AAA: Arm. Caucus Co-Chairs Call for US Response to Azerbaijan Aggr.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIAN CAUCUS CO-CHAIRS CALL FOR U.S. RESPONSE TO AZERBAIJAN’S AGGRESSION

Washington, DC — The Armenian Assembly of America commended Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Reps. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank
Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) for taking a firm stand on repeated and blatant threats
by Azerbaijan against Armenia and raising this “serious issue” with
Secretary of State Collin Powell.

In a joint letter to Powell Friday, with copies sent to National Security
Advisor Condoleezza Rice and Special Coordinator for Eurasia Conflicts
Ambassador Steven Mann, Representatives Knollenberg and Pallone said U.S.
silence in the face of recent remarks by a ranking Azerbaijani official
calling for the occupation of Armenia and “removal of the entire Armenian
population from the Caucasus” should not be “dismissed as mere rhetoric.”

“We applaud Representatives Knollenberg and Pallone for their forthright
stand on this highly dangerous and potentially explosive Azerbaijani policy.
Both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have on more than one occasion extended an
olive branch only to be met with Azerbaijan’s war-mongering policies,”
Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian said.

“We share Representative Knollenberg’s and Pallone’s view that Azerbaijan’s
threats against Armenia should be compellingly addressed by the
Administration at the highest levels,” Hovnanian said.

To buttress the Co-Chairs’ concerns, the Armenian Assembly issued and
circulated a detailed and well documented fact sheet to all 435 U.S. House
of Representatives and 100 Senate members spelling out recent remarks by top
Azerbaijani officials hurling “threats, hate-mongering, complaints,
accusations and abuse at the Armenians of Karabakh, Armenia and Armenians
around the world.”

Among the most blatant and belligerent were remarks by Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev, Defense Minister Gen. Safar Abiyev, Defense Ministry Spokesman
Col. Ramiz Melkov, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Council of Europe Agshin
Mekhtiyev, President Aliyev’s National Security Advisor Vafa Gulizade and
others.

In their letter to Secretary Powell, the Co-Chairs of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues said failure to “forcefully and publicly confront
the Azerbaijani government over these destabilizing threats would, in our
view, send extremely dangerous signals” to the government in Baku.

The letter went on to reiterate that Azerbaijan’s threats against Armenia’s
survival will only “reinforce our commitment to maintaining parity in U.S.
military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

Addressing Secretary Powell, Representatives Knollenberg and Pallone said:

“As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, we would like
to raise with you a serious issue that, if not compellingly addressed by the
Administration, has the potential to undermine U.S. interests and American
values in the strategically important Caucasus region.

We refer to the remarks by officials in the government of President Ilham
Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia. For example, as
reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Azerbaijani Defense
Ministry 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.

Azerbaijan’s threats against 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 toward
Armenia. Any tilt in military spending toward 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
Karabakh conflict.

The United States plays a crucial role in the negotiations over Nagorno
Karabakh, to help the people of this region to 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 Azerbaijani government over these destabilizing
threats would, in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan.

It is our hope that the United States takes action to condemn these remarks,
to ensure that all parties involved in this conflict make a genuine
commitment towards peace and stability.”

Following is the text of the Assembly Fact Sheet which was sent to all
members of the Senate and Congress:

“In the years since the outbreak of the Karabakh conflict in the 1980s, the
Azerbaijani government and entities sponsored by it have hurled a litany of
threats, hate-mongering, complaints, accusations and abuse at the Armenians
of Karabakh, Armenia and Armenians around the world. Such rhetoric continued
unabated despite the establishment of a cease-fire in Karabakh in May 1994
and the ongoing peace process, and has intensified in recent years.
Egregious examples of this rhetoric follow:

