UNSOLVED PROBLEMS IN 2004 WILL DETERMINE INTERNAL POLITICAL
DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA IN 2005, VICTOR DALLAKIAN THINKS
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14. ARMINFO. “The problems not solved in 2004 will
determine the development of the internal political situation in
Armenia also in 2005”, Secretary of the parliamentary faction of the
opposition bloc Justice Victor Dallakian stated during the meeting
with journalists at the club Pakagits.
According to him, these main issues are the settlement of the Karabakh
problem, overcome of the results of mass falsification of the
presidential election in 2003, and reveal of accomplices in political
terrorism, reveal the clients of the terrorist act in the National
Assembly on Oct 27, 1999. “Because of the suspense of these problems
in 2004 they are mechanically included in the agenda of the internal
political development in 2005. The incumbent authorities of the
republic have led the settlement of the Karabakh conflict to a
deadlock, the course of discussions in international structures
testifies. Concerning the illegitimacy of the incumbent president I
want to note it was profitable for several countries to have in our
republic an illegally elected president in order he made compromises
easily in the issue of settlement of the Karabakh problem”, Dallakian
said.
He mentioned that the way out of the internal political crisis is
possible in three main ways: to conduct a referendum on confidence in
the president, proceeding from a relevant decision of the
Constitutional Court, the dissolution of National Assembly and holding
of extraordinary parliamentary elections, and, at least, the
resignation of the president. Justice bloc rejects the first two
variants of development of the situation, as we are against formation
of marionette leadership in the republic. So, the opposition advocates
organizing a wide national movement for establishment of legal power
in the country, Victor Dallakian stressed.

France says Armenian genocide issue not central to Turkey’s EU membership
talks
AFX Europe (Focus)
Dec 14, 2004

PARIS (AFX) – Turkey does not have to acknowledge accusations of
genocide against Armenians living under Turkish rule in the early 20th
century as a pre-condition for opening talks on EU membership, French
foreign minister Michel Barnier said.
“France does not pose it (acknowledging the Armenian genocide) as a
condition, notably not for opening negotiations (on EU accession)”,
Barnier told the state-owned television station France 2.
This statement comes despite reports yesterday that Turkish
acknowledgement of the genocide was a pre-condition.

Azeri leader vows not to give up Karabakh, calls for “constructive”
opposition
ANS TV, Baku
13 Dec 04
Excerpt from report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 13 December
[Presenter] ANS’s special correspondent in London Ali Ahmadov is on
the line. He will give us the details about the [Azerbaijani]
president’s visit to Great Britain. Here you are, Ali.
[Ali Ahmadov, by phone] Good evening, Leyla. As you said before,
President Ilham Aliyev had his first meeting today with the Queen’s
representative [a member of the House of Lords], Baroness
Seccombe. That was just a brief meeting.
[Passage omitted: reported details of meeting with the British defence
secretary]
At a meeting [with Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon] they
discussed the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict as well. President Ilham
Aliyev told the British defence secretary about the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict and the consequences of it not being resolved. They exchanged
views on the ways of settling it.
The president’s meeting at Chatham House [the UK Royal Institute of
International Affairs], which ended a few minutes ago, was the most
interesting one today. Influential politicians use this organization
to exchange views. The president spoke about Azerbaijan and, in
particular, about Nagornyy Karabakh. Then the participants [in the
meeting] asked the president questions. The president said that the
main problem for Azerbaijan is the issue of Nagornyy Karabakh, 20 per
cent of which are under occupation. There are about 1m of refugees and
they live in appalling conditions.
The most interesting fact was that the Armenian ambassador to Britain
asked the president about a settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. It was a rather aggressive question. The president was asked
whether Azerbaijan intends to attack Nagornyy Karabakh. The president
strongly reacted to this. He said that Armenia is an aggressor state
and that it’s position in talks with Azerbaijan is not
constructive. This makes the talks fruitless. Azerbaijan does not want
to continue the talks just for the sake of them. Azerbaijan might stop
the talks if it sees that they yield no results. The president said if
the point is the liberation of lands, then the Armenians might check
the Soviet encyclopedia as many areas in Armenia have Azeri
placenames, but Azerbaijan lays no claims to any of them.
As for the liberation of lands, the president said if the talks with
Armenia yield no results and if Armenia refuses to vacate the lands
following the talks, Azerbaijan would, itself, liberate the
lands. Vacate our lands, otherwise we will do this ourselves, end of
quote.
The president clarified another issue as well. Commenting on the
freight transported to Georgia via Azerbaijan and the freight checks,
he said that when it joined the TRACECA [Transport Corridor
Europe-Caucasus-Asia] corridor, Azerbaijan set a condition that the
freight transported through Azerbaijan should never go to
Armenia. However, according to recent reports, the cargo has recently
been sent to Armenia via Georgia. The freight needed to be checked
thoroughly after Azerbaijan received this information. The cargo
mainly comes from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
The president said that as long as the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is
not resolved, not a gram of freight transported via Azerbaijan will go
to Armenia and that all the cargo and it’s final destination will be
checked.
Moreover, the president was asked about his internal policy,
specifically about democratic processes in Azerbaijan and his attitude
to the opposition. He said that the country needs a new opposition
force. He said the opposition should be more constructive and that the
existing opposition is destructive and cannot engage in constructive
negotiations with the authorities.
[Presenter] Thank you very much, Ali.

No similarities in Armenia with events in Ukraine, Georgia – OSCE envoy
Mediamax news agency
14 Dec 04
YEREVAN
The OSCE ambassador to Yerevan, Vladimir Pryakhin, considers
“inappropriate” the attempts to draw parallels between the political
situation in Armenia and the events in Ukraine and Georgia.
Vladimir Pryakhin said at a briefing in Yerevan today that the “OSCE
never supports either of the parties to conflict and we do not want to
be involved in the struggle for change of power,” Mediamax reports.
Vladimir Pryakhin noted that the main tasks for the OSCE in Armenia
are the assistance in building democratic society and human rights
protection. He said that in 2004 the OSCE office actively assisted in
the establishment of a dialogue between all Armenian political forces.
“Without defending either of the sides, we pursued only one aim – to
provide the protection of civil principles and human rights,” Vladimir
Pryakhin said.
He noted that the OSCE office in Yerevan is also active in the
realization of programmes of socioeconomic importance. In particular,
the OSCE office rendered assistance to the process of privatization of
Zangezur copper-molybdenum complex and financed the elaboration of a
programme of the socioeconomic development of Syunik Region [southern
Armenia]. Vladimir Pryakhin said that in 2005 the OSCE office is
planning to render assistance to the process of setting up the
community police in Armenia. In particular, the OSCE is going to
provide the community police with 50 cars, set up emergency centre and
train the policemen.

A1 Plus | 16:02:26 | 14-12-2004 | Social |
INDEPENDENT WHEN NO LONGER BEATEN
‘Joining the citizens concerned with the future of the country ‘New
Armenia’ Bloc keeps focus on the problems alarming society’, Eleonora
Manandyan, head of the `New Armenia’ social organization said at a
conference held today.
The probable forming of a new opposition bloc has widely been discussed
in the pres recently, and the pro-Western orientation is declared to be
the ideological base of it.
According to Eleonora Manandyan, the powers in opposition must first be
guided by settlement of numerous problems of the people and elaboration
of potential ways for establishment of statehood.
‘Horde sentiments now prevail in our country. We didn’t become
independent by declaring independence. There will be democracy in our
country only when we are no longer beaten during the elections’,
Eleonora Manandyan says.
‘We call upon political powers in Opposition to become mighty and to
stay away from obliged decisions to follow our national interests and
consolidation of statehood’, `New Armenia’ member Seda Arzumanyan says.

ARF Bureau representative meets with Cyprus president
14.12.2004 17:29
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau
representative Hrant Margarian met on December 14 with Cyprus
President Tasos Papadopulos in Nicosia.
Cyprus claims Turkey should recognize the European Union’s 25 member
states, including Cyprus, if it wants the accession talks to
begin. Turkey refuses to recognize the Republic of Cyprus since its
1974 invasion of the northern part of the island, which it recognizes
as Turkish Republic of Cyprus.
The ARF delegation was comprised of the ARF Western Europe Central
Committee (CC) representative Murad Papazian, ARF Greece CC
representative Grigor Erjenian, European Armenian Federation
Chairwoman Hilda Choboian, ARF Cyprus organization representative
Vahan Ainejian, and Armenian National Committeeof Cyprus Chairman
Andranik Ashjian.
Margarian briefed the Cyprus president on the ARF’s position in
Turkey’s bid to join the EU and conveyed his party’s backing to
Cyprus’ stance in the issue. He also pointed out that the pressures on
Cyprus should be overcome.
The Cyprus president explained his country’s position and possible
moves concerning Turkey’s aspiration to join the EU.
Later, the ARF delegation met with Ianakis Omiru, president of the
Cyprus Socialist Party (EDEK) and other officials.

France raises Armenia issue ahead of EU decision on Turkey
EUbusiness
14/12/2004
Days ahead of a crucial EU decision on Turkish accession talks, Paris
has raised the highly sensitive issue of the Armenian “tragedy” — an
indication of the sharp divisions of opinion in France over Ankara’s
membership bid.
At a summit in Brussels this week heads of government from the 25
member states are to give a green light for the opening of membership
negotiations, probably some time next year, while at the same time
warning the process could take more than a decade.
On Monday French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier risked angering
Ankara when he unexpectedly announced France would ask it to
“recognise the Armenian tragedy of the start of the (last) century
… Turkey must carry out this task as a memorial.”
Asked Tuesday whether this amounted to a pre-condition for opening
talks on EU membership, Barnier this was legally not possible, but he
said it was “a question that we will raise in the course of
negotiations, and we have around 10 years to raise it.”
An estimated 1.5 million Armenians are believed to have died between
1915 and 1917 in the last years of the Ottoman empire, an episode
referred to by Armenians as their “genocide”. But the government in
Ankara disputes the scale and nature of the killing.
In France, which has a large Armenian community, the “genocide” has
become a highly politicised subject. In 2001 the then
Socialist-dominated National Assembly voted to recognise that
“genocide” had occurred — prompting Turkey to recall its ambassador.
Barnier’s decision to raise the Armenia issue was being interpreted
Tuesday as a bid to reassure a French public that remains by a clear
majority hostile to Ankara’s application to join the European Union.
While President Jacques Chirac has publicly stated his support for
Turkey’s eventual membership, he is opposed by a majority of his own
Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) as well as many in the opposition
Socialists. A recent poll showed that 56 percent of the public is
against Turkish membership, compared to only 38 percent in favour.
Promising to ensure that the Armenian “tragedy” is tabled during entry
negotiations is a way of signalling to the French public that the
government has not forgotten their concerns, commentators said.
Chirac is known to be worried that the prospect of Turkish admission
could sour French attitudes to the EU just ahead of a promised
referendum next year on the union’s proposed constitution, possibly
even leading to its rejection.
To reassure voters, the president has already undertaken to change the
country’s constitution so that all future applications to the EU —
including Turkey’s — would have to be approved by a national
referendum in France.
He and Barnier have also said that talks with Turkey may result in a
“privileged partnership” rather than full-scale membership — though
they insists this is France’s desired objective.

Armenian official says NATO decides against seminars in Azeri capital
Mediamax news agency
14 Dec 04
YEREVAN
The management of the working group dealing with cooperation with
partners from NATO’s Military Committee has decided not to hold a
seminar in Baku after the Azerbaijani authorities denied entry to
Armenian Defence Ministry representatives, Armenian Deputy Defence
Minister, Lt-Gen Artur Agabekyan said in Yerevan today.
The working group opened its seminar in Yerevan today. Representatives
of 34 countries – 23 NATO member states and 11 partners – are
participating in the seminar. The seminar was held in Tbilisi on 13
December.
Gen Agabekyan expressed regret about the fact that not only
Azerbaijani representatives protested against the Armenian officer’s
visit to Baku, but also refused to attend the seminar in Yerevan.
“We would have attended with pleasure the seminar of NATO’s Military
Committee in the Azerbaijani capital,” the Armenian deputy defence
minister said.
Agabekyan said that the expansion of military cooperation between NATO
member states and its partners within the framework of the Partnership
for Peace programme topped the agenda of the Yerevan-hosted seminar.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Dec 14 2004
New council candidate swells field to 10
By Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer
GLENDALE — A new candidate — one who is being called the voice of
the youth — has entered the race for City Council.
Hovik Gabikian, 35, announced Monday that he would run for a seat on
the City Council — the 10th candidate to run for the four available
seats — and would fight for issues including affordable housing,
traffic regulation, environmental protection and expanding fire and
police services.
An eligibility worker at the Los Angeles County Department of Public
Social Services, Gabikian also serves as a leader with his labor
union.
“My intention is to expand and improve the quality of public life by
offering effective services,” said the graduate of the University of
California, Los Angeles.
Some race watchers believe that Gabikian, who helped organize more
than 70,000 people to march in Hollywood last year to commemorate the
89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, distinguishes himself with
his large following among Armenian young people.
“He’s highly respected by the youth who attend universities and
colleges, so he may not have name recognition in the political arena,
but he’s definitely known, especially in the Armenian youth circles,”
Mayor Bob Yousefian said.
In addition to incumbents Dave Weaver, Frank Quintero and Bob
Yousefian, those who have said they will run are Glynda Gomez, Ara
Najarian, Garry Sinanian, Steve Hedrick, Pauline Field and John
Drayman.

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
For Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B – 1000 BRUXELLES
Tel: +32 (0) 2 732 70 26
Tel./Fax: +32 (0) 2 732 70 27
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
December 14th, 2004
Contact: Talline Tachdjian
Tel.: +32 (0)2 732 70 27
FRANCE CALLS ON TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – In a dramatic move that will shape European
expectations regarding Turkey’s acceptance into the European Union,
France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Michel Barnier, announced today
that his government will call on Turkey to recognize the Armenian
Genocide.
In his comments, Barnier, said that France “will ask, during the
course of negotiations [with Turkey], that they recognize the tragedy
which occurred at the beginning of the [20th] century and which
affected hundreds of thousands of Armenians.” Minister Barnier placed
this request within the historical context of reconciliation between
France and Germany, stating that the entire European idea is based on
reconciliation. He specifically stated that Turkey must “meet its
responsibility of remembrance, of reconciliation with its own history
and recognize this tragedy.”
The European Armenian Federation welcomes the French government’s
position as a reflection of the founding values of the European
Union. “Acknowledgement of the Genocide by Turkey should precede any
negotiations toward Turkey’s membership in the European Union.
However, we welcome France’s new approach, reaffirming that all
aspirants to participation in the EU must embrace principles conducive
to a sustainable, stable and secure political future for our
continent,” said Laurent Leylekian, the executive director of the
European Armenian Federation.
“We regard the statement of Mr. Barnier – which, unfortunately avoided
the use of the word genocide and which cited inaccurate figures
concerning the number of victims – as a clear expression of the French
government’s firm opposition to the denial of the Armenian Genocide,
and its commitment to progressively move Turkey toward acknowledgement
of this crime,” added Leylekian.
Mr. Leylekian also noted that France’s position should inspire
European policy-makers, who have previously been pressured into
silence about Turkey’s racist and ultra-nationalist genocide denial,
to coming out in support of placing this condition on Turkey’s
acceptance into the European Union.
“We will remain vigilant until December the 17th and in the weeks and
months to follow to ensure that the Minister’s statement is not simply
a bargaining chip or an effort to appease French public opinion, but
rather a principled stand on a core European value.