Author: Basmajian Ani

Germany passes bill on Armenian massacre

ISN, Switzerland
June 17 2005

ISN SECURITY WATCH (17/06/05) – Germany’s lower house of parliament
on Thursday approved a motion that criticizes Turkey for failing to
recognize the Ottoman Empire’s massacre of hundreds of thousands of
Armenians in 1915.

The motion – which was proposed by the opposition and passed
unanimously – prompted an angry response from Turkey.

The German resolution calls on the German government “to ensure that
the Turkish parliament, government, and society reappraise their role
towards the Armenian people in the past and present without prejudice”,
news agencies reported.

More than one million Armenians died in massacres, camps, and death
marches through the Syrian Desert during 1915.

“Acknowledging the former injustice would help normalize the
relationship between Armenia and Turkey and stabilize the Caucasus
region,” the German resolution read.

Turkey has vehemently and persistently denied that the Ottoman Empire
perpetrated a massacre, saying that the Armenian deaths were not the
result of a planned genocide, but rather the result of an Armenian
rebellion that lead to deadly clashes.

Turkey has warned that the German resolution could have severe
consequences for the two countries’ relations. However, Turkey is
depending on German support for its bid to begin EU membership talks in
October this year – a bid whose fate is becoming increasingly uncertain
as many of the bloc’s countries are against further enlargement.

“We regret and strongly condemn the resolution,” the Turkish Foreign
Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, describing the motion as
“provocative”.

“We are proud of our history. Therefore, we cannot stand by while this
issue is being used as a political tool, as free political capital
by lobby groups,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told
reporters at a press conference in Beirut on Thursday.

During a visit to Turkey on 4 May, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder
urged the Armenian government to accept a proposal by Turkey that
scholars from both countries study the genocide claims. Armenians
have rejected that idea.

But the German motion also accepts responsibility for the German
state’s role in the Armenian massacre as an ally of the Ottoman Empire
during World War I.

Police in Berlin said that Turkish citizens living in the city were
planning a protest in front of the Armenian Embassy over the weekend,
according to news agencies.

FIRST DEPUTY MAYOR OF MOSCOW NOTES PROGRESS IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, June 15. /ARKA/. The First Deputy Mayor of Moscow Vladimir
Resin noted progress in Armenia. According to AR Minister of Defense
Press Secretary Seiran Shakhsuvaryan, Resin told about it during the
meeting in Yerevan with RA Minister of Defense, the Co-Chair of the
Armenian -Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation
Serge Sargsyan. He emphasized that it was pleasant for him to see the
progressive development in Armenia. According to the press release, by
the request of the Russian guest Sargsyan introduced him the course of
work on construction of a new building for the RA Ministry of Defense.

RF Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Nikolai
Pavlov and Mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan were present at the
meeting. A.H.-0–

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 14, 2005, Tuesday

WAS THE PERSON CHARGED OF ESPIONAGE IN FAVOR OF AZERBAIJAN PREPARING
A TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST ROBERT KOCHARYAN?

The trial on the case of Armenian citizen Andrei Maziyev, charged
of parricide, assistance in preparations of a terrorist attack and
assassination of the president, began in the Yerevan Court on June 9.

Andrei Maziyev, 44, a Russian by nationality, was born in Tuapse. He
worked as an engineer at the Zvartnots airport; he’s married and has
two children. Twice (in 1994 and 1999) convicted for hooliganism.
Under verdict, in October 1999, Maziyev was to Azerbaijan on
business, where he was enlisted by the Azerbaijani special services.
Until January 4, 2005 he received missions from the special services
and accomplished them. Overall, Maziyev met with members of the
Azerbaijani special services 17 times and received some $2,500 for
his services. He was sending Armenian newspapers issued in Russia to
Azerbaijan, gathered information on the domestic situation in Armenia,
the defense industries and the situation in the army, economic data,
as well as intelligence concerning Karabakh.

The Azerbaijani special services were particularly concerned with
the process of Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s arrival at the
airport and his departure, how the president’s plane is guarded,
routes of the president’s escort around the airport. In autumn 2000
Maziyev took photos of the president’s plane landing, the helicopters
defending the airport from the air, the president coming down the
boarding bridge and his escort passing by the building where Maziyev
resides. He also took photos of the president’s plane and the airport
terminal. The photos were handed over to the Azerbaijani special
services; positions of snipers were marked. At the trial Maziyev has
fully recognized the charges brought against him. (…)

Azeri farmer injured in Karabakh mine blast – TV

Lider TV, Baku
13 Jun 05

The positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces on Mount Lala Ilahi in
[Azerbaijan’s] Fuzuli District came under fire from the positions
of the Armenian armed forces 800 m northeast of the mount between
2130-2140 [1630-1640 gmt] on 12 June.

The positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the village of
Borsunlu in Tartar District also came under fire from assault rifles
and machine guns from the positions of the Armenian armed forces 4.5
km southwest of that area from 0255 to 0310 on 13 June [2155-2210
gmt on 12 June]. The enemy was silenced with retaliatory fire, no
casualties are reported.

The Azerbaijani National Agency for Mine Action [ANAMA] has reported
that at about 1700 yesterday [1200 gmt 12 June], a resident of the
village of Arayatli of Fuzuli District, Qabil Safarov, 37, was blown
up on an anti-personnel mine in a wheat field in [the district’s]
Horadiz village. He burnt his left leg and his combine harvester was
put out of action. The injured man was taken to the central hospital
of Fuzuli District.

[Yeni Musavat newspaper, Baku, in Azeri, on 13 June reported that
private Mahir Huseynov of the Azerbaijani army was killed by an
Armenian sniper in the Muncuqlu village of Tovuz District on the
Armenian border in northwest Azerbaijan on 7 June. The report has
not yet been officially confirmed, the newspaper said.]

Europe Energie
10 juin 2005

L’ARMÉNIE VA CONSTRUIRE UN NOUVEAU DÉPÔT POUR LES DÉCHETS NUCLÉAIRES

Le parlement arménien a donné le 25 mai son feu vert pour la
construction d’un nouveau site de stockage des déchets nucléaires de
la centrale de Metzamor, exploitable pendant 50 ans. Le nouveau site
sera construit en trois tranches qui seront mises en exploitation en
2007, 2012 et 2018.

Le coût total de la construction est de 10 millions d’euros. Avant
1989, le combustible usagé arménien était stocké en Russie. Et le
premier site de stockage construit en 2000 par la compagnie française
Framatome est plein. L’Union européenne demande à Erevan de fermer
son unique centrale nucléaire, ce que le gouvernement arménien
refuse, arguant de l’absence de sources d’énergie alternatives. La
centrale de Metzamor construite en 1977 produit 40% de l’énergie de
la république. Elle avait été fermée en 1988 après le tremblement de
terre de Spitak qui avait dévasté l’Arménie, et n’avait été relancée
qu’en 1995 à cause d’une crise énergétique. La centrale munie de deux
réacteurs à eau pressurisée de type VVER-440 est gérée depuis 2003
pour 5 ans par le monopole d’électricité russe SEU.

PRESS RELEASE
KCET, public television for Southern and Central California
June 10, 2005
Contact: Laurel Lambert
(323) 953-5308
4401 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Web:

MARAL CHALIAN JOINS KCET AS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Maral Chalian has been appointed director, development at KCET, public
television for Southern and Central California. Reporting to KCET
president and CEO Al Jerome, she will be responsible for leading a
fundraising team covering the communities of Glendale, Burbank, La
Canada , Bakersfield, and areas of Ventura County and the San Fernando
Valley. Chalian was a member of KCETs Community Advisory Board from
1994 to 2001.

Since 1993, Chalian has been working at the United Armenian Fund,
where she was special programs manager, obtaining grants and in-kind
contributions to provide relief for Armenia. Chalians work garnered
international attention and inspired two speaking invitations on the
topic of philanthropy at the United Nations in 2001 and 2002.

In 2002, Chalian was awarded the Women in Business Award by the
California State Legislature as the Non-Profit Employee of the Year.

# # #

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 9, 2005 Thursday 5:15 PM Eastern Time

Russian envoy to continue military, political talks in Tbilisi

By Yelena Pankratieva

MOSCOW

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy, Igor Savolsky is
arriving in Tbilisi on Friday to join the expert-level talks that
began in the Georgian capital on Wednesday.

The negotiators are discussing military and political themes and the
withdrawal of Russian military bases.

Taking part in the negotiations are Russian special envoy Lev Mironov
and his Georgian counterpart Malkhaz Mikeladze.

The implementation of agreements the two countries’ foreign ministers
achieved and put on record in a joint statement on May 30 is high on
the agenda.

Lev Mironov has said the experts’ meeting has been successful.

He told reporters he was pleased with the progress in the talks.

“I believe so are the Georgian counterparts,” he said.

Russia and Georgia have negotiated the withdrawal of bases since
2001, the Itar-Tass correspondent in Tbilisi Tengiz Pachkoria
reports. Moscow initially suggested a 14-year period of withdrawal,
then eleven years, and then eight years. Tbilisi at first argued it
wanted the bases out in 3-4 years, and then in 2-3 years.

The Georgian parliament on March 10 adopted a resolution saying that
if agreement were not achieved by May 15, Russia would be told to
withdraw the bases by January 1, 2006. The Russian and Georgian
foreign ministers came to terms at negotiations in Moscow on May 30.

Most Russian armaments from the Georgian bases will be pulled out
into Russia, and some redeployed to the Russian base in Gyumri, in
neighboring Armenia. At first the decision drew protests from
Azerbaijan, but the country’s Prime Minister Artur Rasi-Zade on June
3 said Baku would not regard this as something tragic.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
June 8 2005

SPEAKER OF AZERBAIJAN PARLIAMENT RECEIVES GERMAN AMBASSADOR IN BAKU
[June 08, 2005, 22:55:49]

Chairman of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan Parliament) Murtuz Alaskarov
on 8 June received the ambassador of Germany to Azerbaijan Detlef
Lingemann. Noting the role of the heads of state in development of
the friendly relations between two countries, Mr. Alaskarov said the
documents signed during the official visit of the nationwide leader
of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev to Germany in 1996 have created
legal base for these relations. The official visit of President Ilham
Aliyev to Germany in 2004 has specified the directions of these ties.
The parliamentary links also develop successfully, he underscored.
Both parliaments have friendship groups and they have regular
meetings and cooperate closely.

Speaker of Azerbaijan Parliament informed on the realized reforms in
the country, spoke of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Chairman of the Milli Majlis expressed gratitude to the
German government and Parliament for fair position in this question,
emphasizing confidence that this policy would never change. Mr.
Alaskarov wished the Ambassador success in his diplomatic mission.

Ambassador Detlef Lingemann said he had been in Azerbaijan 22 years
ago, stressing that he was admired by present development of the
country. He stressed readiness to assist in integration of Azerbaijan
to the European structures.

Touching upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the German diplomat said
his country adheres settlement of the problem in the frame of
territorial integrity and peacefully.

Also were exchanged opinions on a number of other issues of mutual
interest.

Pan Armenian News

RA FM MET SWEDISH AMBASSADOR

08.06.2005 03:04

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met with newly
appointed Swedish Ambassador to Armenia Johan Molander, RA MFA’s press
center reported. During the meeting the Ambassador handed the RA FM the
copies of his credentials. Vartan Oskanian congratulated Mr. Molander with
the appointment and wished him all luck in performing the high mission. He
also expressed assurance that the Ambassador’s activities will contribute to
the Armenian-Swedish trade and cultural cooperation. The parties discussed
the process of economic and democratic reforms in Armenia as well as the
republic’s position on the Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement. They also
highlighted Sweden’s assistance in promoting Armenia’s integration into the
Wider Europe: New Neighbors EU program.

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS SERVED LITURGY IN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL OF
LOS-ANGELES

YEREVAN, JUNE 7. ARMINFO. His Holiness Garegin II Catholicos of All
Armenians, being with a Patriarchal visit to the Western diocese of
the USA of the Armenian Apostolic Church, served a Divine Liturgy at a
Catholic Cathedral in Los-Angeles.

As ARMINFO was informed in the press-service of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, His Holiness had repeatedly blessed the flock and
numerous guests. Supreme Patriarch presented a jubilee panagia
decorated with letters of the Armenian alphabet to the Primate of the
Western diocese of the USA archbishop Hovnan Terteryan for his devoted
service to the AAC.