Czech News Agency (CTK)
CTK National News Wire
December 16, 2004
HEAD OF REFUGEE CAMP MEMBER OF PEOPLE-SMUGGLING RING
BRATISLAVA, Dec 16 ; (YOP)
The Slovak rail police and the illegal migration police unit broke
up a people-smuggling gan on Tuesday and Wednesday that transported
refugees from the Adamov camp to Austria and the head of the Adamov
camp was part of the 15-member gang, rail police chief Tibor Gaplovsky
said today.
The gang brought the refugees to Bratislava, where they were loaded
on to freight cars and shipped to Austria.
“This is an international crime network connected to other groups
outside Slovakia,” Gaplovsky said. The head of the group is allegedly
an Armenian. Two Azerbajianis, three Russians, an Afghan and eight
Slovaks were also part of the group.
“The group was able to transport at least 115 people through Slovakia,”
Gaplovsky said. However, the total number of refugees is probably
several times higher.
Daniel M. (52), head of the Adamov, west Slovakia, refugee camp was
allegedly part of the group. He gave the refugees passes to leave
the camp in return for money.
The gang charged 200 to 600 dollars per refugee. A total of 800
police officers took part in the bust. The gang members have been
charged with criminal conspiracy, illegal border crossings and money
laundering and they face up to 15 years in prison.

Eastern Daily Press
December 16, 2004
A 23-year-old Yarmouth woman is due to appear at court today in
connection with the death of a man whose body was found burning in a
field near Peterborough almost exactly two years ago.
A 23-year-old Yarmouth woman is due to appear at court today in
connection with the death of a man whose body was found burning in a
field near Peterborough almost exactly two years ago.
Arpine Karapetian has been charged with attempting to pervert the
course of justice in relation to the death of Armenian Hovannes
Amirian and will appear at Norwich Magistrates Court.
On Tuesday Nishan Bakunts, 27, also of Yarmouth, appeared at court
accused of murdering Mr Amirian, 42, in King’s Lynn on December 20
2002.
He was remanded in custody and is due at Norwich Crown Court for a
plea and directions hearing in February.
As reported in the EDP, Mr Amirian’s burning body was discovered by a
cyclist. He had been shot and stabbed before being set on fire.
Officers spent months trying to identify Mr Amirian’s body.
He was finally identified after Cambridgeshire police and Interpol in
Belgium traced his widow and four-year-old son.

Azerbaijan, Iran base relations on mutual respect-Aliyev
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman
ITAR-TASS News Agency
December 17, 2004 Friday 10:15 AM Eastern Time
BAKU, December 17 — The Azerbaijani-Iranian dialogue that has improved
over recent years testifies to the fact that “when countries don’t
interfere in internal affairs of each other there is a possibility
of establishing good relations between them,” Azerbaijani President
Ilkham Aliyev said in a conversation with journalists on Friday.
The president stressed, “Azerbaijan and Iran are developing their
relations on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.”
President Aliyev stressed intensification of the two countries’
cooperation noting that the visit paid by Iranian President Mohammad
Khatami to Baku this summer and his own visit to Teheran scheduled
for early 2005 “create the grounds for concrete real affairs.”
Touching upon Iran’s relations with Armenia and implementation by the
two countries of joint projects the Azerbaijani president stressed,
“It is the internal affair of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“However, we live in a sensitive region. Territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan has been violated, our lands are occupied by Armenia and
these factors should be taken into account in mutual relations in
the region,” Aliyev pointed out.

Azerbaijan to bar transit cargoes to Armenia across its territory
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman
ITAR-TASS News Agency
December 17, 2004 Friday
BAKU, December 17 — Problems on the border between Azerbaijan and
Georgia will be settled when “we are fully certain that not a single
gram of cargoes is transited to Armenia”, said on Friday Azerbaijan
President Ilkham Aliev, speaking in an interview with reporters. He
commented on the situation on the border between the two countries,
where a great number of trains with oil, petroproducts, grain and other
goods congregated over inspections of wagons with transit cargoes.
The head of state noted that as a result of smuggling operations,
falsification and swindling with cargoes, passing across the Azerbaijan
territory to Georgia, “a possibility emerged to sidetrack some of
them to Armenia”. “We have put an end to this and will not permit
such actions at any price,” the president emphasized.
He added that the border with Georgia would open if “a normal regime
of work is established there, otherwise it will remain closed”.
Aliev noted that Azerbaijan’s actions find understanding with the
Georgian leadership. “We understand that this is detrimental to
Azerbaijan and to Georgia to a certain degree, but there is no other
way out,” he stated.
Speaking of relations with Georgia, Aliev said that “there are some
forces, wishing to inflict damage on us”. “We know what these forces
are. They are inside Azerbaijan, but they concentrate mostly outside,”
the Azerbaijan leader continued. “We shall not permit to inflict
damage on the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia
as well as to interfere with our cooperation,” he added.
Azerbaijan started inspecting transit cargoes at the Beyuk-Kyasik rail
station, bordering Georgia, on December 7. According to official data,
this move was prompted by signals that part of cargoes, passing across
Azerbaijan to Georgia, are sidetracked to Armenia.
The multilateral agreement on the development of the transport
Europe-Caucasus-Asia corridor, signed in September 1998, there is
a special reservation of Azerbaijan that its territory should not
be used for transit of goods to Armenia and reception of goods from
that country.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 17, 2004, Friday
RUSSIAN AIR FORCE WILL RUN SEVERAL EXERCISES IN 2005, SOME OF THEM
TOGETHER WITH CIS PARTNERS
Colonel General Boris Chelsov, Air Force Chief-of-Staff, says that
several exercises, some of them together with CIS partners, will be
run in 2005. Units of all branches of the service will be involved in
the maneuvers. Exercises within the framework of the CIS United
Antiaircraft Defense System and a counter-terrorism drill are planned
as well.
Foreign reconnaissance planes patrol Russian borders, and the Russian
Air Force is supposed “to prevent trespassing”. “It has everything it
needs to accomplish that,” Chelsov said.
Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, Air Force Second-in-Command for the
CIS United Antiaircraft Defense System, says that Exercise
Rubezh-2005 will be run on the territory of Tajikistan in April 2005.
Another exercise at Ashuluk testing site near Astrakhan will take
place in August. Units from the Russian, Armenian, Belarusian,
Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tajik national armies will participate in the
exercise. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan may join the exercise too, and
Ukraine will send its observers.
Source: Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kurier, No 49, December 15 – 21, 2004,
p. 5
Translated by A. Ignatkin

The Economist
December 18, 2004
U.S. Edition
Faith in Europe; Turkey, the EU and religion
It’s not Turkish Islam that challenges Europe, but the
micromanagement of faith
The Turkish republic is not as secular as it seems. To become
European, it will have to change
AN EVER closer partnership between Turkey and the European Union,
culminating in full Turkish membership, can only be good for
relations between Islam and the West. It will show that western
nations have no insuperable prejudice against Islam—and it will
confirm Turkey’s role as a nation whose Muslim heritage is fully
compatible with democracy.
Those are the main reasons why European leaders were expected on
December 17th to endorse the opening of talks to make Turkey the EU’s
first mainly Muslim member. The Turks have worked hard to groom
themselves for Europe. But the negotiators from Brussels and Ankara
will be deceiving themselves, and perhaps riding for a fall, if they
underestimate the amount of ground they still need to travel. Among
the trickiest issues is the existence in Turkey of a relationship
between religion and the state that differs from the varied, and
often bizarre, arrangements of western Europe.
Paradoxically, the aspect of Turkey’s system that Europeans find
strangest is the curb it places on its own prevailing religion.
Turkey is often called a secular state, whose citizens happen to be
Muslim. In fact, Turkey is far from secular, if that implies an
arm’s-length relationship between faith and politics. The masters of
Turkey’s 81-year-old republic have always felt that religion is too
sensitive to leave to clerics alone. A vast state bureaucracy
oversees spiritual life; it hires imams, tells them what to preach,
and runs religious schools.
The effect is to steer most Turks down a narrow religious path; they
are taught to be devout Muslims, but they may not push their piety
further than the state allows. By banning headscarves in universities
as well as all government premises, the state imposes a far harsher
restriction on devout Muslim women than the ban on scarves (and other
obvious signs of faith) in French schools. As a result, some Turkish
women get no higher education. Nor is life easy for millions of Turks
who follow the liberal Alevi form of the Muslim faith, not the Sunni
Islam taught in schools. For the state, all Muslims are the same; too
bad for Alevis who want to opt out of Sunni education.
What about Turkey’s tiny non-Muslim communities? Here again, history
weighs heavily. As Turks learn at school, the avoidance of any
special status for religious minorities was a master-stroke by their
state’s founders: the western powers wanted such privileges, but the
republic resisted their wiles. Those negotiations ended in the 1923
Treaty of Lausanne, which promises limited cultural and religious
rights for the Greek Orthodox, the Armenians and Jews—with the result
that Turkish policy still distinguishes “Lausanne minorities” from
others. When some Turks argued recently that the treaty, properly
read, implied fair treatment of all minorities, this triggered a
furious row—and dark murmurings from the military.
In any case, joining the EU will oblige Turkey to be far more decent
in its treatment of religious minorities than the Lausanne treaty
ordains. As evidence for a lack of decency, witness Turkey’s de facto
ban on training for Christian clergy; and the recent Turkish-American
row over the Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul. As Turkey’s
government reaffirmed, it disputes the right not just of its own
citizens, but of Christians in America, to accord the patriarch his
“primacy of honour” in the Orthodox world: this is a curious act of
discourtesy to a religious leader who warmly backs Turkey’s European
hopes.
Whatever Turkey’s failings, do Europeans have any right to lecture
the Turks? Europe’s religious scene is full of weird anachronisms.
The British prime minister still chooses the senior prelate of the
Anglican Church. In one part of Greece, Muslim muftis exercise
judicial powers, while in Athens, Muslims cannot get official
recognition for a single mosque. Denmark is one of Europe’s most
secular societies, but its Lutheran church enjoys huge privileges.
All these arrangements are likely to be challenged as Europe grows
more diverse.
Where does that leave Turkey? It would be nice, but naive, to regard
its system as simply one small variation in a colourful religious
scene. It is one thing for a state to give privileges to a particular
church, which then governs itself; quite another for a state to
micro-manage the whole of religious life.
Given its own diversity, it would be silly for the EU to impose on
Turkey some precise model for religious affairs. But Turkey won’t be
a liberal democracy in the European sense until state interference in
the world of faith becomes the exception, not the rule—and unless all
religious communities can worship, own property and form associations
freely.
–Boundary_(ID_N2XB+RO+3/SG593ymrf0GQ)–

ANSA English Media Service
December 17, 2004
EU: ARMENIANS PROTEST AGAINST TURKEY’S ENTRY
BRUSSELS
(ANSA) – BRUSSELS, December 17 – Several hundreds of
Armenians protested on Friday in Brussels near the Justus
Lipsius Palace where the European Council was discussing
Turkey’s bid to enter the EU demanding that the EU urge Ankara
to recognise the genocide against Armenians as a condition for
UE entry.
The protest was organised by the European Armenian
Federation, a huge community of some one million people.
Armenians from various European countries came to Brussels to
protest “against this Turkey in Europe” as they had written on
many banners. The biggest group came from France where some
400,000 Armenians live. Other groups came from Spain, Greece,
the Netherlands, Sweden and from Italy, mainly from Milan and
Rome where the largest Italian Armenian communities live.
The protesters wanted the EU to set as a pre-condition for
the start of accession talks the recognition of the genocide
against Armenians committed by the Turks between 1915 and 1923
which claimed some 1.5 million lives.
The Armenians were not the only ones who protested against
Turkey’s possible entry in the EU.
Dozens Turkish immigrants in Europe organised a sit-in in
Brussels against the policy of the Turkish government, including
the EU accession. (ANSA).
From: Baghdasarian

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 17, 2004, Friday
ORGANIZATION OF THE CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY: MEETING IN
YEREVAN[]
SOURCE: Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kurier, No 48, December 15 – 21, 2004,
p. 2
by Samvel Martirosjan
For a whole assortment of reasons the Russian media made but scant
reports on the 10th meeting of secretaries of Security Councils of
the Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty that took
place in Yerevan not long ago. Meanwhile, representatives of Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan that met in the
capital of Armenia did not restrict discussion to current problems of
military political and military economic co-operation.
Armenian defense minister and secretary of the Security Council
announced that the meeting was taking place against a complicated
political background in the zone of responsibility of the
Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty. “Global and
regional threats, and first and foremost international terrorism, are
becoming undeniably more serious,” Serzh Sarkisjan said. He also
mentioned the negative effect of political instability in Afghanistan
and traffic on the situation in Central Asia. Secretaries assembled
in Yerevan discussed ways and means dealing with traffic.
Operation Channel-2004 in countries of the Organization of the CIS
Collective Security Treaty was summed up. According to General
Secretary Nikolai Bordyuzha, the involved countries set up a security
belt along the northern borders of Afghanistan. The operation
included two phases. Law enforcement agencies of countries of the
Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty were involved in
phase one; they were joined by security structures of Azerbaijan,
Iran, and Uzbekistan in phase two. Over 5 tons of drugs were
confiscated, several thousand criminal proceedings instigated, new
traffic routes uncovered. The meeting in Yerevan discussed ways of
traffic neutralization. Decisions were made to improve co-operation
between countries of the Organization of the CIS Collective Security
Treaty. Establishment of a special coordinating body within the
framework of the Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty
was discussed.
Since Defense Minister of Azerbaijan Safar Abiyev had urged NATO to
express its opinion on Karabakh and Armenian “policy of occupation”,
Igor Ivanov of Russia was asked about the possibility of using the
Alliance to settle the old territorial dispute. “Dialogue – including
dialogue on the highest level – has already been established as a
means of solving the Karabakh problem,” Ivanov replied. “I do not
think we need any changes that may complicate development of the
dialogue.” The problem is handled by the OSCE Minsk Group, Ivanov
said, and the Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty had
no intention of interfering with the process. It has different
objectives, and the matter of Karabakh was not discussed at the
Yerevan meeting; neither were other regional conflicts.
All the same, the meeting did discuss official Baku’s recent attempt
to have the UN General Assembly discuss a resolution “On the
situation on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan”. Kazakhstan and
Kyrgyzstan backed the Azerbaijani initiative at the General Committee
that forms the agenda of the UN General Assembly. Bordyuzha called it
“a certain malfunction of the system of coordination of the
Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty.” The matter was
discussed and the debates ended in the agreement to improve
coordination in the matters affecting security of members of the
Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty.
Speaking of contacts with international organizations, Ivanov said
that the Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty alone
could not hope to successfully cope with international terrorism,
trafficking, or illegal immigration. The Organization of the CIS
Collective Security Treaty will therefore expand co-operation with
the UN, NATO, and the European Union.
It should be mentioned as well that the Constitutional Court of
Armenia voted to postpone discussion of legitimacy of the accord to
send a national humanitarian contingent (50 men) to Iraq because
Sarkisjan was at the meeting with his counterparts from members of
the Organization of the CIS Collective Security Treaty. In fact, his
schedule had been set long ago. It follows that the decision to set
the Constitutional Court meeting for November 30 was a political move
on the part of Armenia. It was a message to Russia that Armenia did
not contemplate any serious deviations from the course for
military-political integration with Russia.
This assumption is also confirmed by results of the meeting of the
parliamentary commission set up by the Federal Assembly of the
Russian Federation and the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia. Its protocol emphasizes that political and military
co-operation between Russia and Armenia answers their national
interests and that their military alliance is an instrumental element
of security in the Caucasus.

UNDP ANTI-CORRUPTION PROJECT BACKS DEVELOPMENT OF LAW ON LOBBYING
ArmenPress
Dec 17 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: Today, at the Congress Hotel in
Yerevan, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in
cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Trade
and Economic Development of Armenia, held a discussion of the draft
Concept of the Law on Lobbying of the Republic of Armenia.
Representatives of the Government, Parliament, local and
international organizations, trade unions and business associations,
as well as experts participated in the discussion, UNDP Country
Office in Armenia told Armenpress.
The aim of the discussion was to review the approaches and
suggestions on the draft concept of interested non-governmental
organizations (NGO) including those representing interests of the
private sector. At the event, The international experience of
regulating lobbying, ways, restrictions, financing and reporting of
lobbying, rights and responsibilities of lobbyists, licensing and
accreditation issues will be discussed. A special importance will be
attached to the suggestions on NGO lobbying.
Developing the regulatory framework for lobbying is the request of
the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and the Anti-Corruption
Strategy adopted by the Government of Armenia. At the same time, it
is a key step towards providing equal and transparent opportunities
for civic participation in decision making and is called to foster
participatory processes in Armenia.
Vahan Asatryan, Coordinator, UNDP/Government Project on “Support
to Information Society and Democratic Governance”, noted in his
speech: “Within the United Nations System, UNDP plays an important
role of providing assistance for equal political, economic and social
opportunities. In this context UINDP supports the Government of
Armenia in developing legislation and implementing policies promoting
efficient participation of citizens in decision-making processes. Our
mission in Armenia is to help reducing political inequalities in the
country through promoting effective and broad civil society
participation in decision-making. We help the Government to establish
responsive participatory policy frameworks and to foster
consolidation of information society. We support establishing a civil
society anti-corruption network in the country and strengthen the
capacity of civil society to participate in anti-corruption
initiatives effectively.”
The UNDP support to the Government of Armenia and the Parliament
in developing a viable law on lobbying will continue in 2005.

TURKISH BUSINESSMEN KEEN TO START BUSINESS IN ARMENIA
ArmenPress
Dec 17 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: A Turkish businessman pledged
Thursday in Yerevan to redouble his efforts to press his government
to open border with neighboring Armenia. Juskun Kaplan, the president
of a Turkish Vela garment producer company, told reporters the warm
welcome given to him in Armenia was the main reason behind his
decision to launch his business in the South Caucasus from Armenia.
Juskun Kaplan is in Armenia together with other Turkish
businessmen to prospect for possibilities to start business here.
Their trip was mediated by the community head of an Istanbul quarter
Sisli, that has a significant portion of Armenian population.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress