Armenia’s top prosecutor ends criminal investigation into 1999 parliament attack
by AVET DEMOURIAN; Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Worldstream
November 11, 2004 Thursday 10:14 AM Eastern Time
Armenia’s top prosecutor closed the criminal investigation into
the 1999 shooting attack on parliament that killed this ex-Soviet
republic’s prime minister and seven other people, a decision that
some politicians criticized Thursday as premature.
Prosecutor General Agvan Ovsepian said Wednesday that the five-year-old
investigation into the organizers of the Oct. 27, 1999, attack was
being closed because of a lack of information.
Six gunmen barged into the parliament chamber, shooting then-Prime
Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, Parliament Speaker Karen Demirchian and
six other officials and lawmakers. Forty hostages were held overnight
before the attackers surrendered and released the captives in exchange
for time on television and promise of a fair trial.
Alleged leader Nairi Unanian and five others were sentenced to life
in prison; one later committed suicide.
The attackers claimed they were saving Armenia from economic collapse
and official corruption. But the opposition has long suspected a
political motive since Sarkisian was believed to be moving to sideline
President Robert Kocharian.
“As a victim and a witness… I had the impression that the terrorists
did not act alone and were waiting for help from the outside,” said
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, who was in the parliament session
during the terrorist attack.
He said that steps must be taken to “dispel this suspicion that exists
among witnesses of the terrorist attack and society.”
Democratic Party leader Aram Sarkisian, whose brother was killed in
the attack, criticized the prosecutor general’s decision, saying
it was taken “not on a legal basis but political, with the aim to
forever conceal the organizers.”
Markarian called on anyone who might have additional information to
provide it to the prosecutor general’s office. According to Armenian
law, criminal cases may be reopened if new information emerges.

Some CIS states express condolences on Arafat’s death
The Xinhua News Agency, China
November 11, 2004 Thursday
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko sent a telegram to
the Palestinian leadership expressing condolences on the death of
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the Itar-Tass news agency reported
on Thursday.
In his telegram Lukashenko said that Yasser Arafat was a wise and
outstanding politician, and he had a high prestige in the whole
Arab world.
“We’ll remember him forever,” he said.
Meanwhile, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in his telegram on
Thursday to interim Palestinian head Ruhi Fatouh on the death of
Yasser Arafat said he praised Arafat’s contribution to the protection
of Palestinians’ rights.
Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov expressed condolences to the
Palestinian government, the PLO Executive Committee and the Palestinian
administration on the death of Yasser Arafat, Itar- Tass said.
In his telegram on Thursday Niyazov said “on behalf of the people and
the government of Turkmenistan I convey our sincere sympathies on
the death of the outstanding leader of the Palestinian people, his
excellence Mr. Yasser Arafat. I want to express my condolences and
convey my sympathies to the family of deceased Arafat. I pray Allah
to give Palestine strength in order to overcome this serious loss.”
Yasser Arafat, 75, Palestinian leader, passed away in Paris on
Thursday morning.

Armenia squad for World Cup qualifier against Romania
The Xinhua News Agency, China
November 11, 2004 Thursday
BELGRADE
Armenia’s French coach Bernard Casoni has named the following 18-man
squad for next week’s World Cup European zone Group One qualifier at
home against Romania:
Goalkeepers: Edela Bete (Pyunik Yerevan), Armen Ambartsumyan (
Slavia Sofia)
Defenders: Sarkis Hovsepyan and Alexander Tatevosyan (both Pyunik
Yerevan), Arutyun Vardanyan (Aarau), Karen Dokhoyan (Krylya Sovietov
Samara), Artur Mkrtychyan (Darida)
Midfielders: Agvan Mkrtychan and Karen Aleksanyan (both Pyunik
Yerevan), David Grigoryan (Mika Ashtarak), Hamlet Mkhitaryan (MTZ-
RIPO Minsk), Rafael Nazaryan (Darida)
Forwards: Arman Karamyan and Artavazd Karamyan (both Rapid Bucharest),
Andrei Movsesyan (FC Moscow), Ara Akopyan (Stal Alchevsk), Edgar
Manucharyan (Pyunik Yerevan), Armen Shakhgeldyan (Mika Ashtarak).

Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.
State Department
November 10, 2004
NATO’s De Hoop Scheffer Stresses Cooperation with Caucasus;
Secretary-general visits Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan
TEXT: NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer visited Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan November 4-5 to demonstrate the alliance’s
commitment to expanding cooperation with the region, according to a
NATO press release.
The secretary-general stressed that in the face of terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, developing a network
for international cooperation was “a strategic necessity.” The
Caucasus region is a crucial part of that network, he said.
Following is a NATO press release:
(begin text)
NATO Update
10 November 2004
CAUCASUS VISIT FOCUSES ON PARTNERSHIP
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer visited Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan from 4-5 November, to demonstrate the Alliance’s
commitment to expanding cooperation with the region.
The visit came as NATO is seeking to deepen cooperation with its
partner countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
The Secretary General was accompanied by NATO’s newly-appointed
Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Ambassador
Robert Simmons.
A lot on offer
Mr. De Hoop Scheffer and Ambassador Simmons met with the Heads of
State and top officials in the three countries to discuss how
co-operation could be expanded in key areas such as defence and
military reform.
“There is a lot on offer, as well in areas that many people would not
immediately associate with NATO. Partnership projects range from
disaster preparedness, to defence conversion, to scientific and
technical cooperation,” Mr. De Hoop Scheffer said in a speech at the
Yerevan State University in Armenia.
The Secretary General stressed that in the face of terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, developing a network
for international cooperation was “a strategic necessity”. The
Caucasus region is a crucial part of that network, he said.
Mr. De Hoop Scheffer called on the countries to show political will
and good faith and find solutions to the conflicts in the region. He
stressed that NATO had no direct role in these negotiations, but
fully supported the work of the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other actors involved.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs,
U.S. Department of State.)

ARKA News Agency
Nov 11 2004
RA Parliament Head receives political directors of German and French
MFA
Presentation of film “Fortress Europe” on illegal migration takes
place in Yerevan
RA President condoles with death of Yasir Araffat
NKR President receives representatives of business circles of Armenia
Presentation of report “International Investments in 2004” to be held
in Yerevan
Polling station to be functioning in Armenia for Ukrainian citizens
participating in second tour of presidential elections
*********************************************************************
RA PARLIAMENT HEAD RECEIVES POLITICAL DIRECTORS OF GERMAN AND FRENCH
MFA
YEREVAN, November 11. /ARKA/. RA Parliament Head Arthur Baghdasarain
received political directors of German and French MFA. During the
meeting the guests noted that pay familiarization visit in Caucasus
and it is very important to them to determine perspectives of
regional development, considering the fact aht EU pays special
attention to given region.
Talking about Armenian-Turkish relations Baghdasarain stressed that
Armenia is not against Turkish entry in EU, but thinks that double
standards should not be used in given issue. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
PRESENTATION OF FILM “FORTRESS EUROPE” ON ILLEGAL MIGRATION TAKES
PLACE IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 11. /ARKA/. Presentation of film “Fortress Europe”
on illegal migration took place today in Yerevan. The film was shot
in Norway on assets of Czech charity organization People in Need. The
film describes situation of immigrants in Istanbul, which is
considered “gates of Europe”. According to estimations, 10 of 100
immigrants arrive in Turkey from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
Armenian mission of Czech organization operates in Armenia since Sep
2003 and follows the goal of provision of humanitarian assistance to
vulnerable groups of population. Organization has hot line (tel. 52
21 21), where people can receive consultations on the law on
migration and difficulties than can have Armenians in Czech Republic.
L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT CONDOLES WITH DEATH OF YASIR ARAFFAT
YEREVAN, November 11. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian condoles
with death of Yasir Araffat. In telegram addressed to Acting Leader
of Palestinian Autonomy Rauhi Fattuh, Kocharian highly estimated the
contribution of Araffat in protection of national rights of his
people and from the name of Armenian people and himself personally
presented condolences to Palestinian people and relatives of Yasir
Araffat. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
NRK PRESIDENT RECEIVES REPRESENTATIVES OF BUSINESS CIRCLES OF ARMENIA
YEREVAN, November 11. /ARKA/. NRK President Arkady Gukasian received
representatives of business circles of Armenia. The parties discussed
issued related to economic cooperation between Armenia and NKR,
stressed the necessity of clear regulation of these relations in
legal field, offered to organize business forum in NKR.
The parties also discussed the construction of North-South highway
and expressed readiness to assist in realization of this program. The
President expressed confidence that this activity will encourage also
representatives of Armenian Diaspora.
