Hungarian court adjourns Azeri officer’s murder trial until February 2005
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
23 Nov 04
Presenter The trial of Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov who
is charged with murdering an Armenian officer started in Budapest
today. Our officer has rejected the preliminary testimony given during
the investigation.
Reporter over Safarov’s still pictures, footage of Budapest Azerbaijani
officer Ramil Safarov, who stood trial in the Hungarian capital
of Budapest today, rejected his testimony given to the preliminary
investigation. Azerbaijani lawyer Adil Ismayilov who is observing the
trial has told ATV that although Ramil Safarov has changed some details
in his preliminary testimony, he has confessed to committing the crime.
Passage omitted: lawyer says there were language problems
In the second half of the day, the prosecution summoned Armenian and
Hungarian officers to the trial as witnesses.
Passage omitted: lawyer gives names of the officers
The lawyer said that the witnesses also confirmed that Ramil Safarov
had murdered the Armenian officer. The defence then asked the court to
summon two more witnesses, an Azerbaijani and a Lithuanian officers
who studied together with Ramil Safarov. The court adjourned the
trial until 8 February 2005 in order to summon the witnesses.

Russia’s Gazprom set to take part in Armenia-Iran gas pipeline construction
Iravunk, Yerevan
23 Nov 04
ArmRosgazprom, a Russian-Armenian joint venture where Russia’s Gazprom
holds 45 per cent of shares, is going to participate in a tender
to construct the Armenian sector of a pipeline that will deliver
natural gas from Iran, the company’s director-general has told Iravunk
newspaper. Karen Karapetyan also denied reports that the pipeline would
be used to export Iranian gas to European markets. The following is an
excerpt from K. Sarkisyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Iravunk on 23
November headlined “Gazprom is going to take part in the Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline construction”; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
It is clear that society cannot but be interested in the activity
of Armenia’s only gas supplier AyRusgasard ArmRosgazprom taking into
account the significance of the sphere. Moreover, the company is also
operating in a number of important spheres such as power export and
heating projects. Two months ago ArmRosgazprom Director-General Karen
Karapetyan was appointed a member of the Razdan Power Plant RPP board
of directors from Russia’s Gazprom.
Karen Karapetyan In connection with my appointment as a member of
the board of directors I can say that the Razdan power plant is the
property of the Russian Federation and this country’s government
decided to appoint me as a representative of Gazprom.
No significant changes have been made to the Razdan power plant
management. Simply a new team has been formed which will carry
out management.
Passage omitted: on relations between Gazprom and Russia’s power grid
monopoly Unified Energy System
Gazprom set to take part in Armenia-Iran gas pipeline construction
Correspondent The principle “gas for electricity” is the basis of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline project . Given this, can power be exported
outside this project?
Karapetyan It is known that high-voltage power lines are being
constructed between Iran and Armenia. It will give an opportunity to
export more power than that supplied in exchange for the received gas.
Correspondent Will AyRusgasard take part in the construction of the
Armenian sector of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline?
Karapetyan It is known that the right to construct the Armenian sector
was given to the Iranian party. The latter will soon announce a tender
where we shall also take part.
Correspondent Is Gazprom going to take part in the construction of
the second part of the gas pipeline’s Armenian sector?
Karapetyan Yes, it is. We are waiting for a working delegation to
visit Armenia. After talks with Armenia, a visit by a representative
delegation is expected.
Gas export to Europe impracticable
Correspondent There are rumours that the gas pipeline will go to
Europe. Is it real?
Karapetyan The capacity of the gas pipeline is not of a transit one. A
gas pipeline with the diameter of 700 mm will be constructed, which
will satisfy Armenia’s demand. If we construct a pipeline of bigger
diameter, we shall need bigger investment.
It is also clear that bigger diameter would be profitable for us if
there was demand in third countries’ markets. But today there is no
free space on those markets. The construction of a transit pipeline
demands three times more investment. Moreover, the construction of
a transit pipeline is fraught with numerous problems, and if we do
not resolve them we can hardly find an investor.
