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08/31/2004
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1) Kerry Message to ‘Armenstock’ Music Festival Vows Continued Fight Against
Armenian Genocide Denial
2) Straw Backs Launch of Turkey-EU Accession Talks
3) Trial of Armenian Mercenaries Halted Pending Investigation From Abroad
4) Ossetia Offers Equal Negotiations to Georgia

1) Kerry Message to ‘Armenstock’ Music Festival Vows Continued Fight Against
Armenian Genocide Denial

“There can be no compromise on the clear moral imperative to end genocide.”
–John Kerry, August 28, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC–In his strongest campaign statement to date on Armenian
issues, John Kerry publicly committed this weekend that a Kerry-Edwards
administration would “fight against the denial of the Armenian Genocide,”
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The strongly worded statement was read by a long-time friend of the Armenian
American community, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) at the “Armenstock–Kef
for
Kerry” music festival on August 28 in Franklin, Massachusetts. In the
statement, Senator Kerry thanked the “organizers of Armenstock, Armenians for
Kerry, and the Armenian National Committee of America, for bringing so many
Armenian Americans together,” for the music festival.
Joining Congressman Frank in making presentations at the program were US
Representative James McGovern (D-MA), who represents the Franklin area, and
State Representatives Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham) and Rachel Kaprielian
(D-Watertown). The all-day concert and rally in celebration of the
Kerry-Edwards campaign attracted over eight hundred Armenians to hear Armenian
musicians and to kick-off a nationwide voter mobilization and
“get-out-the-Armenian-vote” campaign for the fall of 2004.
In his statement, Senator Kerry explained that it has been his “privilege
over
the past two decades to work with the Armenian community on important issues
including US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, strengthening US-Armenia
relations and trade, lifting the devastating blockades of Armenia, and working
for a fair and lasting peace in Karabagh.”
He added that he is “honored to have the endorsement of the ANCA,” and
appreciates the organization’s “work to encourage Armenian Americans around
the
country to go to the polls in record numbers for the Kerry-Edwards ticket on
November 2.” The ANCA endorsed the Kerry-Edwards ticket on July 25 of this
year.
Addressing concerns about the actions of a future Kerry-Edwards
administration, Senator Kerry said, “I want to assure you that, as
President, I
will continue to fight against the denial of the Armenian Genocide. My
administration will recognize April 24, 2005 as the 90th Anniversary of this
atrocity and will work to ensure that the lessons of this crime against
humanity are used to prevent future genocides. There can be no compromise on
the clear moral imperative to end genocide.”
During his long tenure in the US House and Senate, Senator Kerry has
consistently been a leading advocate of issues of concern to Armenian
Americans. As a US Senator, Kerry has forcefully fought for US recognition of
the Armenian Genocide, and is currently a cosponsor of the Genocide
Resolution,
S.Res.164. In 1990, Senator Kerry voted on the Senate floor for Senator Bob
Dole’s (R-KS) Genocide Resolution.
The Massachusetts Senator has been a vocal and effective champion of stronger
US-Armenia relations and has consistently backed legislative initiative to
increase aid and expand trade with Armenia. He is currently a cosponsor of
legislation, S.1557, which would grant Armenia permanent normal trade
relations
status.
Senator Kerry has spearheaded a number of initiatives to lift the Turkish and
Azerbaijani blockades. In 1991, he was the lead sponsor of legislation, which
was later enacted as Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, restricting US
aid
to the government of Azerbaijan until its blockades of Armenia and Mountainous
Karabagh are lifted. He also worked for the adoption of the Humanitarian Aid
Corridor Act, which called for US aid to Turkey to be cut off unless Turkey
lifted its blockade of Armenia. As recently as this January, Senator Kerry
formally called on President Bush to press the visiting Prime Minister of
Turkey to lift his nation’s illegal blockade of Armenia.
The program was produced by “Armenians for Kerry” and Pomegranate Music
Events
(). For additional information, visit:

For more information about the ANCA’s endorsement, visit:

For information about Armenians for Kerry, visit:

Complete coverage of Armenstock will be forthcoming. The full text of the
Kerry-Edwards statement is provided below.

2) Straw Backs Launch of Turkey-EU Accession Talks

PRAGUE (AFP)–Turkey should be allowed to open membership talks with the
European Union (EU) since isolating the country would not be in anyone’s
interests, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said during a visit to Prague.
“I know that views differ on this but people need to think very carefully
about the strategic implications of pushing Turkey away, of pushing Turkey to
the east and to the south. I don’t think that’s in anybody’s interests in
Europe,” Straw told AFP.
The European Commission is due to announce on October 6 whether it would
recommend opening EU accession negotiations with Turkey, whose membership
aspirations have sparked controversy.
And EU leaders will decide in December whether to begin membership talks with
Ankara based on progress made by Turkish leaders on individual liberties and
respect of human rights.
“We have long supported Turkey’s membership of the European Union. Turkey
is a
European nation and part of Europe’s history, it is entitled as a member of
the
Council of Europe and NATO to make an application for membership of the
European Union and I hope a decision will be made in December for a start to
negotiations,” Straw said.
“The country has made very considerable progress particularly in the past two
years towards meeting the necessary pre-conditions before negotiations can
begin,” he added.
Straw emphasized that the current debate was only about opening negotiations.
“We are not talking about a finishing date or an accession date,” he said.
Earlier, in a speech delivered to a meeting in Prague of Czech ambassadors,
Straw backed opening negotiations with Turkey and linked it with
Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution in 1989 that brought down the communist
regime and brought “values of freedom, tolerance and democracy.”
“There would be no better signal of Europe’s wish to support the spread of
those universal values than a positive decision to open accession negotiations
with Turkey this December,” he told delegates.
Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross said Monday he supported Turkey’s
accession to the EU.

3) Trial of Armenian Mercenaries Halted Pending Investigation From Abroad

LIBREVILLE (allAfrica.com)–A court in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday suspended
the trial of 14 suspected foreign mercenaries who are accused of trying to
topple the president, because more time was needed to weigh evidence from
abroad, witnesses said.
The 14 defendants–eight South Africans and six Armenians–were arrested in
Malabo on March 6. They were charged with paving the way for a planeload of
South African mercenaries who were arrested 24 hours later in Zimbabwe,
allegedly on their way to Equatorial Guinea.
Since the trial kicked off last Monday only one of the defendants, South
African arms dealer Nick du Toit, had admitted taking part in the coup plot
against President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in the tiny oil-rich state split
between a square of mainland jungle and a volcanic island.
“The trial has been suspended to wait for outside elements,” Celestino Edou,
an adviser to the mayor of Malabo, told IRIN by telephone from the capital
after watching the court proceedings.
The judge did not say when proceedings would resume, he said.
The prosecution, which has demanded the death penalty for du Toit, asked for
the indefinite suspension in light of evidence emerging from outside
Equatorial
Guinea, like last week’s arrest of Mark Thatcher in South Africa.
Authorities in Equatorial Guinea have asked for permission to interview the
51-year-old son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who they
suspect helped finance the plot to overthrow Obiang with the aim of installing
exiled opposition leader Severo Moto.
The government has also requested international arrest warrants for Moto and
other suspects including Greg Wales, a London-based businessman and Elie
Khalil, an international oil dealer of Lebanese origin.
But observers within the Equatorial Guinea government and civil groups say
the
trial has really been suspended because the prosecution realized that it could
not convict Du Toit and his 13 co-defendants.
“Most of the elements brought forward to prove the mercenaries’ guilt have
not
been able to link them strongly enough to the attempted coup d’etat to impose
the maximum penalties,” a senior official in the Ministry of Information told
IRIN by telephone.
And Ange Ichaito, a human rights advocate, agreed the prosecution had
presented a weak case.
“The Malabo trial, which was only supposed to last three days, has still not
come up with details of how each of the suspects was involved in the
attempt to
topple Obiang’s regime,” he said.
Last Friday all but one of the 67 suspected mercenaries held in Zimbabwe were
absolved of attempting to procure arms for the alleged coup in the former
Spanish colony which is Africa’s third-largest oil producer.
Residents in Malabo quoted state radio as saying that Friday’s acquittal had
seriously influenced the Malabo judge’s decision to suspend the trial.
Obiang, who came to power by executing his uncle in a 1979 coup, has been
widely accused of spending Equatorial Guinea’s oil wealth on his own family
and
friends while leaving the country’s 500,000 inhabitants in a state of dire
poverty.

4) Ossetia Offers Equal Negotiations to Georgia

TSKHINVALI (Civil Georgia/Itar-Tass)–South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoev
called on the Georgian administration to begin equal negotiations to discuss
problems of concern to Ossetia and Georgia.
“We will do our best to retain the fragile peace we have achieved thanks to
the agreements, but we will have to take adequate measures if Georgia breaks
the accords,” Kokoev told the press in Tskhinvali on Tuesday.
The situation around South Ossetia is tense, Kokoev told Itar-Tass. “Georgia
has simply imitated a pullout. The units are stationed in direct proximity to
the South Ossetian border, they have not been withdrawn outside the conflict
zone,” he said. Kokoev said that provocations had not ceased, referring to the
Tuesday seizure of Ossetian buses in the Georgian village of Eredvi.
“Our opponents are not ready for political dialogue. They are inclined to
solving the problem of South Ossetia by force,” he said.
“We can provide for security of all residents of South Ossetia regardless
their nationality,” Kokoev said.
Meanwhile, Senior Russian MP Dmitri Rogozin, the leader of the parliamentary
faction “Rodina” (Homeland), met with Kokoev in the capital of breakaway
region
Tskhinvali on Tuesday. “Residents of South Ossetia are citizens of the Russian
Federation; hence the Russian Duma Council [lower chamber of the Parliament]
can not remain indifferent towards the situation here,” the Press and
Information Committee of South Ossetian reported quoted Rogozin as saying.
Rogozin emphasized that the South Ossetian conflict can be solved only
through
political means.
“And the priority in the settlement process should be the right of rejoining
of the Ossetian people,” MP Rogozin added, referring to the Tskhinvali’s
demands over unification with Russia’s North Ossetian Republic.

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