Today, Gukasian left for United States for participation in
tele-marathon on Nov 25 on fund raising for construction in Artsakh.
L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
PRESENTATION OF REPORT “INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS IN 2004” TO BE HELD
IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 11. /ARKA/. Presentation of the report
“International Investments in 2004” to be made in Yerevan on November
12. As UNDP Press Service told ARKA, the report will be presented by
Armenian Deputy Trade and Economic Development Minister Tigran
DAvtyan and Permanent Representative of and Coordinator of the UNDP
in Armenia Lise Grande. Te participants also will discuss the
business environment in Armenia with the representatives of the
business circles, state structures and donor organizations. “The
growth of the direct investments in Armenia restored in 2002-2003.
During the recent years South Caucasus recorded essential growth of
the foreign investments that mainly were targeted at oil industry of
Azerbaijan and oil transportation project via Georgia.”, the press
release mentions.
According to the Armenian National Statistical Service the inflow of
the foreign investments in Armenia in the first half of 2004 grew by
41.2% up to USD 106342.5 thou. v. the same period of 2003. The volume
of direct investments in Jan-Jun 2004 made USD 64738 thou. that is by
79.1% more as compared to the same period in 2003.
The largest investors in Armenia in the first half year of 2004 were
Greece, Argentina, USA and France the share of which were 39,07%,
15,11%, 14,28% and 12,92% respectively from all investments made in
the country. T.M. –0-
*********************************************************************
POLLING STATION TO BE FUNCTIONING IN ARMENIA FOR UKRAINIAN CITIZENS
PARTICIPATING IN SECOND TOUR OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
YEREVAN, November 11. /ARKA/. A polling station will be functioning
in Armenia for Ukrainian citizens participating in the second tour of
presidential elections in Ukraine to be held on November 21, 2004. As
Ukrainian Embassy Press Secretary told ARKA, the Ukrainian citizens
may participate in voting at the polling station N15 attached to the
Ukrainian Embassy located in Yerevan, St. Arabkir, St 29, h. 5/1. Te
voting will be held on November 21 from 8.00 to 20.00. The voters
list includes all those Ukrainian citizens registered in the
Ukrainian Embassy. The Ukrainian citizens that are not registered in
the consulate and have no registration documents may until November
13, 2004 to present personal statement to the polling station
commission with request to include them in the list. In case if they
have registration document they may present a written document to the
polling station commission with request to include them in the list
any day, including the elections day.
To remind the majority of votes was collected by candidate to
president Victor Yushchenko – 39.87%, for Victor Yanukevich – 39.32%.
The difference was 0.55%. Due to this the Central Electoral
Commission of Ukraine appointed the second tour of presidential
elections. T.M. –0–
*********************************************************************
–Boundary_(ID_imz8qG8Pto08HUHY6i4yNQ)–

Armenian version and the photo of the church carving are attached.
PRESS RELEASE
REF: PR/04/11/013
Assembly of Armenians of Europe
Contact: Armine Grigoryan
Rue de Treves 10, 1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 647 08 01
Fax: +32 2 647 02 00
THE 10TH CENTURY ARMENIAN CHURCH IN TURKEY AS TARGET FOR SHOOTING PRACTICE
Brussels, 11/11/2007 – The correspondent of the Milliyet newspaper
(Turkey) alerts from Van (Eastern Turkey) that the marvelous carvings of
the 10th century church of Akhtamar (Lake Van, Eastern Turkey) are
regularly being used as targets for shooting practice by visitors. The
newspaper published also a photo where one can see the state of carvings
after such visits. The correspondent reports that the church is
protected by a guard in the summer time only during the working hours.
During the rest of the day the visitors entertain themselves by shooting
on the carvings of the Akhtamar Church, and some of them even try to
find some treasure. Pr. Veli Seçkin, professor at the archeology
department of the University of Van says that there are rumors among the
population that there is treasure cached in the island of Akhatamar.
Even the guard of the Church was arrested while he was ~Shunting for
treasure~T.
Already in May 2004 the newspaper Zaman alerted that the famous church
of the Holy Cross of the Akhtamar Island in Lake Van was almost in
ruins.
The church, which is visited by many foreign tourists, is badly negleted
and close to ruins. The church has been neglected and harmed by treasure
hunters and is at risk of collapsing. Both its foundation and ceiling
have cracks and holes.
The City of Van’s Culture and Tourism Province Director, Bilal Sonmez,
told Zaman that a project for the preservation of the historical
identity of the church is already being prepared. Sonmez said that the
issue has already been transferred to the Culture and Nature Assets
Council and that the directorate is waiting for a decision.
Unfortunately the above-mentioned project for the preservation of the
historical identity of the church was never carried out and the Church
is not protected by UNESCO, since each country decides which are the
monuments to be protected by UNESCO.
The Assembly of Armenians of Europe and upon its request many Armenians
all around the world sent alert letters to UNESCO, but they remained
without answer.
In order to raise the awareness of the European an exhibition ~SArmenian
Architectural Heritage in South Caucasus and Middle East~T, organized by
the Assembly of Armenians of Europe with the co-operation of the
Research on Armenian Architecture under the patronage of the MEP Jonas
Sjostedt (GUE,NGL, Sweden) took place in the European Parliament,
Brussels at the end of September 2004. The exhibition was composed of 4
parts ~V Armenia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan. The photos in Azerbaijan and
Turkey show clearly the wanton and premeditated vandalism and
destruction of the Armenian Architectural monuments in those countries.
Indeed, such behavior is the direct consequence of the denial of the
Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and which is
not recognized yet by the Republic of Turkey. We believe that such
attitude from the Republic of Turkey aspiring the EU full membership is
not acceptable and should not be tolerated.
Hereby we call upon the UNESCO, European Institutions and international
organizations to urge Turkey to stop destroying the Armenian
Architectural monuments which are located in the territory of the actual
Republic of Turley and instead to begin a genuine programme of
protection and preservation of this great cultural heritage that belongs
to the whole of Europe and the world.
***
Akhtamar Chruch
The Church of Holly Cross, the Akhtamar Church is situated in Lake Van,
Eastern Turkey. The Church was built during the reign of King Gakik I of
the Vaspurakan Dynasty during the years 915 – 921 B.C. This is one of
the finest jewels of Armenian architecture. In its design and conception
of volumes and surfaces, this sanctuary is an intellectually original
variation of the cruciform and central cupola’d churches of the high
Middle Ages. The church has a four leaved clover plan with a domed
center, and it is built from red colored cut tufa stone. All the
interior walls and even the cupola are covered with beautiful frescoes,
the best of which is the one painted on the high altar wall representing
the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, sitting on a white donkey.
Because of its novel conception, its high reliefs and frescoes of rare
artistic value
–Boundary_(ID_ijIAagZacDnL+Z1lBgyRug)–

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
11 November 2004
Minister Oskanian Receives Heads of Policy Planning Departments of French
and German Foreign Ministries
On 11 November, Minister Vartan Oskanian received Political Director
of Germany’s Foreign Office Dr. Michael Schafer and French Deputy
Secretary General for Political and Security Affairs Stanislas Lefevre
de Laboulaye in the framework of their three-day visit to Armenia
following similar trips to Baku and Tbilisi.
This visit is the first time when a format including senior officials
of French and German foreign policy agencies is used in the context
of regional policy of these two EU axis states.
The discussion that evolved within political framework of The Wider
Europe and The New Neighborhood policy explored issues related to
increased level of interaction between the countries of the South
Caucasus and European Union and new opportunities offered by this
new EU policy.
The parties stressed the importance of France-Germany axis for the
success of this new EU policy and noted that this model could be
followed in the South Caucasus in pursuit of peaceful and civilized
co-existence in the region.
The parties further explored issues related to Armenia – Turkey
relations against the background of imminent negotiations for Turkey’s
accession.
The parties also discussed the current stage and issues of Nagorno
Karabagh conflict settlement. Minister Oskanian stressed Armenia’s
adherence to her commitment to settle the conflict through peaceful
negotiations and the country’s readiness to restart the negotiations
at any moment subject to reciprocal readiness of Azerbaijan.
On the same day, the Foreign Ministry hosted a round table with
participation of French-German delegation.

Russia aspires to create S Caucasus railway network
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 11 2004
Russia, jointly with the three South Caucasus countries – Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Georgia, intends to establish an operator company to
renovate and service the Caucasus railway, Russian transport minister
Igor Levitin told journalists last Wednesday.
He said the decision came as a result of the talks with the governments
of the three regional countries. “The three countries’ Presidents
confirmed their support for transport agencies to propose a scheme
for setting up an operator company.”