Correspondent According to some sources, the Iranian party is
nevertheless aspiring to reach the European gas market. Will they
settle the problems mentioned by you?
Karapetyan There was not such agreement. In 1995-96 when this project
was being prepared, they were speaking about a 700-mm diameter
pipeline. As for reaching the European market, Iran may settle this
problem by means of the existing gas pipelines, let us say those
which pass via Turkey.
Correspondent Exporting Iranian gas via other gas pipelines seems
not to be real as they do not reach Europe. Given this, it is logical
that Iranian gas export projects via Armenia are nevertheless on the
agenda. Will these projects come true in future?
Karapetyan No, not in the near future. First, it should be taken into
account that in case of transit, the Georgian gas pipelines should
be also used, which requires major investment as well. Time for this
topic may come in future.
Nairit’s debt
Correspondent Rumours are being recently circulated that to cover
Armenia’s major chemical plant Nairit’s 8m-dollar debt to AyRusgasard
Nairit’s shares of the same value will be given to the company. Is
this true?
Karapetyan There are no plans in this regard yet. Nairit indeed owes
us 8m dollars, and we are trying to find common ground with this
company’s management.
Passage omitted: Karapetyan on gas supply forecasts; gas supply safety

MONUMENT TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BEING CONSTRUCTED IN LYONS
Azg/arm
24 Nov 04
Gerard Colomb, Senator-Mayor of Lyons, and the local Armenian community
initiated the works on building a monument to the victims of the
Armenian Genocide. Le Monde informs that the monument will be the
symbol of all the crimes committed against humanity and the struggle
against them.
Lion Monument of the Armenian Genocide Company has been founded. It
unites 18 representatives of Armenian communities. The office of the
company is situated in the Becluar Square in Lyons.
The monument is being constructed in the Antonin Poncet Square of Lyon.
The municipal council that has signed a contract with the
abovementioned company will allocate 47500 Euros. In the spring of
2004, the company announced a competition for the artists and the
architectures. The monument will cost 110.000 euros in total.
Dominique Arnout, Leonardo Basmadian, Christian Aishen, Ann Perrot
and Marianne Ponslet are the authors of the monument. The monument
will be officially opened on April 24, 2005.
By Petros Keshishian

Ankara Suggests Kocharian To Recognize Turkey’s Borders
Azg/arm
24 Nov 04
And to Stop Pushing for International Recognition of “Alleged” Genocide
November 20 issue of Turkish Daily News touched upon President Robert
Kocharian’s speech made at Herbert Quant Foundation in Berlin and an
interview to the German Die Welt newspaper.
“Armenia’s blockade by Turkey is one of those factors hampering EU’s
cooperation with the South Caucasus. We consider it abnormal that a EU
member would-be country blockades a state included in New Neighborhood
initiative. This means that today we have the key to settle the issue,
and EU holds it”, Kocharian said in his speech.
In his speech and interview to the German paper President Kocharian
noted that the possibility of settling Armenian-Turkish relations
emerged after European Commission’s report, which suggested starting
accession talks with Turkey, and after Armenia was included in the
New Neighborhood.
In an article titled “Armenia urges Turkey to open border, Ankara
unmoved” the Turkish Daily News quotes an official saying that
normalizing ties with a country which refuses to recognize boundaries
would be inconceivable. “The issue of alleged genocide is also a
highly sensitive matter for Turkey and a major obstacle for the
normalization of ties”, writes the paper.
Another Turkish newspaper Zaman also writes that there will be no
relations established between Turkey and Armenia unless the latter
stops claiming for genocide recognition and recognizes Kars Treaty
of 1921 that set Armenian-Turkish boundaries.
