ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/27/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Senate Reverses Administration Effort to Break Military Parity Agreement
2) French Deal Blow to Turkey EU Hopes
3) Chinese-Armenian Relations to Enter New Stage, Says Chinese President
4) ARF Lebanon Meets with President Emile Lahoud
5) Armenian Caucus Rallies Congressional Opposition to Increasingly Violent
Anti-Armenian Rhetoric by Azerbaijan

1) Senate Reverses Administration Effort to Break Military Parity Agreement

Joins House in Restoring Parity in Military Aid Allocations to Armenia and
Azerbaijan

WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)Armenian Americans welcomed the adoption by the Senate,
last Friday evening, of a $19.6 billion fiscal year 2005 foreign aid bill that
earmarks at least $75 million in economic aid for Armenia, provides another
$8.75 million in military aid, a $2.5 million appropriation for Mountainous
Karabagh, and reverses the Administration’s efforts to tip the balance of US
military aid toward Azerbaijan.
“We appreciate the leadership of Senator McConnell and the support of all of
our friends on the Foreign Operations Subcommittee in constructively
addressing
the many provisions of the foreign aid bill that hold special meaning for the
Armenian American community,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “In
particular, we welcome the Senate’s reversal of the ill-advised effort to
break
the military aid parity agreement, as well as its decision to increase the aid
level for Armenia beyond the figure in both the Administration’s and the
House’s version of the bill. At the same time, we regret that the Senate, in
failing to include language similar to the Schiff Amendment, missed an
opportunity to send a clear message to Turkey that the US government will not
tolerate its shameful denial of the Armenian Genocide.”
The restoration of military aid parity by the Senate follows similar action
taken by the House earlier this year. In February of 2005, the
Administration’s
budget proposal recommended breaking the agreement struck between the White
House and Congress in late 2001 during discussions over Section 907, to keep
military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan at equal levels. The White House
proposal would have allocated roughly four times more Foreign Military
Financing (FMF) assistance to Azerbaijan ($8 million) than Armenia ($2
million). The House version of the foreign aid bill set the FMF figures at $5
million for each country. The Senate bill adopted last night sets the FMF
level
for both countries at $8 million, with an additional $750,000 to each country
for International Military Education and Training (IMET).
The Senate version of the foreign aid bill did not include Schiff Amendment
language. This provision, adopted unanimously by voice vote in the US House
this July, restricts the government of Turkey from using any of the aid it
receives from this appropriation to lobby against the adoption of the
Congressional Genocide Resolution.
The FY 2005 Foreign Operations bill, which was adopted by voice vote, was $210
million above the House version, and $1.7 billion below the Administration
request. The bill includes $150 million in emergency funds for Global HIV AIDS
and $75 million in emergency funds for peacekeeping in Sudan. The $75 million
hard earmark for Armenia is $10 million more than the figure approved by the
House and $13 million over the Administration’s $62 million budget request. By
contrast, foreign aid levels to neighboring Caucus countries include $38
million to Azerbaijan and $100 million for Georgia.

2) French Deal Blow to Turkey EU Hopes

PARIS (Reuters)Turkey will not join the European Union for at least 15 years
and could only do so once France had held a referendum on the issue, French
Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said on Sunday.
“The membership of Turkey, in the best of cases, will not happen for 15
years,”
he told LCI television. “A decision as important as the membership of
Turkey in
Europe could only be taken after there had been a referendum in France.”
Sarkozy, who plans to quit the Finance Ministry in November to lead France’s
ruling conservative party, said he had reservations about Turkey joining the
25-member bloc.
He was skeptical about the idea “not because it is a Muslim country but
because
Turkey alone represents the membership of the 10 countries [mainly] from
eastern Europe,” he said, referring to the countries that joined the bloc this
year.
Sarkozy made his comments after French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
voiced misgivings on Thursday about Turkey joining the bloc, asking if Europe
really wanted “the river of Islam to enter the riverbed of secularism.”
Raffarin said Turkey had made progress in adjusting its laws and institutions
to EU standards under Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, but queried the
overwhelmingly Muslim but secular state’s ability to stay the course.
Turkey cleared a hurdle on its path towards EU membership on Sunday when its
parliament approved a new penal code which will boost women’s rights and
punish
police more severely for torture.
The European Commission is due to present an assessment on October 6 of
whether
Turkey has met the political and economic criteria which would enable it to
start negotiations.

3) Chinese-Armenian Relations to Enter New Stage, Says Chinese President

BEIJING (Xinhuanet)China is ready to make joint efforts with Armenia to raise
bilateral relations to a new level, said Chinese President Hu Jintao on
Monday.
Hu made the remark in talks with visiting Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
who is on his first state visit to China as president.
Hu vowed to increase political trust, saying China and Armenia should carry
out
multi-channel and multi-layer exchanges, maintain political and diplomatic
consultations and strengthen communication in such international organizations
as the United Nations.
The two countries should find new ways to expand trade by taking advantage of
their trade cooperation committee, said Hu, adding that China encourages
Chinese companies to step up cooperation with Armenia and to increase their
investment in Armenia’s infrastructural construction.
Hu also advocated further exchanges and cooperation between the two countries
in the fields of culture, education, science and technology, health and
tourism.
Agreeing with the Chinese president, Kocharian said Armenia expects deepening
bilateral relations with China, since the growing relationship is of great
significance to Armenia.
China has accumulated much experience in the process of developing its market
economy and practicing opening-up policy, which provides a vital opportunity
for trade cooperation, said Kocharian.
Armenia recognizes China’s full market economy status, hoping the two sides
strengthen cooperation in such fields as energy, chemical industry,
agriculture
and technology, said Kocharian. The two sides could take proper measures to
help the entrepreneurs enhance exchange and understanding to expand
cooperation.
Hu said China and Armenia have treated each other with mutual respect and
equality since they forged diplomatic ties 12 years ago.
Hu said he appreciates Armenia’s diplomatic policy that puts priority on
relations with China, which was one of the first countries to recognize
Armenia
as an independent nation, and expressed thanks for Armenia’s firm support in
controversial areas such as Taiwan and Tibet.
Kocharian said the two countries have seen sound economic development and have
taken similar stances on international issues with no political problems.
Kocharian also stated that Armenia would continue to adhere to the “One-China
Policy” and support China’s reunification.
After the talks, the two heads of states signed a joint statement and attended
a signing ceremony for three cooperative agreements, including an agreement on
economic and technical cooperation.

4) ARF Lebanon Meets with President Emile Lahoud

BEIRUT (aztagdaily.com)A delegation representing the Central Committee of
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Lebanon met with Lebanese President
Emile Lahoud late last week at the presidential palace in Baabda.
The delegation officially congratulated President Lahoud on the extension of
his office, and conveyed hope that the coming three years would serve to
strengthen internal unity as well as overcome national difficulties.
They reviewed latest developments in Lebanon, the formation of the upcoming
government and Central Committee’s conception of that government.
They also disused the full-fledged participation of the Armenian community in
that cabinet, so as to receive proper representation.
Lahoud conveyed complete understanding of the situation.
ARF Lebanon CC representative Hovig Megerdichian, Lebanon’s Youth and Sports
Minister Sebouh Hovnanian, and Central Committee members Hagop Pakradouni,
Mardig Boghosian and Hovhannes Taslakian participated in the meeting.

5) Armenian Caucus Rallies Congressional Opposition to Increasingly Violent
Anti-Armenian Rhetoric by Azerbaijan

— Co-Chairmen Urge 141 Members of Caucus to Voice their Concerns in a letter
to President Bush

WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)–Congressmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone
(D-NJ) this week called on their colleagues in the Armenian Caucus to ask
President Bush to publicly condemn Azerbaijan’s war rhetoric and other
increasingly bellicose remarks against the Republic of Armenia and Mountainous
Karabagh.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter circulated this week, the Caucus Co-chairs
documented a series of violent threats on the part of senior Azerbaijan
leaders. Citing the dangers of remaining silent in the face of such angry
rhetoric, they urged their House colleagues to “join us in signing the
attached
letter to the President urging him and the Administration to condemn these
remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any
further threats against Armenia and Karabagh.” The letter to President Bush
stresses that, “efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict
are in the best interests of the United States and the region.”
The full texts of the Armenian Caucus “Dear Colleague” letter and the actual
letter to be sent to President Bush are provided below.

September 22, 2004

Azerbaijan’s War Rhetoric against Armenia Threatens Stability and
Undermines US Interests

Sign Letter to President Bush

Dear Colleague:

As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, we are writing to
urge you to sign the attached letter to President Bush imploring him to
publicly condemn the ongoing Azerbaijani war rhetoric and other increasingly
bellicose remarks made against the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
Left unchecked these dangerous comments threaten stability in the region.
In July, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s takeover of Armenia and
removal of its entire population.  He said, “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.”
President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has repeatedly declared that Azerbaijan
could launch a new war in Karabagh. Just two months ago, he stated, “At any
moment we must be able to liberate our territories by military means. To
achieve this we have everything.” Aliyev has directly linked Azerbaijan’s
economic progress to its military “superiority.” “Under these circumstances we
cannot react positively to those calling us to compromise.”
Given the challenges facing the United States following the seminal events of
September 11th and the war in Iraq, these irresponsible statements undermine
our short- and long-term policy goals of security, conflict resolution,
ensuring open borders and commercial corridors and regional cooperation for
the
South Caucasus. Furthermore, the Karabagh peace process will achieve
nothing if
Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict ethnic cleansing with impunity.
To this end, we urge you to join us in signing the attached letter to the
President urging him and the Administration to condemn these remarks and call
upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further threats
against Armenia and Karabagh. For more information or to co-sign the letter,
please contact Craig Albright (5-5802) with Congressman Knollenberg.

Sincerely,

Joe Knollenberg
Member of Congress

Frank Pallone, Jr.
Member of Congress

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. All Rights Reserved.

ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
mass media outlets.