Levitin said, however, that it was quite difficult to make a political
decision on the matter at this point. The Russian minister noted that
the consent of the Cacuasus states’ leaders was largely stipulated
by the tremendous geo-political importance of the project. He also
mentioned that the volume of cargo transit through the Caucasus railway
in the Soviet Union era constituted up to 15 million tons a year.

Losing Mosul?
AINA – Assyrian Int’l News Agency, CA
Nov 11 2004
Mosul, Iraq — The northern Iraqi city once hailed as a post-war
model is on a perilous backslide
Khalid Moustafa’s family has no idea who killed him, or why.
Moustafa, a Kurd, was a yogurt seller and taxi driver, the husband
of an Arab woman and the father of five children, with a sixth on
the way. He was found in pieces, his head near his home, his body
left by a highway. “Mosul is a butchery,” says the victim’s father,
asking that his name be withheld to protect the rest of his family.
Moustafa’s murder is part of a recent wave of killings that threatens
to turn this multiethnic, Arab-dominated northern gateway city into
the next Fallujah, as areas of the city are slipping out of the
control of U.S. forces and the Iraqi government.
Life still appears normal in many parts of Mosul, especially in the
Kurdish neighborhoods on the eastern side of the Tigris River. Stores
are open, traffic is thick and the Iraqi National Guard patrols
the streets. But much of Mosul has become an incubator for regional
terrorist groups like Ansar al-Islam, the Kurdish fundamentalists,
and for foreign fighters crossing the still unsecured border from
Syria, according to U.S. and Iraqi security officials. “Many kinds
of criminals and terrorists come into Mosul from Syria. It’s like the
Super Bowl for them,” says Salim Kako, a top official of the Assyrian
Democratic Movement, which represents many Christians in Mosul. The
outsiders have mixed with Mosul’s homegrown fundamentalist Islamic
opposition and a potent Baathist resistance fueled by the city’s
large number of unemployed soldiers. This stew of local and outside
insurgents is stepping up attacks on American and Iraqi security forces
— and anyone suspected of collaborating with them. Week after week,
car bombings, improvised explosives and shootings take a steady toll
of Iraqi National Guard and U.S. personnel
The insurgents hope to pull Mosul apart by targeting those people
best-placed to help unify it. Threats and assassinations often target
the city’s professional classes, workers in its economically vital oil
industry and known political moderates. “Anyone who advocates freedom
and democracy is considered to be publicly for America and a target,”
says Rooa al-Zrary, a Mosul journalist whose father, the editor of
a moderate newspaper, was murdered last year. Doctors are fleeing,
finding work in Erbil. “The situation is bad and getting worse,” says
a surgeon at Salaam Hospital, the city’s largest. Adds a colleague:
“We feel like there are eyes watching everyone, and that the resistance
is growing stronger every day.” At Mosul University, teaching is now
a dangerous occupation. The dean of the college of law was found dead
outside her home, along with her husband. And three professors have
been murdered, including the head of the political science and the
translation departments.
Mosul’s cosmopolitan character is also under attack. “The mosaic
of Mosul is a miniature Iraq: Arabs, Kurds, Turkomans, Assyrian
Christians, Nestorian Christians, Muslim Sunnis, Muslim Shi?ites,
Yezidis and Armenians,” says Sadi Ahmed Pire, the Mosul chief of the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of Kurdish Iraq’s two governing
parties. By attacking this mosaic, he says, “the Syrians and the
resistance are trying to create anarchy.” Minority groups viewed as
sympathetic to the Americans are particularly vulnerable. A Christian
church was bombed in early August, and Christians have been among those
murdered. Pire says he has survived several assassination attempts.
Tal Afar, a city 30 miles west of Mosul populated almost entirely
by Iraqi Turkoman, was overrun by terrorist groups this summer. In
early September, the U.S. Army laid siege to the town and the ensuing
two-week battle was so fierce that the Turkish government complained
that Americans were killing innocent Turkoman civilians. Many Mosul
residents worry that Tal Afar was a dry run for their city.
The sad irony is that Mosul had once been a postwar model for U.S.
involvement in Iraq. From April 2003 until last February, the city
was under the command of the 101st Airborne Division, led by Lieut.
General David Petraeus, who tried to be sensitive to local concerns.
