Agence France Presse
Nov. 4, 2004
NATO chief meets with Georgian leader during Caucasus tour

TBILISI (AFP) Nov 04, 2004
NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Thursday met with Georgian President
Mikhail Saakashvili, the youthful leader of the strategic former Soviet
republic in the Caucasus who has vowed to join the alliance within four
years.
De Hoop Scheffer’s visit is part of a Caucasus tour and comes days
after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization decided to extend an
Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) to the country.
“NATO values highly the efforts by Georgia’s people and leadership to
intergrate the the country into the alliance,” de Hoop Scheffer said at
a briefing following the meeting.
“I am a realist and an optimist,” he said. “As a realist, I dont’ want
to talk about (specific) dates. I know that Georgia has a long way to
go to join
“As an optimist, I am certain that all efforts by Georgia’s leadership
will be aimed at doing everything to join the alliance,” he said.
Saakashvili, for his part, said he was certain that “Georgia can join
NATO much sooner than many think.”
“It’s possible this will happen while I am still in office,” said the
36-year-old who was elected Georgia’s president for five years in
January 2004.
Saakashvili, a US-educated lawyer, has repeatedly vowed to turn
westward his small country that lies in what has traditionally been
considered Russia’s sphere of influence, the Caucasus.
The adoption of the IPAP shows that “Georgia has entered the final
stretch of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” Irakly
Aladashvili, a military analyst in Tbilisi, told AFP.
“We have actively conducted reforms according to NATO standards,”
Defense Minister Georgy Baramidze said Wednesday.
Georgia, a nation of less than five million people nestled in the
Caucausus mountains, treads a delicate line with its NATO ambitions —
Moscow has been the traditional power broker in the region and is wary
of pro-Western Saakashvili.
Washington has been vying with Russia for influence over Georgia that
hosts a vital oil pipeline due to take Caspian Sea oil to Western
markets.
NATO spread up to the borders of Russia earlier this year when it
admitted the former Soviet republics in the Baltics and the Kremlin
frowns upon the alliance reaching its southern border as well.
Saakashvili has repeatedly sought to reassure Kremlin concerns,
insisting that Georgia will not play host to foreign bases even in the
event it does join NATO.
“NATO integration does not mean that we will have to host foreign
military bases on Georgian territory,” he said last week.
“We are surprised the sensitive reaction in Russia to Georgia’s aim to
be closer to the European Union and NATO,” Nino Burjanadze, speaker of
parliament, said while on a visit to Moscow last week.
“Our aim is membership in the EU and NATO, but not to the detriment of
Russia,” she said.
The question of military bases has a special resonance with Tbilisi, as
Russia still has two bases on Georgian territory from Soviet times.
Although it has agreed to vacate the installations, Moscow has dragged
its feet, saying the logistics of withdrawal could take up to 10 years.
“The question of Georgian integration into NATO is all the more
important in light of relations between Russia and Georgia,” said
Irakly Aladashvili, an analyst.
“First of all, Georgian adhesion to… NATO means the inevitability
that Russia will have to withdraw its bases,” he explained.
De Hoop Scheffer was due to fly out to Azerbaijan late Thursday, where
he was to hold talks with President Ilham Aliyev, before traveling on
to Armenia on Friday afternoon.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Nov. 4, 2004
STATEMENT OF THE PRESS CENTER OF FOREIGN MINISTRY OF THE AZERBAIJAN
REPUBLIC
[November 04, 2004, 20:59:24]
The press center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan
Republic has made a statement in connection with the presidential
elections carried out in the USA, AzerTAj reports. The Statement runs:
`As is known, Mr. President George Bush has won at the presidential
elections carried out on November 2 this year in the United States of
America.
Last years, there was open a new stage of relations between the USA and
Azerbaijan. After waiver of the notorious 907 Section, the USA began to
assist Azerbaijan due to which in our country various projects have
been carried out. Currently, with direct participation and political
support of the USA, the oil recovery on the Caspian and construction of
such large oil pipeline, as to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan continues. After
the known events on September 11, 2001, Azerbaijan as the close partner
of the United States of America takes part in combat against terrorism.
The Republic of Azerbaijan hopes that the pursued policy will continue
and after the presidential elections carried out in the USA, that due
to efforts of Administration of the USA, will be strengthened the
successes achieved within the framework of the American-Azerbaijan
relations, and the strategic partnership will rise on a new level.
The Republic of Azerbaijan also wishes to be confident that the USA
will make further active the efforts in the field of elimination of
problems, establishment of peace and safety in region of the South
Caucasus, and first of all, in the cause of peace settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict’.

Atlantic Online
Nov. 4, 2004
At the Gates of Brussels
If Recep Tayyip Erdogan gets his way, Turkey will be more Islamic and
Europe will be more Turkish. Both would be good news
by Robert D. Kaplan
…..
ho says empires are bad? The multi-ethnic Ottoman Turkish Empire, like
the coeval multi-ethnic Hapsburg Austrian one, was more hospitable to
minorities than the uni-ethnic democratic states that immediately
succeeded it. The Ottoman caliphate welcomed Turkish, Kurdish, and
other Muslims with open arms, and tolerated Christian Armenians and
Jews. The secular-minded, modernizing “Young Turk” politicians who
brought down the empire did not. They used Kurds as subcontractors in a
full-scale assault on Armenians, which scholars now argue about calling
genocide. Ottoman toleration was built on territorial indifference.
Because the same loosely administered imperial rule extended from the
Balkans to Mesopotamia, and as far south as Yemen, minorities could
live anywhere within this space without provoking issues of
sovereignty. Violent discussions over what group got to control which
territory emerged only when the empire came to an end, after World War
I.
The collapse of the Ottoman sultanate continues to haunt geopolitics:
it gave birth to questions about the territorial status of Christians
in Lebanon and of Jews in Palestine, and about whether Kurds north of
Baghdad should live in the same polity as Mesopotamian Arabs to the
south. Moreover, it changed the direction of Muslim thought. For 850
years – from 1071, when the Seljuks defeated the Byzantines at Manzikert,
in eastern Anatolia, to the end of World War I – the House of Islam had
drawn its spiritual direction from Turkey, not from Arabia or Iran. But
with the official abolition of the Constantinople-based caliphate, in
1924, there was no longer any universally accepted authority for the
interpretation of Muslim law. In the competition for doctrinal
legitimacy that has followed, the most radical interpretations have won
out.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov. 4, 2004
EU to prepare report on S Caucasus countries

The European Union intends to prepare a report on the South Caucasus
countries.
Based on the document to reflect the real situation in each regional
state, the organization will develop an action plan on its cooperation
with the three countries, the EU special envoy on South Caucasus Heikki
Talvitie told a news conference in Baku on Friday.

The report on Azerbaijan will be prepared by the European Commission
special envoy in Baku Antonias De Vris.
Talvitie, who was in Baku as part of his tour of the region, said his
visit to Azerbaijan was ‘very fruitful’.
He said the EU will be closely following the December 2004 municipal
and the 2005 parliamentary elections, and ‘hopes the elections will be
free and transparent’.

Speaking about his meeting with leaders of seven opposition parties,
the special envoy underlined that he believes that the opposition will
take part in the municipal election.
“By taking part in the elections the opposition will get a chance to
influence future policy-making.”
Touching upon the ruling on the seven opposition leaders recently
convicted in court, he said that it was necessary to ensure
independence of courts in all South Caucasus states.
“Some obstacles for this exist in Azerbaijan”, Talvitie said.
With regard to the European Union’s position on the Upper Garabagh
conflict, Talvitie said the EU is not involved in peace talks but
supports the OSCE Minsk Group in charge of the conflict resolution
process.
“If the sides reach an agreement, the EU will support it and assist in
the rehabilitation process,” he concluded.
Asked why the EU persistently refuses to recognize Armenia as
aggressor, Talvitie said that EU believes that making harsh statements
concerning one of the parties to the conflict does not promote
successful course of the talks and can even impede the settlement
process.
The EU special envoy also spoke of the problem of Azerbaijani refugees.
He said that refugees’ rights to repatriation must be protected.
“The peace agreement to be concluded between Azerbaijan and Armenia
must envision refugees’ rights to repatriation,” he underlined.
Refugees must be able to return home but this should not be mandatory,
Talvitie said.
“I was born in Vyborg. Prior to World War II, this town was a part of
Finland, and is currently a part of Russia. When the war started, I was
just a baby and was evacuated from there. Therefore, I am a refugee
too.”
While in Baku, the EU special envoy met with President Aliyev, Foreign
Minister Mammadyarov, Central Election Commission Chairman Panahov, as
well as leaders of major opposition parties and ambassadors of EU
member-states accredited in Baku.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov. 4, 2004
CE Political Committee to hear report by new rapporteur

A meeting of the Council of Europe’s (CE) Political Committee will be
held in Paris on November 17, MP Asim Mollazada, member of the
Azerbaijani delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, told AssA-Irada on Wednesday.
The meeting participants will hear a report on the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper Garabagh from the Committee’s new rapporteur David
Atkinson.*

ArmenPress
Nov. 4, 2004
OSCE DID NOT SEND A LETTER TO KOCHARIAN, PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN SAYS
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: A spokesman for Armenian president
denied today allegations by a local daily Haykakan Zhamanak, which
claimed in its November 3 issue that the Vienna-based Secretariat of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) sent
separate letters to the presidents of Armenia and several other CIS
countries, who signed under a statement last June that was criticizing
the OSCE for double standards which it uses when assessing democratic
processes in the former Soviet and Western countries.
The Armenian daily alleged that the OSCE letter told president
Kocharian that it was appalled by defense minister Serzh Sarkisian’s
last year’s remarks in the wake of presidential election that Armenians
and Europeans have different mentality and different ideas of
democracy.
“I would like to disillusion the daily’s correspondent, as no such
letter was ever sent to president Kocharian,” the spokesman, Ashot
Kocharian, told Armenpress today. “Unfortunately, this was just another
misinformation, spread by this newspaper,” he said.

ArmenPress
Nov. 4, 2004
US NOT TO REVISE ITS POLICY ON ARMENIA
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Kiro Manoyan, the head of the
Armenian Cause office, closely affiliated with the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, downplayed today concerns that the re-elected
president George W. Bush may revise the US policy on Armenia as the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and other American
organizations voted for John Kerry. He said defending a candidate in US
elections does implicate hostility.
“At any rate if the US’s Armenian policy is revised following the
outcome of this election I think it will be revised for the better, as
all those policy- makers who saw the decisiveness and consistency of
ANCA and the Armenian community will try to win its support,” he told
Armenpress. He added many American Armenians voted, however, in favor
of Bush.

ArmenPress
Nov. 4, 2004
IMF TO RELEASE ANOTHER $13 MILLION TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) office in Yerevan said today the Fund’s Executive Board is going
to approve in early December the release of $13 million to Armenian
Central Bank as the last tranche of an $87 million credit, which is
part of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) Program.
The IMF Resident Representative James McHugh told a news conference
the money would arrive in Armenia in a couple of days after the
Executive Board approves the release. He said the money will be
directed to maintain the sufficient level of forex reserves.
McHugh said the Armenian government and the Fund are working now on
prospects for implementation of new joint projects, expressing also
hopes that the relevant talks will start in 2005 January or February.
He said it was so far difficult to define the direction of new
projects, but added that they would most likely apply to tax reforms
and administration improvement.

ArmenPress
Nov. 4, 2004
COMMERCIAL BANKS REPORT 6 PERCENT STOCK GROWTH
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Nineteen Armenian commercial banks,
monitored by the Central Bank, reported a 6.1 percent growth in their
stock in the third quarter over the previous three months, which they
said amounted to 59.150 billion drams.
According to the Central Bank, 19 of 20 commercial banks increased
their overall liabilities by 10.3 percent in the third quarter, which
stood at 281.5 billion drams, while their aggregate assets rose by 9.6
percent making 340.7 billion drams. The share of cash in the 19 banks
assets was almost 28 billion drams, a 44.4 percent growth over the
second quarter.
As of September 30 the gross income of these 19 banks was 40.8
billion drams, expenditures -31.6 billion drams and net profits
amounted to 7.4 billion drams. The local commercial banks also reported
more loans, by 9 percent, released to resident clients, which made 132
billion drams. Some 35.5 billion of them were channeled into industry,
7.6 billion into agriculture, 6 billion into construction and 29
billion into trade.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
11/04/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Any US Policy Shift Positive for Armenia Says Manoyan 2) Kocharian Congratulates Bush Reeelction 3) ANCA Congratulates President Bush 4) French Minister Addresses Precondition to Turkey EU Entry 5) Moscow Fails to Solve Abkhaz Crisis 1) Any US Policy Shift Positive for Armenia Says Manoyan YEREVAN (Yerkir)--Referring to worries that the US will adopt a negative policy toward Armenia because of the Armenian National Committee of America's (ANCA) endorsement of Presidential candidate John Kerry, ARF Bureau Political and Armenian National Committee Director Giro Manoyan, called such concerns "baseless." "I believe any shift in US policy toward Armenia will be positive because the activism of the ANCA and the Armenian community became even more apparent [during 2004 elections]," explained Manoyan, who stressed that in the US, support for one candidate doesn't necessarily bring about hostilities. The three main Armenian political parties in the US also backed Kerry in a joint appeal to the community, released last month. ANCA-backed Congressional candidates from both parties fared much better, with 199 of the 202 endorsed winning their races. As for ANCA's plans to work with the new Administration, Manoyan said that the goals are defined based on the organization's mission to work with the US to strengthen Armenia, secure a proper resolution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, as well as, among other things, ensure appropriate commemoration of the Armenian genocide. "This is our agenda regardless who is in office," stressed Manoyan. 2) Kocharian Congratulates Bush YEREVAN--President Robert Kocharian congratulated President George W. Bush on his reelection to office, in a letter to Bush released by his office on Thursday. "Accept my warmest congratulations in connection with your reelection as president of the United States of America," Kocharian said, "I anticipate a further strengthening of the already extensive relations between our countries in the next four years." Kocharian thanked the US for its continuing economic assistance to Armenia, particularly the Bush administration's decision to include the country in the Millennium Challenge Account program that has made it eligible for additional assistance. He also noted Washington's active involvement in international efforts to resolve the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. "We hope to register serious progress in that process during your second term in office," Kocharian said. 3) ANCA Congratulates President Bush --Urges administration to pursue a more constructive approach to Armenian American issues in second term "If Armenian history has taught us anything, it is that we may not win every battle, but the surest way to lose every one is to sit on the sidelines." --ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian WASHINGTON, DC--The Armenian National Committee Of America (ANCA) congratulated President Bush on his election victory on Tuesday, thanked Senator Kerry for a hard fought election campaign, and praised the Armenian American community for an unprecedented level of activism in this season's electoral contests. "Throughout the course of this highly competitive election season, George W. Bush fought to advance his ideals, John Kerry fought for what he believes in, and so did we--out there on the front lines of American politics, fighting hard for the values and interests of the Armenian American community," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "As a result of our unprecedented electoral involvement, we have emerged from this contest having earned the respect of both parties, and of political insiders across the spectrum, as a vibrant, extremely well organized, and highly motivated electoral constituency at the presidential election level." Commenting on the outcome of the election, Hachikian noted, "While, of course, we would have liked to see a different outcome having endorsed Senator Kerry, we understand that for our community the fundamental truth for Armenian Americans remains that the key to this election--like all elections--is to recognize that our future rests in our hands. Sometimes the candidates we support will win, other times they won't. But we--the ANCA--will always be out there--on the front lines, working with all sides to advance our issues across the American political landscape." He closed by noting, "If Armenian history has taught us anything, it is that we may not win every battle, but the sure way to lose every one is to sit on the sidelines." 4) French Minister Addresses Precondition to Turkey EU Entry PARIS (Combined Sources)--Armenia's National Assembly Chairman Arthur Baghdasarian met with a representative of France's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Renaud Muselier, on the sidelines of a meeting of South Caucasus Parliament heads in Paris. Baghdasarian and Muselier's representative discussed Armenia-France relations, as well as recent developments in France concerning Turkey's aspirations to join the European Union. Though French President Jacques Chirac has indicated his support for a start to talks with Turkey, many in his ruling party, the opposition, and the general French public are against Turkey's EU membership. Asked about Muselier's position, his representative revealed the minister believes Turkey must first recognize the genocide of Armenians before entry into the EU. Just last week, France's Armenian community said it would appeal to President Chirac to prevent negotiations on Turkish membership into the EU until Turkey acknowledged responsibility for its 1915 genocide of Armenians. In January 2001, the French parliament passed legislation recognizing the Armenian genocide. In the aftermath of that decision, relations with Turkey became strained. 5) Moscow Fails to Solve Abkhaz Crisis --Opposition leader Sergey Bagapsh says Moscow mounted pressure on him (Civil Georgia)--Despite two days of talks in the Russian capital of Moscow, the two main rivals for the Abkhaz presidency keep pursuing uncompromising stances--opposition candidate Sergey Bagapsh is preparing for his presidential inauguration on December 7, while pro-government candidate Raul Khajimba insists on a reelection. Some details of the talks between the two men and Russian officials became known on November 3, after the return of Khajimba and Bagapsh to Sokhumi. Bagapsh told reporters in the Abkhaz capital that he held talks with Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Igor Ivanov and with chief of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Nikolay Patrushev while visiting Moscow on November 1-2, according to Russian news agencies. Speaking with his supporters in Sokhumi on November 3, Bagapsh made it clear that the Russian officials, who support pro-government candidate Raul Khajimba, mounted pressure on him by threatening economic sanctions against Abkhazia. "We accept the advice and respect the position of the Russian authorities, but we can not accept pressure. Someone tried to threaten us by warning that they might close down the Russian-Abkhazian border at the river of Psou if we do not agree to hold a reelection. But if they think that it is possible to intimidate us by these threats, they are making a mistake," stated Bagapsh on November 4, according to the Russian Kommersant daily. "Representatives of the Russian National Security Council and Raul Khajimba had similar positions and I was alone. But I told them that I am not an enemy and am not representing myself, but the Abkhaz voters who cast their ballots for the opposition," he added. According to the Kommersant daily, Bagapsh is ready to offer a cabinet position to Khajimba in the case that he agrees to halt his campaign for the presidency. Bagapsh has indicated that he will offer either the Security of Defense Ministerial post, but not the Prime Ministerial position. Bagapsh also ruled out the possibility of holding a reelection and said that he will prepare for his official inauguration in December. On the other hand, Khajimba stated at a November 3 news conference that reelections in Abkhazia will be held in December. "At least we hope," Khajimba added. He said that outgoing Abkhaz President Vladislav Ardzinba has already issued an order regarding the reelection. "This order should be fulfilled," Khajimba said. Ardzinba issued the ordered on October 29, following a controversial ruling by the Supreme Court, which annulled the Central Election Commission's decision to declare Bagapsh the president-elect, and instead ordered repeat elections. But later, a presiding judge, Giorgi Akaba, admitted that he was under pressure by Khajimba's supporters to pass forth the ruling. Due to the conflicting rulings, little room has been left for a legal solution. But Bagapsh said on November 3 that he will defend his victory only through legal means, adding that there are two ways of peacefully solving the current crisis. "The first one is to solve [the problem] in the Parliament. And if the Parliament fails to adopt a decision, we will convene an all-Abkhaz National gathering," he noted. Meanwhile, reports state that the Parliament building remains blocked by Khajimba's supporters. Bagapsh's supporters say the legislative body is "paralyzed," while the only television building in Abkhazia remains under opposition control. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. 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