primarily through preserving its control over Abkhazia.

Formally, Moscow is unlikely to question the territorial integrity
of Georgia, which officially includes Abkhazia. And so Abkhazia is
unlikely to become part of the Russian Federation. But there is no
need for it to do so. From Moscow’s point of view, it is sufficient
that virtually all the residents of Abkhazia hold Russian
citizenship. This, Moscow considers, gives it the right — at the
very least — to keep Abkhazia under its special care.

Georgia could, of course, take umbrage at this and resume drawing
parallels between Abkhazia and Chechnya. It might ask, as Georgian
Defense Minister Georgy Baramidze did, why it is that when Russia
defends its borders, it’s entirely within its rights, but when
Georgia tries to do the same, it’s engaging in aggression. To all
such objections, it would appear that Moscow has a ready answer:
There are no Georgian citizens in Chechnya, and the Abkhaz aren’t
blowing up Georgian airliners.

21 accused of forming militant group on trial in Azerbaijan

Associated Press Worldstream
September 29, 2004 Wednesday 7:13 PM Eastern Time

BAKU, Azerbaijan — Twenty-one people, some of whom prosecutors say
underwent militant training in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge, went on trial
Wednesday on charges of organizing and participating in an illegal
armed group.

The 21 defendants, who were disarmed by authorities in August 2003
in an operation in the capital Baku and several other cities in
Azerbaijan, are also accused of weapons possession and creating and
using counterfeit documents.

Prosecutors say the man accused of leading the organization, Rovshan
Badalov, also fought in Russia’s Chechnya region alongside rebels
in 2001-2002.

The defendants – 20 Azerbaijanis and one Georgian – say they wanted to
fight against ethnic Armenians who have controlled Nagorno-Karabakh
and surrounding areas since a cease-fire ended a six-year war over
the enclave in Azerbaijan in 1994. At the same time, all but one of
the defendants pleaded innocent Wednesday.

According to prosecutors, Badalov illegally crossed the border into
Georgia in March 2001 and led several other defendants in training in
the Pankisi Gorge that involved learning how to use weapons and maps.

Members of the group regularly crossed the Georgian-Azerbaijani border
illegally and, with the help of forged documents, also traveled to
Moscow and Turkey, according to prosecutors. However, aside from
Badalov, authorities say a preliminary investigation did not show
that the defendants fought or intended to fight in Chechnya.

Russian officials say Chechen rebels have taken refuge in the Pankisi
Gorge, and after the Sept. 11 attacks the United States initiated a
program to train Georgian forces amid concern over the presence of
fighters in the gorge that Washington said were linked to the al-Qaida
terror network.

ARKA News Agency
Sept 29 2004

Exhibition of NKR artists takes place in Stepanakert

Armenia joins the project of exchange of radio-journals in South
caucasus

Confederation of graduates of Melkoniantsi International calls to not
to allow its closing

Draft law on ecological expertise to be discussed in Armenia

Two-day international conference “South Caucasus as Part of Enlarged
Europe” to be held on September 30 in Yerevan

Awards delivered to veteran of WWII on honor of 60th anniversary of
liberation of Belarus today in Yerevan

*********************************************************************

EXHIBITION OF NKR ARTISTS TAKES PLACE IN STEPANAKERT

STEPANAKERT, September 29. /ARKA/. Exhibition of NKR artists took
place in Stepanakert, the Chairman of NKR Artists’ Union Lenord
Zakharian stated today. According to him, it is third and last
exhibition this year. The next one will be conducted in March 2005.
“We want to exhibit only new works that is why the time split is so
big”, he explained.
Newly elected Mayor of Stepanakert Eudard Agabekian in his turn noted
big contribution of artists in development of Artsakh culture,
propaganda of art outside the country. He stressed that the
exhibitions will be organized more often. L.D. –0—

*********************************************************************

ARMENIA JOINS THE PROJECT OF EXCHANGE OF RADIO-JOURNALS IN SOUTH
CAUCASUS

YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. Armenia joins the project of exchange
of radio-journals in South Caucasus, Coordinator of the Project of
British NGO “Peace Researces” Helen Kuk stated today at the press
conference. According to her, the advantage of the journals is that
it is not a political genre, but an example of so called “people’s
broadcast”. According to her, in the regions with conflict, there is
lack of information on life of people by both sides of the conflict.
“Sincere stories of ordinary people’s lives allow filling existing
vacuum, overcome stereotypes in people’s mentalities and are very
important in the view of psychological rehabilitation of society that
suffered conflict”, Kuk said.
In the whole, about 20 channels in all countries of the region will
broadcast audio-journals, and the materials will be translated in
several languages, so they could be understood outside the region as
well.
Radio-journals is an original genre of programs, first appeared at
BBC in the beginning of 90s. It is sincere stories of people recorded
without journalists. The length of one journal makes 3-5 minutes.
The project is coordinated by British NGO Peace Resources in
financial support of Global Fund on Prevention of Conflicts and Swiss
Agency for Cooperation and International Development. L.D. –0

*********************************************************************

CONFEDERATION OF GRADUATES OF MELKONIANTSI INTERNATIONAL CALLS TO NOT
TO ALLOW ITS CLOSING

YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. Confederation of graduates of
Melkoniantsi International calls to not to allow its closing. The
statement says that organization raises the issue of closing of
acting institution in Cyprus during General Assembly of Armenian
Charity Union that will take place on Oct 1-8 in Yerevan. According
to the organization, closing of the institution with 78-year history
will lead to a loss of small part of Armenian nation and break the
last will of Karapet Melkonian as of 1925. The press release notes
that similar attitude of ACU GA to Armenians has been several times
discussed in Armenian press and by some Armenian political parties,
the Government of Cyprus and representatives of ACU. Namely, the
Chairman of Belgium Department of ACU refused of his position and
Swiss Department of the Union condemned the decision. “It is no doubt
that Melkonian is the most important and most famous Armenian school
in the world that gave leaders of Armenian communities, teachers,
academicians, doctors, art figures, state servants”, press release
notes. Confederation of graduates of Melkoniantsi International
expressed hope that the delegates of the General Assembly will cancel
the decision. L.D. –0—

*********************************************************************

DRAFT LAW ON ECOLOGICAL EXPERTISE TO BE DISCUSSED IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. The draft law on ecological expertise
will be discussed in Armenia, as ARKA was told in Transparency
International, the Armenian branch of the regional center of
development. The draft law as well as the draft of the sub-law act is
developed by Transparency International in the frames of the program
“legislation perfection in the area of the evaluation of an impact on
the environment”, sponsored by GB Government. RA Ministry of
Environmental Protection together with some Ministries and NGOs
participated in the development of the draft laws. A.H. –0–

*********************************************************************

TWO-DAY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “SOUTH CAUCASUS AS PART OF ENLARGED
EUROPE” TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 30 IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. Two-day international conference
“South Caucasus as Part of Enlarged Europe” to be held on September
30 in Yerevan. The conference is organized by Department of Public
Diplomacy of NATO with support of Finnish Foreign Ministry. As
SPECTRUM Strategic Analyses Center told ARKA, in the frames of the
conference there will be discussed a number of issues related to
South Caucasus with NATO and EU. The conference will be attended by
Vice Speaker of Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosyan, Deputy Armenian
Foreign Minister Ruben Shugaryan, Personal Advisor of EU on South
Caucasus Harri Kamarainen, Representative of Vienna Institute of
Peace Study and Conflicts Martin Malek, Head of Department of
Conflictology and Migration of Baku Institute of Peace and Democracy
Arif Yunusov. T.M. –0–

*********************************************************************

AWARDS DELIVERED TO VETERAN OF WWII ON HONOR OF 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF
LIBERATION OF BELARUS TODAY IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. Today jubilee awards were delivered to
veterans of WWII in honor of 60th anniversary of liberation of
Belarus from Nazi occupants. As Marina Dolgopolova, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Armenia stated, the
state awards are delivered as instructed by Belorussian President
Alexander Lukashenko. She also mentioned for many Armenian veterans
of WWII, Belorussian soil became motherland. “Belorussia highly
honors feat of arms of veterans and will always be grateful for the
peace achieved”, Dolgopolova said.
Veterans stood in memory of fallen during the war as well as raised
their glasses in honor of Victory in WWII and liberation of
Belorussia. T.M. –0–

*********************************************************************

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

[Congressional Record: September 28, 2004 (House)]
[Page H7716]
>>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr28se04-115]

THREATS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN AGAINST ARMENIA

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring attention to recent
statements made by high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan
that threaten the security of Armenia as well as the efforts towards
a peaceful settlement over the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.

This issue, if not compellingly addressed by the administration,
has the potential to undermine U.S. interests and American values in
the strategically important Caucasus region.

I refer to the recent remarks made by officials in the government of
President Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia.
For example, as reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense
Minister spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s takeover of the entire
territory of Armenia and removal of the entire Armenian population from
the Caucasus. He went so far as to say, “Within the next 25 years
there will exist no state of Armenia in the south Caucasus.” Given
Azerbaijan’s history of aggression against Armenians, these remarks
cannot be dismissed as mere rhetoric.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan recently blocked key NATO exercises in the
country, due to their opposition towards having Armenian officers
taking part in the exercises. In fact, in June 2003, Armenia served
as the host country for similar exercises, to which Azerbaijani
military forces were invited, yet refused to participate. This year,
Armenia was one of several dozen countries due to participate, yet
the initiative was blocked by Azerbaijan, which is continuing its
efforts to undermine the prospects for peace in the Caucasus region.

Azerbaijan’s threats again Armenia’s survival reinforce our
commitment to maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and
Azerbaijan. This arrangement means even more today than when it was
first put in place, particularly in light of Baku’s increasingly
aggressive posture towards Armenia. Any tilt in military spending
towards Azerbaijan could, in our view, destabilize the region by
emboldening the new Azerbaijani leadership to continue their threats
to impose a military solution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.

Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated Independence
Day marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We have seen
considerable economic growth in the country. Despite the continuing
illegal blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, a recent Wall Street Journal
study found that Armenia remains the most economically free nation in
the region. Today, Armenia is steadfast in its support of the U.S.,
as exhibited by their recent announcement of plans to send a unit
of deminers, doctors and 50 trucks, including staff and drivers,
to assist the Coalition forces in Iraq.

It is critical to note that Armenia is today, as it has always been,
committed to the peace process and the terms agreed to in the Key West
summit. Since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabagh and Azerbaijan
conflict, Armenia has been committed to finding a peaceful resolution.
Moreover, I cannot stress enough the crucial role that the U.S. plays
in the negotiations over Nagorno-Karabagh to help the people of this
region find a lasting and equitable peace. These threats by Azerbaijan
undermine these efforts and seriously complicate our diplomacy in the
region. A failure on our part to forcefully and publicly confront
the Azerbaijan government over these destabilizing threats would,
in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan.

So, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the United States takes action to condemn
these remarks by the Azerbaijani government, and that we here in this
Chamber do everything we can to ensure that all parties involved in
this conflict make a genuine commitment towards peace and stability
in the region.

____________________

Hastert rejecting calls to consider recognition of Armenian genocide
By Lisa Friedman, Washington Bureau

dailynews.com
Sept 28, 2004

WASHINGTON — Despite mounting pressure from Southern California
lawmakers, House Speaker Dennis Hastert will continue to oppose a
Pasadena congressman’s amendment recognizing the Armenian genocide,
his spokesman said Tuesday.

“That amendment, in the Speaker’s view, was poorly crafted and
wouldn’t help us with one of our most valuable allies in the war
against terror,” John Feehery said. “He doesn’t think that this is
a fight we should be picking right now.”

Feehery’s comments came on the heels of a petition from Rep. Adam
Schiff, D-Pasadena, asking Hastert to reconsider his position that the
United States should not formally declare the massacre of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire after World War I a genocide, saying it would
alienate Turkey, a NATO ally.

The letter, signed by more than 60 lawmakers sympathetic to Armenian
issues, reminded Hastert that four years ago, in order to help
James Rogan — a then-struggling Glendale Republican incumbent —
the Speaker vowed to allow a vote on the Armenian genocide.

Lawmakers also downplayed the effect such a resolution would have on
the U.S. relationship with Turkey, noting that the European Parliament,
the Council of Europe and several European nations have recognized
the genocide without suffering long-term breaches with Ankara.

“Our relationship with Turkey is important, but that relationship
must not compel us to acquiesce in the unwillingness of Turkey to
confront the actions of its Ottoman forebears,” lawmakers wrote.

Schiff, whose district is home to a large concentration of Armenians,
attached an amendment to a foreign-operations funding bill earlier
this year that would forbid Turkey from using U.S. funds to lobby
against the genocide resolution.

The amendment is largely symbolic because the law already prohibits
foreign governments from using U.S. aid to lobby. But it has the
practical effect of formally designating, for the first time, the
killing of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as a genocide.

Hastert and the GOP leadership reacted swiftly to the amendment and
insisted it be stripped from the bill. He also vowed that the central
question of whether to declare the killings genocide would never be
scheduled for a vote under his watch.

Last week, the Senate passed a version of the legislation that made
no mention of the Schiff amendment. Now House and Senate negotiators
are working to merge the two versions, a process that will determine
whether the genocide language will live or die.

Schiff did not accept an early defeat regarding the fate of his
amendment, but noted: “We’re in this fight for the long haul. If we
don’t succeed in the remaining few weeks of this session, we want to
recognize the genocide while there are still some victims left.”

Armenians estimate that more than 1.5 million died in a planned
genocide campaign. Turkey has consistently denied the assertions,
putting the number at 300,000 and contending that thousands of Turks
also died in what was a multiparty conflict during the last years of
the Ottoman Empire.

Lisa Friedman, (202) 662-8731 [email protected]

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/30/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Minister Oskanian Delivers Strong Message to UN General Assembly
2) Defense Minister Sargsian Advises Baku to Steer Clear of War
3) Kokoity Confirms Intentions to Integrate with Russia
4) Armenian Man Kidnapped in Iraq
5) Bush Administration Disappoints Ethnic Voters

1) Minister Oskanian Delivers Strong Message to UN General Assembly

NEW YORK–Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian delivered Armenia’s annual message
at the United Nations on Wednesday, speaking to the 59th Session of the
General
Assembly on such issues as UN reform, Millennium Development Goals, and the
fight against terrorism. At the same time, he addressed the Mountainous
Karabagh conflict, and Armenia’s position on prospects for its resolution.
He said that Armenia is ready to “compromise and collaborate” with neighbors
only if they are ready to make history, not rewrite it. “We want to work with
an Azerbaijan that understands its place in a rule-based international order,
not one whose policies, practices and statements threaten the fragile peace
and
stability of our region.”
Azerbaijan maligns the OSCE Minsk Group, stressed Oskanian, in order to mask
its refusal to consider proposals.
“For more than half a decade, it has rejected every proposal placed before it
from the Common State Proposal in 1998 to the Key West document of 2001,”
revealing that the same proposals emerged from discussions and negotiations
that included the participation of Azerbaijan’s leadership.
He concluded saying that though Armenians and Azeris were forcibly linked
together during the last century, they have, nevertheless, earned the right to
determine, in the coming century, whether they will live in peace.
“If we are serious about becoming full, deserving residents of the European
neighborhood, where borders don’t matter, but intentions and tolerance do, we
will have to come to terms with our past, with our history, with the realities
that have gripped our region.”
Local students and representatives of Armenian organizations were present to
hear the statement, and later participated in a short question-and-answer
period with the Minister.
The speech came at the conclusion of a three-day visit during which Oskanian
met with various UN officials, as well as foreign ministers. On Wednesday, the
Minister met with the Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, with
whom he discussed various UN issues, as well as matters related to Armenia-UN
cooperation. At the Secretary General’s request, the Minister briefed Annan on
the Mountainous Karabagh peace process.
Earlier in the day, Oskanian also met with the Secretary General’s Special
Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Juan Mendez. Minister Oskanian held a
short meeting with the Secretary General of the League of Arab States Amre
Moussa, where the two welcomed Armenia’s inclusion in the Arab League with
observer status. Within the margins of the UN, Minister Oskanian conferred
with
the foreign ministers of China, Turkey, Egypt, and Lebanon. He also met with
the US Undersecretary of State Mark Grossman, the US Co-chair of the Minsk
Group Ambassador Steven Mann, and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Italy.

2) Defense Minister Sargsian Advises Baku to Steer Clear of War

YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net)–The consequences of renewed hostilities in the
Mountainous Karabagh region would be extremely grave both for Armenia and
Azerbaijan, warned Armenia’s Minister Serge Sargsian, who is also the
Secretary
of the President’s Defense Council.
Speaking on Armenian Public TV on Wednesday, Sargsian emphasized Armenia’s
resoluteness to steer clear of war. “The outcome of any possible war–even the
most favorable for Armenia, means casualties; we have no desire to be involved
in military operations.”
It would even be no consolation, said Sargsian, that odds would be in
Armenia’s favor, as was the case in 1992-1994. “There are, after all, huge
prices to pay for war–delays settling social problems, limitation on
freedoms.
. . ”
Sargsian said that Armenia would be forced to pursue war, only if Azerbaijan
advances the attack.
“In this case, I assure, we will respond adequately, and the response will be
one that will, for many years–crush Azerbaijan’s desire to fight.”

3) Kokoity Confirms Intentions to Integrate with Russia

MOSCOW (Interfax)–At a ceremony marking the dispatch of humanitarian aid from
Moscow to the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali on Wednesday, president of
the breakaway republic Eduard Kokoity, stressed the need for unity between
north and south Ossetia.
“It’s time to forget the words ‘southern’ and ‘northern.’ There is one
Ossetia, which will be part of Russia,” Kokoity said, adding that nearly
98% of
residents of South Ossetia are Russian citizens.
“We are aware of our responsibility before our compatriots in Russia, since
geographically it is in a place where the future of the Caucasus is being
decided,” he said.
A united Ossetian people would “do everything possible to rebuff the forces
that are trying to oust Russia from the Caucasus,” he said.
“We shall work on several economic projects to integrate South Ossetia with
Russia,” he said.
South Ossetia is legally a province of Georgia, but a conflict in the 1990s
led to its de-facto independence. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has
stepped up efforts to restore control over South Ossetia. North Ossetia is a
constituent territory of the Russian Federation.
Meanwhile, South Ossetian Interior Minister Robert Guliyev told Interfax by
phone on Thursday that Georgia has set up two army groups on the border with
South Ossetia as part of its plans to launch strikes at the republic from the
direction of Znauri and Tskhinvali.
“By concentrating their forces in two directions–Tskhinvali and Znauri–the
Georgian authorities are entrusting the task of surrounding Tskhinvali and
closing the Trans-Caucasus highway to traffic traveling to [Russia’s republic
of] North Ossetia to these army groups. This will become possible as a result
of two parallel strikes,” Guliyev said.
“An intelligence report suggests that up to ten T-72 tanks, some of which
Tbilisi purchased in Romania and some other tanks that were repaired in
Ukraine, have been deployed in Georgia’s Kareli district alone. These tanks
are
expected to take part in an invasion of South Ossetia’s Znauri district,” he
said.

4) Armenian Man Kidnapped in Iraq

BAGHDAD–The Sydney Morning Herald reported that among three Lebanese travel
agency workers kidnapped in Iraq on September 17, is Armenian Aram Nalbandian.
The three men and their Iraqi driver were abducted by gunmen on the
Baghdad-Fallujah highway, a Lebanese Foreign Ministry official told The
Associated Press
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the three Lebanese
worked for a travel agency that has a branch in Baghdad.
The motive for the kidnapping was not immediately clear.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Jean Obeid has instructed the Lebanese charge
d’affaires in Iraq, Hassan Hejazi, to contact Iraqi authorities to secure the
release of the three Lebanese, the official said.

5) Bush Administration Disappoints Ethnic Voters

–Visit

–Multi-Ethnic Review Reveals Deep-Rooted Frustration Across Diverse
Communities

WASHINGTON, DC–Community leaders representing millions of ethnic Americans
are
fed up with George W. Bush’s neglect, opposition, and–all too often–outright
assault on the issues and values they care about, according to a review
released recently by the National Democratic Ethnic Leadership Council
(NDELC).
“Each of the community leaders reached out to in this survey represents a
different element of our nation’s great ethnic diversity, but what they all
have in common is a profound disappointment with how the Bush Administration
has misled their communities and mismanaged issues–both domestic and
international–that hold the most meaning for the ethnic voters they
represent,” said AADLC representative Tsoghig Margossian.
“Over the past four years, Armenian Americans have suffered setback after
setback under the Bush Administration’s attack on the issues we care about
as a
community,” added Margossian. “As the NDELC review makes clear, we aren’t
alone
in our frustration over these disastrous policies, nor do we stand alone in
our
efforts to bring about real change this November.”
The National Democratic Ethnic Leadership Council (NDELC) is an ethnic
constituency based organization encompassing the community of immigrants and
descendants of immigrants who primarily trace their heritage from Europe and
the Mediterranean. The groups include, but are not limited to Albanian, Arab,
Armenian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, German, Finnish, French Canadian, Greek,
Hungarian, Iranian, Irish, Italian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese,
Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, Swedish, and Ukrainian Americans.
The purpose of NDELC is to continue the work of the 1990s to redefine how the
Democratic Party communicates with ethnic Americans and to ensure that ethnic
Democrats continue to be players in American politics.
For more information about “Armenians for Kerry” and Senator Kerry’s
record on
Armenian American issues, visit
“Armenians for Kerry” works in partnership with the Armenian American
Democratic Leadership Council (AADLC), a long-standing ethnic council of the
Democratic National Committee’s National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating
Committee. The AADLC actively fosters support within the Armenian American
community for the Democratic Party and national Democratic office holders,
while promoting the election of Armenian American Democrats to political
office
and encouraging participation by Armenian American Democrats at all levels of
the public policy process.
The text of the NDELC review is provided below. For more information about
the
role that ethnic Americans are playing this election season, visit:

George W. Bush is Wrong for Ethnic Americans*

IRISH AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 44 million Irish Americans by failing to
engage in the Northern Ireland peace process and standing by while a top
advisor made reckless comparisons to the war on Al Qaeda.”
–Stella O’Leary, Irish American Democrats

POLISH AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 10 million Polish Americans by relying on
Poland’s sacrifice in Iraq but continuing to impose burdensome and costly visa
requirements on Poles coming to the US and by not facilitating bidding by
Polish firms on post-war contracts in Iraq.”
–Nicholas Rey, Ambassador to Poland 1993-1997

ARMENIAN AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 1.5 million Armenian Americans by breaking
his pledge to recognize the Armenian genocide.”
–Aram Hamparian, Armenian National Committee of America

ARAB AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 3.5 million Arab Americans by tolerating
anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigotry from members of his Administration and
allowing an unfettered John Ashcroft to run roughshod over the civil liberties
of Arab
immigrants, creating fear and mistrust.”
–Dr. Jim Zogby, Arab American Institute

GREEK AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 3 million Greek Americans by failing to
show the required leadership, diplomacy and commitment in resolving the Cyprus
conflict to help bring peace and stability to the region.”
–Clay Constantinou, former Ambassador, Dean of Whitehead School of Diplomacy
and International Relation

UKRAINIAN AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 1.5 million Ukrainian Americans by
blocking
legislation condemning Stalin’s Famine-Genocide against the Ukrainian nation.”
–Julian Kulas, Ukrainian Americans for Kerry-Edwards

MUSLIM AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 7 million Muslim Americans by speaking of
inclusion while creating an atmosphere where law-abiding Muslim Americans are
afraid of a government they thought was supposed to protect them, not harass
them.” –Isi Siddiqui, Undersecretary of Agriculture during Clinton
Administration

ROMANIAN AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 2 million Romanian Americans by seeking to
cut foreign aid, and failing to engage pro-democracy, anti-corruption
forces in
Romania.” –Prof. Radu Florescu, Romanian American community leader

ALBANIAN AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 1 million Albanian Americans by abdicating
America’s traditional leadership role in resolving Kosovo’s final status and
securing stability in the Balkans.”
–Ilir Zherka, Clinton-Gore ’96 Ethnic Outreach Coordinator

SERBIAN AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 2 million Serbian Americans by abandoning
US efforts to promote regional stability in the Balkans and support for
democratic forces within Serbia.”
–Obrad Kesic, Serbian American community leader

HUNGARIAN AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 2 million Hungarian Americans by ignoring
the human, civil, and religious rights of Hungarian minorities throughout
Central Europe.”
–Peter Ujvagi, State Representative, Ohio District 47

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 5 million Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian,
Czech, and Slovak Americans by failing to continue America’s traditional
engagement with pro-democracy forces.”
–Mark Brzezinski, former director Southeast European Affairs, National
Security Council

BALTIC AMERICANS:

“George W. Bush turned his back on 1 million Latvian, Lithuanian, and
Estonian
Americans by eliminating VOA and RFE radio broadcasts to the Baltic states.”
–Asta Banionis, Lithuanian American community leader

*Organizational affiliations are for identification purposes only.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-

PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE

29 September 2004

Deputy Minister Shugarian Receives Representatives of Defense
Ministries of Switzerland and Finland

On September 29, Deputy Foreign Minister Ruben Shugarian received
a delegation headed by Bernard Genti, Head of Arms Control Unit of
Swiss Federal Department of Defense and Alexander Aminoff, Director
of Arms Control Department of Finnish Armed Forces.

The delegation arrived in Armenia with an aim of establishing
cooperation under OSCE Small Arms and Light Weapons document and,
specifically, identifying possibilities for a joint cooperation
programme.

The Deputy Foreign Minister briefed the delegation on Armenia’s
fulfillment of international commitments under Small Arms and Light
Weapons document.

The parties also discussed future cooperation and prospects for
implementation of joint programmes.

Pundit says opening of Turkish border to boost Armenian export

Mediamax news agency
29 Sep 04

Yerevan, 29 September: The opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders
will create an opportunity to boost Armenia’s export and foreign
trade, Tigran Dzhrbashyan, director of the Armenian-European centre
for political and legal consultations, told today’s seminar entitled
“The economic efficiency of opening the Armenian-Turkish borders and
possible developments”.

He highlighted several economic consequences for Armenia if the
Armenian-Turkish borders are opened: increased budget revenue, less
transport dependency, drop in the cost price of goods due to low
transport charges, and increased investment.

At the same time, he thinks that there will appear the necessity for
the legal protection of local manufacturers at the domestic market.