* President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly told his nation that Azerbaijan
could launch a new war in Karabakh: “At any moment we must be able to
liberate our territories by military means. To achieve this we have
everything.” Aliyev predicts that Azerbaijan will soon become an
economically strong state, while its military “superiority” will increase
further. “Under these circumstances we cannot react positively to those
calling us to compromise.” (Source: Zerkalo 7/23/04) Azerbaijan has been
increasing its military spending to more than $217 million (Source: IISS
Military Balance) and buying more tanks, artillery and aircraft (Source: UN
Directory of Conventional Arms). Aliyev warned that unless Armenians
capitulate “we will all smash the heads of the Armenians.” (Source: Turan
via BBC Monitoring 10/27/00)
* Azerbaijani Defense Minister Gen. Safar Abiyev says that occasional
violations of the 1994 cease-fire are “natural” since Azerbaijan is still
“at war.” (Source: Sarg via BBC Monitoring 8/14/03) Abiyev makes claims on
Armenia’s territory: “Armenia must always remember that what Azerbaijan
accepted yesterday will not be accepted today and tomorrow. Azerbaijan will
not want to have a separated state – meaning Nakhichevan, cut from the
mainland Azerbaijan. This issue will be raised tomorrow.” (Source: Ekho
5/16/03). Asked if the Azeri army is ready “to go to Yerevan,” Abiyev
answers: “We can go even farther.” (Source: ANS via BBC Monitoring 3/22/02)
Abiyev claims that “The Armenian state was created on the occupied Azeri
lands with the area of 29,000 square kilometers.” (Source: ANS.az 12/7/01)
* The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Ramiz Melikov: “In the
next 25-30 years there will be no Armenian state in the South Caucasus. This
nation has been a nuisance for its neighbors and has no right to live in
this region. Present-day Armenia was built on historical Azerbaijani lands.
I believe that in 25 to 30 years these territories will once again come
under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction.” (Source: Zerkalo 8/4/04) Following the
brutal murder of an Armenian student of NATO English language courses in
Hungary last February, Melikov qualified the confessed murderer Ramil
Safarov as a “talented and disciplined officer.” Melikov added that, “as an
Azeri, I understand and support Safarov’s actions.” Melikov did not exclude
similar attacks on Armenians in the future. (Source: Regnum 2/25/04)
* Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Council of Europe Agshin Mekhtiyev warned
of more attacks on individual Armenians, adding that he “would not advise
Armenians to sleep easy in their beds.” (Source: Zerkalo 2/24/04) Parliament
member and former Heydar Aliyev bodyguard Siyavush Novruzov told Terry
Davis, envoy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, that
“similar incidents” could occur in PACE as well, unless the Karabakh
conflict is settled in Baku’s favor. (Source: Ekho 2/27/04) Azerbaijan’s
Human Rights Ombudsman Elmira Suleimanova said that Safarov should serve as
“an example for Azerbaijani youth.” (Source: Zerkalo 2/28/04)
* The Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security (MNS) has publicly and,
according to media reports, clandestinely sponsored rhetoric and activities
directed against Karabakh peace efforts. In 2004, this successor to the
Soviet-era KGB held a public competition for the “best” films and books
targeting Armenians, with Minister Namik Abbasov giving financial awards of
up to $2,000 to the winners. (Source: Azertag.com 3/26/04) Azeri officials
have condemned Track II peace-building contacts with Armenians, and groups
linked to MNS have attacked Azeri peace activists. (Sources: ANS via BBC
Monitoring 11/3/01, 4/16/02; 525ci Gazet 5/11/02; Zerkalo via BBC Monitoring
4/30/03; IWPR Caucasus Report 5/1/03)

* Heydar Aliyev’s National Security Advisor Vafa Gulizade demanded that
“Armenians should be driven out of Azerbaijan forever.” Unless Azerbaijan
fights and drives all Armenians out, Gulizade believes that “Armenians would
[eventually] buy up real estate in Baku… They will try to take Azerbaijan
into their hands in this way.” (Source: Azadlyq via BBC Monitoring 10/10/01)
“The entire Armenian population of Nagornyy Karabakh should be moved from
there…This problem will not be resolved as long as Armenians are in
Nagornyy Karabakh.” (Source: Yeni Azerbaycan via BBC Monitoring 11/14/01)
“If they want autonomy on our land, let us have autonomy in Zangazur and
Goyca [southern and eastern Armenia] which will enable Azerbaijan to reach
Turkey by land.” (Source: ANS via BBC Monitoring 4/6/02)

* The Azerbaijani Parliament member from ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party Asia
Manafova:
“Our people must repay the debt it owes to [the late President] Heydar
Aliyev and free Karabakh from Armenian occupiers. To achieve this goal we
are ready to follow the example of Chechen patriots and undertake acts of
suicide bombing.” Manafova called on other Parliament members to also become
suicide bombers. (Source: Regnum.ru 12/15/03) The pro-government Azerbaijan
News Service (ANS) has been the most active Azeri TV channel opposing any
contacts with Armenians and arguing for war, suggesting, among other things,
to recruit suicide bombers from among thousands of orphaned and homeless
children in Azerbaijan. (Source: ANS via BBC Monitoring 10/13/02).

As one of the leading mediators in the Karabakh peace process and Co-Chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as a nation with deep bilateral ties with
both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the United States needs to be much more active
in securing an end to such irresponsible and bellicose high-level
Azerbaijani statements. Clearly these officials envision another military
offensive against NKR and Armenia, ethnic cleansing and in the case of Col.
Melikov, Armenia’s demise and genocide against its population. Silence in
the face of such threats only emboldens the would-be aggressors.

The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-077

www.armenianassembly.org

9000 of 118,000 Disabled in Armenia Children under 18

MORE THAN 9000 OUT OF 118 THOUSAND DISABLED PEOPLE REGISTERED IN
ARMENIA ARE CHILDREN AGED UNDER 18

YEREVAN, August 25 (Noyan Tapan). At present over 118 thousand
disabled people are registered in Armenia. More than 9000 out of them
are children aged under 18. Jemma Baghdasarian, the Chief of the
Department on Disabled and Elderly People Issues of RA Ministry of
Labor and Social Issues, informed Noyan Tapan that the number of
disabled people has been growing in the recent years, thus, this year
the number of disabled poople has increased by 3000 compared with the
previous year. According to the chief of the department, the growth of
the number of disabled people is explained by the fact that under the
present social conditions people don’t apply for medical help in
time. According to J.Baghdasarian, general diseases become the reason
of disablement in 60%, including oncological, cardiovascular diseases
and diseases of nervous system. Reporting that only 10% of disabled
people are provided with job J.Baghdasarian at the same time mentioned
that at present a number of programs aimed at integration of disabled
people to society are being implemented. For instance, “The Republican
Employment Agency” of the Ministry implements programs of training of
disabled people. They will be provided with job in the future. It was
mentioned that more than 20 NGOs take an active part in the process of
integration of disabled people to the society.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Resources of Portable Energy-Carriers Discovered in Armenia

AVAILABILITY OF GREAT RESOURCES OF PORTABLE ENERGY-CARRIERS FOUND OUT
IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, August 25 (Noyan Tapan). The Institute of Geophisics and
Engineering Seismology carried out geophisical researches in the
Jermaghbiur region of the Syunik region by the order of the
“Armenergo” company. RA Minister of Energy Armen Movsisian told
journalists on August 25 that the purpose of these researches was to
specify the availability of portable energy-carriers in the young
volcanic zone. It was found out that there are such resourcse here,
and according to the Minister of Energy, their number is quite
great. Armen Movsisian said that it is expected that a concrete
program on the exploitation of these resources will be elaborated till
the end of next year. It should be mentioned that it is expected that
the first geothermal laboratory will be constructed in Armenia, which
will be of great importance for the increase of the energetic security
of the country.

Armenian Writers of Constantinople Can Preserve National Thinking

ARMENIAN WRITERS OF CONSTANTINOPLE CAN PRESERVE NATIONAL THINKING

YEREVAN, August 25 (Noyan Tapan). “Rober Hattechian’s literary
heritage had greatly influence not only on the Diaspora, but on the
modern prose of Armenia.” Levon Ananian, Chairman of the Armenian
Writer’s Union, characteried Rober Hattechian’s activities in this way
during his meeting with the Armenian writer of Constantinople held at
the Armenian Writer’s Union on August 25. He gave assurance that Rober
Hattechian’s great literary-publicistic heritage will be studied both
by literary critics and press theoreticians in the future, and the
future historian will really evaluate his public-national
activities. There was an opinion that the Armenian writers living in
Constantinople can’t preserve and protect their national thinking. But
according to Levon Ananian, the literature of the Armenians of
Constantinople has started reviving due to a group of writers Zahrat,
Zareh Khrakhuni, Igna Saraslan, Vard Shikaher and Rober Hattechian
since the 50s of last century. “Really it is quite difficult, but
these writers fulfilled the problem put before them with honor,”
mentioned Levon Ananian. Rober Hattechian started appearing in the
literary scene since the 40s of last century. The prosaist is the
editor of the “Marmara” daily newspaper from 1967 to present. He has
published about 50 books. Since 1981 his memoirs have been published
in “Marmara”. Later they are periodically released with separate books
entitled “Hushatetr” (“Scrap-Book”).

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1) Armenian-Americans Deliver United Message to US House Leadership
2) Territorial Integrity Should Be Respected, Stresses Saakashvili
3) Aliyev Holds Private Meeting With German President

1) Armenian-Americans Deliver United Message to US House Leadership

Grassroots Organizations Protest Congressional Opposition to Genocide
Legislation

WASHINGTON, DCMore than a dozen national grassroots Armenian-American
organizations came together this week to communicate the “extraordinary
disappointment” of the Armenian-American community over the Congressional
leadership’s opposition to legislation recognizing the Armenian genocide,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“We have seen, in recent weeks, a tremendous groundswell of opposition from
across the Armenian-American community to the Congressional leadership’s
attack
on the Schiff Amendment, and their stubborn refusaldespite the strong,
bipartisan support enjoyed by the Genocide Resolutionto schedule a vote on
this
human rights initiative,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
The letter, written on behalf of the collective leadership of the
Armenian-American community to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, gives voice to
the community’s unequivocal opposition to the House leadership’s efforts to
reverse the Schiff Amendment to the fiscal year 2005 Foreign Operations bill,
H.R. 4818, and expresses the community’s “great dismay with your public
statement against holding a vote on the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193.”
The letter comes in the wake of the adoption by the US House, last month, of
the Schiff Amendment, which seeks to block the use by Turkey of US foreign aid
to lobby against the Genocide Resolution. It was adopted by voice vote,
without
any opposition, on July 15. Within hours of its passage, the Schiff Amendment
came under intense attack by the Congressional leadership, with the Speaker of
the House and his top deputies issuing a statementposted prominently on the
first page of the Speaker of the House’s websitethat they would use their
influence to block its adoption as part of the final foreign aid bill.
The organizations that signed the community-wide letter were the ANCA, the
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic ChurchEastern and Western US, the Prelacy of
the Armenian Apostolic ChurchEastern and Western US, the Armenian Missionary
Association of America, and the Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics, as
well as the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Democratic Liberal
(Ramgavar) Party, United Armenian Fund, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Bar
Association, National Organization of Republican Armenians, Armenian Youth
Federation, HomenetmenArmenian General Athletic Union, and Hamazkayin Armenian
Cultural and Educational Association.
The signatories to the letter stressed that the Schiff Amendment, which was
adopted by the US House on July 15, “simply underscores the importance of
protecting American people from having their tax dollars used by the
government
of Turkey for a purpose they find patently offensivethe denial of the Armenian
Genocide.” They also noted that the adoption of the Amendment “reflected the
breadth of the bipartisan opposition to Turkey’s shameful campaign against
H.Res.193, and, just as importantly, demonstrated the clear and overwhelming
support of a majority of Members enjoyed by the underlying legislation.”
The Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193, was introduced last year by Congressmen
George Radanovich (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone. It has been
cosponsored by 110 US Representatives and was approved, without opposition, in
May of last year, by the Judiciary Committee. This genocide prevention measure
is supported by a diverse coalition of over one hundred religious, civic,
ethnic and human rights organizations, including American Values, Union of
Orthodox Rabbis, NAACP, Sons of Italy, and the National Council of La Raza.

The full text of the Armenian American community letter to the Speaker of the
House is provided below.

Text of Community Letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert

Dear Speaker Hastert:

We are writing, as the collective leadership of the Armenian-American
community, to voice our extraordinary disappointment with your opposition to
the Schiff Amendment to the fiscal year 2005 Foreign Operations bill,
H.R.4818,
and to express our great dismay with your public statement against holding a
vote on the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193.
The Schiff Amendment simply underscores the importance of protecting American
people from having their tax dollars used by the government of Turkey for a
purpose they find patently offensivethe denial of the Armenian Genocide. The
adoption of this measure on July 15th by the full US House of Representatives
reflected the breadth of the bipartisan opposition to Turkey’s shameful
campaign against H.Res.193, and, just as importantly, demonstrated the clear
and overwhelming support of a majority of Members enjoyed by the underlying
legislation.
As you know, H.Res.193, which was introduced by Congressmen George Radanovich
and Adam Schiff, and Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairmen Joe
Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, has been cosponsored by 110 of your colleagues
and was approved, without opposition, in May of last year, by the Judiciary
Committee. This genocide-prevention measure is supported by a diverse
coalition
of over one hundred religious, civic, ethnic and human rights organizations,
including American Values, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, NAACP, Sons of Italy, and
the National Council of La Raza.
We respectfully call upon you to reconsider your opposition to the Schiff
Amendment and to immediately schedule a vote of the full US House of
Representatives on the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193. We make this request on
several levels. First is that the adoption of such a resolution represents a
moral imperative that we, as Americans, must take to defend human rights and
protect human lives against the crime of genocide. Secondly, we should not
allow a foreign nation, particularly one that so brazenly flaunts basic
American values and which blocked the US-led coalition from opening a northern
front in the Iraq War, to impose its dictates on the US Congress. Thirdly, the
clear majority of Members who support this resolution should not be denied the
opportunity to take part in an up-or-down vote on this human rights measure.
Finally, by bringing this measure to the floor, you would be honoring your
public pledge to our community on this subject made in October of 2000.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. We would be pleased to meet
with you personally to discuss this matter further.

Sincerely,

2) Territorial Integrity Should Be Respected, Stresses Saakashvili

TBILISI (Combined Sources)–Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said that
relations between Georgia and Russia should be based on mutual respect for
each
country’s territorial integrity.
“I demand that officials of the Georgian government compare Georgia with
Chechnya, as we respect Russia’s territorial integrity and want Russia to
respect our territorial integrity,” Saakashvili told a briefing on Tuesday.
Saakashvili said that Russia is in fact a participant in the conflict in
Tskhinvali region. “The fact that Russia is taking part in the conflict has
been known to us for a long time,” he said.
Russian troops are gathering near South Ossetia, he said. “Our special
services have had information about Russian troops and military vehicles
gathering near the entrance to the Roki tunnel for a long time,” Saakashvili
said.
Thanks to measures taken by the Georgian authorities, “large-scale military
activity” was avoided, Saakashvili said.
“The country has to be ready to defend itself at any moment,” the president
said. “We would like to negotiate with Russia, but it is not making any steps
to help this,” he said.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday dismissed as “inventions” and
“unfounded statements” allegations by Georgian politicians that Russia has
moved more troops to the vicinity of the Georgian border.
A current Russian army exercise, which has been interpreted in Georgia as
preparations for an invasion of the country’s breakaway region of South
Ossetia, is a routine operation that was planned in 2003 and “has nothing
to do
with current events around Tskhinvali,” ministry spokesman Col. Vyacheslav
Sedov told Interfax.
The exercise is being held at a training ground in North Ossetia, a Russian
region bordering South Ossetia, he said.
“Maybe it is seen in Georgia as a large-scale exercise, but for Russia it is
part of daily routine,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Defense and National Security Committee of the
Georgian parliament, Givi Targamadze, urged his country to prepare for a
Russian attack.
“It appears that we cannot avoid Russian aggression, and so we must stop it,
which is by no means an unfeasible task if one takes into account the Chechen
experience,” Targamadze told a news conference in Tbilisi.
Three hours before Georgia withdrew its forces from the Georgian-South
Ossetian conflict zone last week, “Russian troops in North Ossetia were
readied
for march and were to enter the territory of South Ossetia via the Roki
Tunnel,” he said.
“Airborne troops and up to 40 combat helicopters were moved to a military
airfield near the village of Upper Gizel, in the immediate vicinity of the
Roki
Tunnel,” he said.
There were still up to 80 armored vehicles at a Russian military base near
Oktyabrskoye village that “are intended to be moved into South Ossetia,” he
said.
Peacekeepers monitoring South Ossetia have located trip wires and US-made
mines in the area, Irina Gagloyeva, head of the South Ossetian press and
information committee, told Interfax by telephone on Tuesday.
“More than ten trip wires were discovered in the area of the Tskhinvali
bypass
road, from where Georgian servicemen were withdrawn. Twenty-five US-made mines
were found in Georgian villages.
Apart from peacekeeping units, the monitoring operation in the area involves
representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
she
said.
The situation in the region is generally calm. No shelling has been reported
so far. But people are waiting for what might happen with concern,” she said.
Referring to South Ossetian security agencies, Gagloyeva said that Georgian
servicemen are continuing to dig trenches and to build other fortification
facilities near the villages of Tamarasheni, Kekhli and Kheit.

3) Aliyev Holds Private Meeting With German President

GERMANY (Azertag)–Following an official welcoming ceremony, a private meeting
was held between Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and President of Germany Horst
Koehler on August 25, AzerTag personal correspondent reports.
During the conversation, President Koehler highly valued the Azeri leader’s
first official visit to Germany, stressing it would have a positive impact on
the development of bilateral relations and promote economic cooperation
between
the two countries.
Expressing satisfaction with the hospitality shown to him during the visit,
Aliyev pointed out the importance of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan
and Germany, particularly in regards to international organizations and
integration of Azerbaijan into European structures.
Regarding the Karabagh conflict, Koehler stated that Germany completely
supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and will adhere to this
position in the future. Germany as an OSCE member will intensify its efforts
concerning the problem, he said.

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Armenia: Photographer assaulted After taking pix of official’s villa

COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS 2004 NEWS ALERT

ARMENIA: PHOTOGRAPHER ASSAULTED AFTER TAKING PICTURES OF OFFICIAL’S VILLA

New York, August 25, 2004 – Armenian photojournalist Mkhitar Khachatryan was
assaulted after photographing the opulent homes of government officials in
the central Armenian resort city of Tsakhkadzor yesterday, according to
local and international press reports.

Khachatryan, with the news agency Fotolur, and Anna Israelyan, a
correspondent with the independent daily Aravot, were reporting on damages
caused to Tsakhkadzor forests by housing construction. Khachatryan
photographed villas belonging to high-level police and government officials,
the Armenian Service of the U.S. – funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(RFE/RL) reported.

A man guarding a mansion that purportedly belongs to Armen Yeritsyan, deputy
chief of Armenian national police, approached the two journalists while
Khachatryan was taking photos of the building. The guard ordered Khachatryan
to stop photographing and the journalists left the area, according to the
RFE/RL.

The guard, accompanied by several other men, later spotted Khachatryan and
Israelyan at a café in Tskhkadzor. One of the men beat Khachatryan, causing
bruises to his neck and arms, and threatened to kill the photographer,
RFE/RL said.

Israelyan and Khachatryan were forced to surrender the photo storage card
containing Khachatryan’s photos, local reports said.

In an article published in Aravot today, Israelyan gave a first-person
account of the attack and described the pair’s efforts to report on the
effect of home construction on the forests. The newspaper ran blank frames
with captions where the destroyed photographs were supposed to run.

“CPJ calls on Armenian authorities to investigate the beating of our
colleague and bring the man who attacked him to justice,” CPJ Executive
Director Ann Cooper said. “We urge officials to ensure that journalists in
Armenia are able to do their jobs without fear for their safety.”

Background:

Violence against journalists in Armenia escalated this year. Security forces
and plainclothes men beat reporters covering opposition rallies on April 5
and April 13.

In the first incident, local police stood by while two dozen men in civilian
clothes smashed journalists’ cameras, assaulted several reporters and
destroyed filmed footage of an April 5 opposition rally in Yerevan. (See
CPJ’s alert from April 6.)

In the second incident, three journalists from opposition newspapers and a
cameraman with the Russian television channel ORT were beaten by police at
an April 13 opposition rally in Yerevan, organized to call for a referendum
on President Robert Kocharian’s rule. (See CPJ’s alert from April 13).

http://www.cpj.org/news/2004/Armenia25aug04na.html

Armenia debates ethnic rights

Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Aug 25 2004

ARMENIA DEBATES ETHNIC RIGHTS

Cool reception from Armenia’s tiny minority communities to a draft
law designed to help them.

By Zhanna Alexanian in Yerevan

A proposed new law intended to protect the rights of minorities in
Armenia has met with a lukewarm response from members of the
country’s
small ethnic communities even before a first draft is on the table.

When the team of experts designing the law complete their
deliberations, which have been going on for two months, the document
will be
sent for review at the Council of Europe and then submitted to
parliament.

Armenia is, in contrast to its south Caucasian neighbours Georgia and

Azerbaijan, virtually a mono-ethnic republic in which just 2.2 per
cent of the population is not Armenian. However, it is the first
country in the region to work on a law on its ethnic minorities.

“I think that passing a law on national minorities may set a positive

example for other countries of the region,” said Stepan Safarian, an
expert at the Armenian Centre for National and International Studies
and a member of the team drafting the law. “It will be important for
Armenia in terms of harmonising relations between the majority and
the minorities.”

This is not the first attempt to pass such a law. An earlier document

was rejected by the minority communities themselves. After that, in
January this year, the government formed a new Department for
National
Minorities and Religion which started drafting a new bill.

“We weren’t obliged to do this, but there was a recommendation,”
Hranush Kharatian, head of the minorities department, told IWPR. “The

framework convention on national minorities which Armenia signed up
to
[in 1997] recommends adopting a law in which their rights are
defined.”

Armenia’s constitution does not specifically refer to the rights of
minorities and they are barely mentioned in laws on education and
language. The new law will set out their legal rights in terms of
religious practice, education and language and will specifically
outlaw
discrimination against them.

“On the whole, legislation in Armenia is liberal towards national
minorities,” said Kharatian. “But if we have an appropriate law, they

will know their rights better. At the end of the day adopting this
law
signifies the state’s attitude towards its minorities.

“It’s true that the constitution forbids discrimination of any kind,
but banning discrimination or violence gives minorities a passive
right, whereas this law will above all give them active rights.”

There are more than 20 ethnic minorities in Armenia, chiefly
Assyrians, Yezidis, Kurds, Greeks, Jews, Russians and others. In the
last
Soviet census of 1989, minorities formed 6.7 per cent of the
population.
But the number has fallen drastically since then, in part because of
the mass flight of Armenia’s Azerbaijani population and in part
because of emigration.

The team of experts debating the new law includes government figures
and scholars. They have studied similar laws from around 20 other
countries, and have paid particular attention to the laws of Hungary
and
Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro).

However many minority leaders are cool towards the whole project.

“I am not in favour of passing this law, but as the discussion
concerns us I am participating in it,” said Irina Gasparian, who
represents
the Assyrian community. Around 6,000 Assyrians were living in Armenia

in 1989, but there are only about 3,400 here now.

Charkaze Mstoyan, chairman of the Kurdistan Committee, is strongly
against the law as a matter of principle, because he feels that the
act
of defining a separate identity for minorities is a form of
discrimination in itself.

“Passing a law like this is a form of national persecution and
infringes our rights,” he said. “If I am a citizen of the Republic of

Armenia, why should I have this label pinned on me?”

“There is a taboo on everything Kurdish here,” continued Mstoyan. “If

the president of the country were to declare just once that Kurds or
other peoples have lived together with us for centuries, if we were
to be mentioned officially, I assure you that the atmosphere in
Armenia would change.”

He said that the Kurds and the Yezidis, a Kurdish-speaking but
non-Muslim group, were leaving Armenia because of social problems, in

particular the poor educational system.

“School buildings are falling down, it’s impossible to hold lessons
there. The state has just forgotten about us,” he said.

Another problem for Kurds is bullying when they are conscripted into
the army, leading the Kurdish leader to ask aloud, “Will there be a
point in the law which stops a member of a minority group being
persecuted in the army?… I don’t think so. For members of our
community,
army service is a tragedy for the whole family. And another thing:
will there be a point in the law which allocates university places
for
Kurdish children?”

Hranush Aratian argued that the law was needed to protect minorities
against discrimination from organisations like the nationalist Union
of Armenian Aryans. This group is calling on ethnic minorities to
leave Armenia, and has called on the Jewish community in Armenia to
put
pressure on the Israeli government to change its position on the
Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Hersch Burstein, chairman of the Mordechai Navi society which
represent’s Armenia’s Jewish community of just 300 people, declined
to
answer IWPR’s questions, saying only that he was not taking part in
discussions on the draft law because he was not sufficiently informed
about
it.

Shavarsh Khachatrian, a specialist in international law and the chief

expert in the drafting group, argued that passing the new bill was
chiefly in the interests of the ethnic minorities themselves.

“They ought to explain why they reject the need to pass a law like
this,” said Khachatrian. “National minorities are a section of
society
which always get used when tensions are rising, either between states

or in anti-government movements. The problems that create the most
tension have to do with inter-ethnic relations, and that is why many
countries have adopted laws like this one.”

“We do not have minorities with separatist demands,” said
Khachatrian. “Historically, our state has not been intolerant towards

minorities. I think we have all we need to pass a normal law.

“How this law is used is another matter. That is connected with the
way our country is developing. It has retreated from democratic
values
and is moving towards authoritarianism.”

Zhanna Alexanian is a reporter with in Yerevan

www.ArmeniaNow.com

Olympics: Gardner Unable to Defend His Olympic Title

Reuters
Aug 25 2004

Gardner Unable to Defend His Olympic Title

By Ori Lewis

ATHENS (Reuters) – U.S. heavyweight Rulon Gardner lost his Olympic
title Wednesday after being beaten in the semi-final stage of the
120kg Greco-Roman wrestling event by Georgiy Tsurtsumia of
Kazakhstan.

In a bout which went into overtime, the bigger and stronger-looking
Tsurtsumia held on for a 4-1 scoreline after the two men tied at 1-1
at the end of the mandatory six minutes.

Gardner, 33, narrowly escaped death when stranded in temperatures of
minus 25 degrees Celsius after his snowmobile broke down in a forest
in Wyoming in 2002.

He lost a toe to frost bite and last year also suffered a dislocated
shoulder in a motorcycle accident.

The articulate American had no regrets about his tactics in the bout.
He said: “I gave 100 percent, I have no bad feelings. I was trying to
score a point to win the match but he countered me and beat me. I
tried.”

Tsurtsumia stands at 6-foot-4 and towered above Gardner, whose
physique is much stockier and who stands at about 6-foot-1.

Gardner said that all his opponents had studied his technique closely
and knew exactly what was needed to beat him.

“These people (my opponents) have come here having learned each
set-piece. They saw what I can be worked on, where I’m weak,” he
explained.

Gardner beat the seemingly invincible Russian Alexander Karelin to
win the 130kg gold medal at the Sydney Games in 2000 but that
category has been dropped in Athens to make room for the women’s
wrestling events.

Gardner now meets Iranian Sajad Barzi for the bronze. Tsurtsumia’s
opponent for gold will be Russia’s Khasan Baroev.

In the other finals to be contested Wednesday, Russia’s Alexei
Michine will fight for gold in the 84kg division against Sweden’s
Armenian-born former world champion Ara Abrahamian.

In the 66kg class Farid Mansurov of Azerbaijan will meet Turkey’s
Seref Eroglu, while in the 55kg category Istvan Majoros of Hungary
will battle Gueidar Mamedaliev of Russia.

Elimination bouts in the three other Greco-Roman weight categories
(60kg, 74kg and 96kg) began Wednesday with medal bouts set for
Thursday. The freestyle competition begins on Friday in a
corresponding format to the Greco-Roman event.

City Hall’s money man gets AAA rating from peers

Anacortes American, WA
Aug 25 2004

City Hall’s money man gets AAA rating from peers
By NANCY WALBECK

George Khtaian flashes his famously winning smile at his home in
Anacortes, after stepping down as city finance director. The city’s
longtime administrator is credited with introducing the city to
careful financial management and keeping it there.
George Khtaian’s conservative financial style served Anacortes well
for 29 years
Not many people who see George Khtaian briskly walk the Washington
Loop Road each morning, accompanied by his longtime companion, Pompy
the Pomeranian, know that City Hall’s sterling financial reputation
has rested in the hands of this man.

For 29 years, until his declining health forced him to step down in
June, Khtaian as city finance director oversaw the city’s annual
budgets, shepherded its numerous bond issues and was part of an
executive team whose conservative management has kept Anacortes in
the financial pink for nearly 30 years.

On almost all counts, he will be missed at City Hall.

“What he contributed to the city over his career really needs to be
acknowledged. He took a situation where there were debts everywhere
… and put us in an extraordinarily sound financial position,” said
Ian Munce, city attorney and planning director.

The 74-year-old Khtaian, who had extensive heart surgery and a bout
with prostate cancer in the 1990s, has been battling shortness of
breath and fatigue related to an unknown lung condition. Because the
illness sapped his energy and left him with a persistent cough, he
decided in June to step down.

“When they asked me at work when I planned to retire I told them they
would probably find me dead at my desk. And it almost turned out that
way,” said Khatian, laughing.

He wanted to leave differently, within the next three years and with
his successor firmly in place.
Mayor Dean Maxwell said City Hall has interviewed candidates for city
finance director and should name Khtaian successor, who will have big
shoes to fill, next month.

“He is leaving a big hole here,” Maxwell said. “We trusted him. He
did such a good job for the whole community.”

The conservative, no-nonsense approach that Maxwell and others credit
Khtaian for bringing to the city’s finances came to him honestly.

The youngest of three brothers, Khtaian was born in Peace River,
Idaho, and raised in Newport, Wash., 50 miles north of Spokane. His
parents had emigrated to the United States, after they lost their
families when more than 1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed
under the Turkish rule of the Ottoman Empire.

They met and married here and firmly embraced American values, while
retaining their culture, said Khtaian. Khtaian’s father was a section
foreman on the railroad and George’s oldest brother, Ed, followed as
a chief dispatcher. The other son, Steve, is an artist.

“They were wonderful, hardworking people who loved this country. It
hurts me when I hear people say they don’t want any more immigrants
in the U.S. We need that shot in the arm,” he said.

Khtaian, who was then affectionately and sarcastically known as
Generous George in grade school because “I wouldn’t share my peanuts
with my friends,” was a standout in drama in high school and later.
His specialty was Moliére and even decades later he proudly shares
his noteworthy reviews.

“I was a thespian in high school and my teacher, Lucile Lake, put me
in Moliére’s “The Miser.” I was a natural for that one,” said
Khtaian.

After high school graduation, Khtaian spent one year in college, then
four years in the U.S. Air Force. He met his wife, Lorraine, while
serving and the couple celebrated their 50th anniversary nearly two
years ago. When Khtaian returned to the University of Washington, he
earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and business
administration. He worked in the private and public sector in Oregon
and Washington before being hired in Anacortes in 1976.

He came to the city when double-entry bookkeeping and cash only was
the norm and transformed the city’s financial administration into a
sophisticated and responsive system that has won national awards and
recognition, prompted Wall Street to offer increasingly better bond
interest rates and garnered 21 straight years of sterling state
audits.

Smart and knowledgable, Khtaian stayed in his small-town position
because he was given huge responsibilities, a challenge he relished.
He was treasurer, city clerk, budget officer and finance director,
among other titles.

A fiscal conservative, Khtaian looked for more and better ways to
save the city money. He saw it as a challenge, to move beyond basic
financial principles and find creative methods to squeeze a dollar.
He also found, especially in the latter years, a city administration
and City Council that was as tight-fisted as he was. Working as a
team, “a family,” he said, has allowed the city to prosper even
during tough economic times.

He said that approach is critical especially now, with various state
initiatives slicing into the city’s revenues while the city’s costs
are steadily climbing.

“It’s so simple. You save now when things are good because the lean
days will come. It’s that biblical. It’s hard to do this, but you
have to,” said Khtaian, who set up a series of cash-reserve accounts
within the city’s accounting system to weather any eventuality. His
pinch-penny philosophy allowed the city to build a new police
department, a new library and pay for sewer-line and water-line
upgrades, with little or no impact on ratepayers’ wallets.

“It all ties together. If the finances are sound, if you get good
audits, then you get good bond ratings. I feel good about that
because that’s my job, this behind the scenes work.

“The average citizen doesn’t know or appreciate that, but we are
saving them money,” he said.

——————————————————————————–

Sterling record
George Khtaian, recently retired as Anacortes finance director, has
been lauded repeatedly throughout his career, in the city and
elsewhere:

– 1976, Most Valuable Member Award, National Association of
Accountants.

– 1983-1984, co-founder, first president, Washington State Municipal
Treasurers Association.

– 1989-1990, president, Municipal Treasurers Association of the U.S.
and Canada.

– 1991, organized the All-America City team, which was a finalist.

– 1992-2000, a series of excellence awards to the city finance
department from the Government Finance Officers Association and MTA
U.S. and Canada.

– 1993, the Phillips award, MTA of the U.S. and Canada, highest honor
for “outstanding leadership.”

– 1999, secured an A-3 bond rating from Moody’s Investor Service, an
unusual ranking that meant a savings of up to $300,000 over the life
of city bonds.

Khtaian also published more than 50 technical articles for
professional journals, was an editor for seven years for two
professional finance organizations (state and national) and was a
16-year editorial board member for the Journal of Systems Management,
Cleveland, Ohio.

http://www.goanacortes.com/articles/2004/08/25/news/news02.txt

Aliev: Karabakh Must Remain Azerbaijan’s

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
Aug 25 2004

Aliev: Karabakh Must Remain Azerbaijan’s

25 August 2004 — Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev today reiterated
that the breakaway ethnic Armenian province of Nagorno-Karabakh must
remain a part of his country.

Aliev made the comments in Berlin, where he met with German
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Aliev said ethnic Armenians are welcome
to live in Azerbaijan, but only under the control of the central
government.

Schroeder said at a news conference after their meeting that he and
Aliev agree the dispute over the enclave should be resolved
peacefully:

“The president (Aliev) and I agree that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
should be resolved by political means, and Germany will continue to
support your (Aliev’s) efforts [to reach a political settlement]
within the framework of the OSCE [Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe],” Schroeder said.

Armenian-backed forces won control of Nagorno-Karabakh after fighting
that ended with a 1994 cease-fire. Internationally mediated efforts
have so far failed to find a final settlement for the
territory, which is still claimed by Azerbaijan.