Since Armenia’s independence in 1991, Turkey has been seeking after
Yerevan’s retreat in territorial demands and renunciation of Armenian
Genocide. In spring of 1993, when the Armenian forces took control
over Qelbajar region administratively belonging to Azerbaijan, Turkish
government took a decision (4 April, 1993) of closing border with
Armenia. Armenia’s blockade carries on since that very day. Ankara
drew forward a precondition for opening the border-gate: Armenia should
withdraw its forces from Nagorno Karabakh and contiguous territories.
Interestingly, neither Zaman nor Turkish Daily News mention about the
3d precondition. Ankara often uses Karabakh issue to pay a compliment
to congeneric Azeris. It should be noted that Turkey had time to
establish diplomatic relations with Armenia in the period of 1991-1993.
Turkish papers quote Kocharian saying, “For us, the recognition of
the Armenian genocide in 1915 by Turks is certainly very important,
but it will never be a condition for the development of bilateral
relations. If Ankara recognized this fact, it would be a significant
step forward in the direction of normalizing relations”.
An official from the Armenian Foreign Ministry informed Azg Daily
that Turkey will establish relations with Armenia only in case Yerevan
officially writes down that has no territorial pretense to Turkey. The
official noted that the former Armenian government did not take that
step nor will the present and future governments do.
Turkey’s demand of recognizing state’s present-day borders is
nonsense in itself. If the Kars Treaty was signed by Armenia, Georgia
and Azerbaijan why does not Turkey demand the other two states to
officially declare about recognizing Turkey’s borders? Moreover, if
a state joins the UN it means that the country recognizes borders of
all other member states. And in the end, even if Armenia recognizes
Turkey’s borders it will need diplomatic relations in order to discuss
all the issues the countries face.
By Tatoul Hakobian

“OUR GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE DE JURE RECOGNITION OF KARABAKH”
Azg/arm
24 Nov 04
Arkady Ghukasian, NKR President, during his visit to the US stated in
the course of the meeting with the Armenian community of California
that Karabakh will never surrender to Azerbaijan. “Our aim is
to achieve de jure recognition of Karabakh,” he said. Ghukasian
negatively assessed the activities of Baku authorities that try to
include in the agenda of the UN the issue of the so-called occupied
territories. He said that the provoking steps taken by the official
Baku make the Nagorno Karabakh settlement process more complicated. NKR
President said that the issues of territories and refugees occurred
as a result of the military aggression of Azerbaijan, these issues
are the results of armed conflict. “The main issue of the conflict
is Nagorno Karabakh’s status,” Ghukasian said.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
AGBU LENDS ITS SUPPORT TO KARABAKH NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY
New York, November 19, 2004 – AGBU President Berge Setrakian hosted
Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady Ghoukassian and his delegation at
a special luncheon on November 14, 2004, at Manhattan’s University
Club on the eve of Armenia Fund’s annual Thanksgiving telethon.
Special guests at the Sunday event included U.S. Congressman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), Armenian Ambassador to the United Nations, Armen
Martirosyan, and Secretary of the Fifth Committee of the General
Assembly and the Committee for Programs and Coordination at the United
Nations, Movses Abelian.
Mr. Setrakian welcomed all those in attendance and encouraged their
active support in the fundraising campaign to expedite the completion
of the North-South highway.
President Ghoukassian, during his remarks, commended AGBU and its
leaders for their continuous support and dedication to Armenia in
general and to Karabakh in particular.
AGBU has supported Karabakh’s efforts to rebuild its economic,
educational and cultural infrastructure that most recently includes
the renovation and renaming of Alex Manoogian Street, the funding of
the Karabakh Chamber Orchestra, the building of a war veterans housing
complex and a public school-all in the capital of Stepanakert-and
the ambitious Karabakh Repopulation Project that seeks to rebuild
war-torn villages and provide livestock to local Karabakh families
in need. Earlier this year, AGBU opened an office in Stepanakert to
coordinate its activities and programs in Karabakh.
Founded in 1906, AGBU is the largest Armenian non-profit organization
with the mission to promote and preserve the Armenian heritage around
the world. For more information, please visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REPORTS ON L. TER-PETROSIAN PERSONAL MEETING WITH G. BUSH “OVERDONE”
PanArmenian News
Nov 23 2004
23.11.2004 13:43
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A reliable Armenian source in Washington reports
that there was no personal meeting between the ex-President of Armenia
and the incumbent US President in Little Rock. It should be reminded
that former Armenian President’s office spread information about such
a meeting Saturday, November 20. Although Ter-Petrosian and Bush
participated in a measure of opening a library of US ex-President
B. Clinton in Little Rock (Arkansas), however, they did not hold a
private meeting, our source states, adding that L. Ter-Petrosian
smoked much and talked little, as usual. It is not known whether
the information on a meeting with Bush was spread on the initiative
of L. Ter-Petrosian himself or it was “a local action.” In case the
former is true, it may evidence that the ex-President has got seriously
“interested” in politics again.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
ARMENIAN PHILHARMONIC PLAYS TO PACKED HOUSE IN ISTANBUL
The AGBU-funded Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra (APO), along with the
State Academic Choir of Armenia, performed together in a sold-out
performance at Istanbul’s Lutfi Kirdar concert hall on October
15, 2004. The performance was the first of its kind in Turkey’s
cultural capital and was at the invitation by the Sahakian School
Alumni Association and sponsored by the district of Sisli, Istanbul,
an area with a large Armenian community.
Over 2000 people attended the event, including local politicians such
as the mayor and deputy mayor of Sisli, Mustafa Sarigul and Vasgen
Parn respectively, the Mayor of Pagirgiukh, Jacqueline Qeoseh, the
Russian Ambassador to Turkey, the Armenian representative to the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation, Arsen Avagian, as well as representatives
of various cultural and community organizations, and reporters from
all major Armenian and Turkish media outlets.
Under the direction of Istanbul-born Maestro Hovhannes Tchekidjian,
the APO performed some of the better-known works of Rossini, Orff,
Handel, Mozart and Verdi, along with a number of Armenian pieces
that moved the capacity crowd. During the Armenian program, soprano
Karine Avetissian sang highlights from the “Anoush” opera and soprano
Zemfira Daniyelian performed the “Sayat Nova” cantata, while during the
second half tenor Rafael Melkonyan performed a solo from Chukhajian’s
“Leblebiji” operetta.
The concert ended with a prolonged standing ovation and shouts of
“Bravo, Chekdji.” In response to the applause the APO performed
the recently anointed anthem of the Armenian capital of Yerevan,
“Erebouni-Yerevan”, followed by the popular, “Ara Ho”.
Formed over 75 years ago, APO has been mainly subsidized by the AGBU
since 1992 in recognition of the importance of the performing arts
in Armenia. Annual grants are allocated for weekly concerts, new
instruments, administration, salary supplements, international guest
artists and special festivals. APO has successfully toured Austria,
France, Greece, England, Lebanon, Iran, Russia and the UAE and has
produced over a dozen CD recordings. For more information on APO
please visit or
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Europe throws up a volatile challenge to Turkey’s idea of national self
By SELCAN HACAOGLU
The Associated Press
11/23/04 19:32 EST
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – As a child, Hrant Dink dreamed of becoming
a homicide detective, but he faced an insurmountable obstacle. In
overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey, Jews and Christians can’t join the
police.
Now that unwritten rule, product of a history of ethnic strife and
distrust of non-Muslim minorities, is coming into heated debate
as Turkey faces up to the reforms it must undertake to achieve its
cherished goal of joining the European Union.
Things almost came to blows earlier this month at a news conference by
a semiofficial human rights body, when its chairman, Ibrahim Kaboglu,
suggested Turkey must expand minority rights.
Fahrettin Yokus, a civil service union leader, grabbed the papers from
Kaboglu’s hands and ripped them up. “We don’t recognize this report;
it is aimed at dividing the country,” he shouted.
The EU demands, he charged, “are threatening our unity.”
Kaboglu, whose Human Rights Advisory Council was created by the
prime minister’s office, has sought police protection. His critics,
meanwhile, have petitioned state prosecutors to file treason charges
against Kaboglu and those who signed the statement that he read.
Tensions have heightened since an EU panel ruled last month that
for Turkey to negotiate its way into the prosperous 25-nation bloc,
it would have to meet European standards of democracy and human rights.
It urged Turkey to grant more rights to ethnic Kurds and recognize
Alawites, a religious sect rooted in Islam, as a minority. Jews and
Christians already have minority rights, but are still suffering
discrimination, such as exclusion from the police, Foreign Ministry
and military officers’ corps, the panel
said.
But while multiculturalism may be the norm in much of Europe, it’s
an explosive concept in Turkey. Here children open the school day
by saying “Happy is the one who says ‘I am a Turk,”‘ and the word
“minority’ is seen by nationalists as code for national fragmentation.
More than a quarter of Turkey’s 71 million people are either Kurds,
Alawites or share both identities. It has an estimated 130,000
non-Muslims – Greek, Armenian and other Christians, and Jews.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer says the debate over minority rights is
“destructive,” and that every citizen of the state – Muslim or other –
is a Turk and is bound to the Turkish state.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul ruled out any official recognition of
Muslim minorities. As for non-Muslims, he acknowledged that there are
“possible snags,” such as property rights, which the government was
trying to address.
The military, which regards itself as the guardian of a united, secular
Turkey, spelled out its distaste for the idea of Muslim minority
rights in a statement read to a news conference by its deputy chief,
Gen. Ilker Basbug.
“The nation is a whole. It cannot be seen as made up of pieces,” it
said. Otherwise “this would open the way to the breakup of the state.”
This unyielding approach is rooted in the founding doctrines of the
Turkish republic that arose in 1923 on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
Although the new constitution was staunchly secular, many Turkish
Muslims regarded Christians and Jews as foreigners in their new
state. They were deeply suspicious of the Greeks and Armenians, the
main Christian communities, which had risen up against the Ottoman
Empire as it collapsed.
The new definition of Turkishness was strictly enforced, especially
on the Kurds who dominate the southeast. Their language was suppressed
and a Kurdish rebellion has left 37,000 dead since 1984.
Sectarian clashes also broke out between Alawites and the Sunni Muslim
majority in the late 1970s and again in the 1990s.
Dink, an Armenian Christian, is now 50 and a journalist. He told NTV,
a private network, that all he wanted was to catch murderers. “But
I was barred from becoming a detective in this country because I am
seen as a security concern.”

Azeri officer admits killing Armenian with axe-MTI
Reuters
11/23/04 11:51 ET
BUDAPEST, Nov 23 (Reuters) – An Azeri officer who killed an Armenian
with an axe at a Budapest military academy pleaded guilty in court
on Tuesday, saying he took revenge for Armenian attacks on Azeris,
Hungarian news agency MTI reported.
Former Soviet republics Armenia and Azerbaijan declared an uneasy
ceasefire after going to war in 1988, part of a long and bitter
territorial dispute.
“It was not my plan to be so cruel, savage,” 27-year-old Ramil Safrov
Sahib told the court.
When asked why he almost severed the head of the victim he said
“because they did the same to 8,000 people of ours.”
In February, Sahib entered the Armenian’s room, stabbed him several
times with a knife and struck him repeatedly with an axe, almost
severing his head.
The pair were on an English language course run under the auspices
of NATO’s Partnership for Peace.
Sahib was charged with committing premeditated murder with extreme
cruelty, and faces possible life imprisonment if found guilty,
a Budapest Capital Court press official told Reuters.