Several residents fondly recall particular soldiers by name. “Tell
Mr. Anderson of the 101st Airborne that a Moslawi girl salutes him,”
says a schoolteacher. The 101st devoted itself to economic-development
projects, including restarting a cement factory that had been one
of the city’s biggest employers. These days the local economy has
stalled as foreign companies have fled. According to Pire, about
600,000 breadwinners are unemployed in a city of somewhere between
2.6 million and 3 million people.
The 20,000-strong 101st is gone, replaced last February by the 8,700
soldiers of Task Force Olympia, a multinational brigade of coalition
troops. Although they include a large number of U.S. National Guard
reservists, American soldiers have largely taken a backseat to the
Iraqi National Guard. So far, as in the rest of Iraq, the performance
of these new units has been mixed. “The current invisibility of
American soldiers has made people happier. People feel more comfortable
with Iraqi soldiers,” says Dindar Doskar, head of the Mosul office
of the Kurdish Islamic Union (KIU). “But there are not enough Iraqi
soldiers and police, and the terrorists have better weapons.” Because
of that threat, politicians in Mosul say the nationwide elections
scheduled for January are likely to be turbulent there. “Who is going
to vote under these conditions?” asks the KIU’s Doskar. The offices
of the major political parties have already been attacked. Predicts
Doskar: “There will be car bombs at voting stations just like there
are car bombs at police-recruiting stations.” And perhaps heads left
on the sidewalks to give awful testimony to Mosul’s deepening crisis.
By Andrew Lee Butters
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reuters AlertNet, UK
Nov 11 2004
Language shows EU-Russia gulf on rights, actions
11 Nov 2004 16:33:07 GMT
Source: Reuters
BRUSSELS, Nov 11 (Reuters) – A gulf between Russia and the European
Union over any EU role in Moscow’s backyard is likely to dominate
summit talks between Moscow and the bloc following its expansion to
Russian frontiers.
Wrangling over the wording of an EU document setting out a “joint
EU-Russia road map” for external security shows from the first
sentence the gap between them over human rights and conflicts in
ex-Soviet states such as Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The summit was originally scheduled for this week but Moscow asked at
the last minute for a postponement, saying it wanted to wait for the
EU’s new executive Commission to take office. It was rescheduled on
Thursday for Nov. 25.
Russia denies suggestions of a fundamental problem over ties with the
25-nation bloc, its largest trading partner.
But exchanges over a draft of the EU document, obtained by Reuters,
suggest otherwise.
One passage of the EU proposal sent to Moscow read:
“The EU and Russia share responsibility for an international order
based on effective multilateralism, notably the upholding and
developing of international law and the respect for democratic
principles and human rights.”
Russia sent an amended version back, deleting all references to
democracy or rights.
“The EU and Russia share common values and responsibility for an
international order based on effective multilateralism and
international law,” said the reply.
The two sides are seeking to build a new relationship based on four
“common spaces” — on the economy; justice and human rights;
education, science and culture; and external security.
EX-SOVIET FLASHPOINTS
The language on external security is causing the most problems, since
it refers to conflicts in ex-Soviet states like Moldova, Azerbaijan
and Georgia with which the EU wants to step up ties but which Moscow
sees as firmly in its backyard.
An EU line calling for “specific and result orientated cooperation to
resolve existing conflicts in Moldova and the Southern Caucasus” was
ruled out by Russia and changed to “working together to address
crisis situations with the aim of achieving concrete results.”
The EU language would, diplomats say, imply Russian recognition the
bloc had a role to play in ending the “frozen conflict” in Moldova,
where pro-Moscow rebels set up a ministate in the Dnestr region,
known to Russia as Pridnestrovie, in 1990.
It would also give the EU a role in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, over an area populated by ethnic
Armenians but wholly within Azerbaijan. The area broke with Baku’s
rule as the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1980s.
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev called on the EU in May to be more
active in demanding the withdrawal of Armenian forces.
Russia is already alarmed by Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili,
who overthrew veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze in a bloodless coup
last year and is moving fast to develop closer ties with the West and
trying to close Russian military bases.
Moscow supports two breakaway enclaves in Georgia, Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, which have been de facto independent of Tbilisi since civil
war following the Soviet collapse, and has no desire to see the EU
helping Saakashvili to win them back.
When the EU, in the EU-Russia road map, said one priority was
“promotion of security, stability, democracy and human rights in the
common neighbourhood,” the amended version came back: “promotion of
security and stability in the world.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress