Author: Chakrian Hovsep

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Sept 20 2005

Postponed Conference On Armenians To Be Held On September 23rd-25th

ISTANBUL – The conference on ”Armenians in the Late Ottoman Empire:
Scientific Responsibility and Democracy Problems” will be held at
Istanbul’s Bogazici University from September 23rd to 25th.
The conference was previously scheduled to take place on May 25th,
but it was postponed.

Serif Mardin, Halil Bertay, Selim Deringil, Murat Belge, Ustun
Erguder, Osman Koker, Fikret Adanir, Fatma Muge Gocek, Nazan
Maksudyan, Hrant Dink are among participants of the conference.

A number of workshops will be organized during the conference on
several issues such as ”Order Before Balkan Wars”, ”Breaking
Point: 1912-1915”, ”Relocation and Aftermath”, ”Disaster and
Stories of Rescue” and ”Memoirs”.

Two panel discussions will be held on the last day of the conference
on ”Press Freedom” and ”Today and the Future”

ROUNDTABLE “NK AND N. CYPRUS ARE DIFFERENT ISSUES FROM INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ASPECTS.”

Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 20 2005

“The problems of the Northern Cyprus and the Nagorny Karabkh are
differing from each other issues”, it was reported on 19 September
2005 at the roundtable in the International press centre “The problem
of the Northern Cyprus and the Nagorny Karabakh at the international
legal plane.

As Trend reports, at the event staged by the world organization of
young Turkish writers and the Friendship society Azerbaijan-Cyprus
was dwelt upon the common problems of Turks and Azerbaijanis, the
history of the Turkish Republic of the Northern Cyprus, as well as
the occupation of the Azerbaijan’s lands by Armenians, approach to
these problems from the international legal principles.

The head of the young Turkish writers’ organization Akper Goshaly
reported, after the visit of the delegation of the Turkish Republic
of the Northern Cyprus to Azerbaijan, the attention to this republic
enhanced, meanwhile pressure on our country launched from the part
of Greeks grew. Goshali reported, some interested forces, especially
from the part of Armenia make attempts to identify the problem of
the Northern Cyprus and the Nagorny Karabakh.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan-Cyprus friendship society noted, at the
referendum held on the island of Cyprus the Turks, demonstrating
adherence to peace said on their readiness to live in one state with
Greeks but they declined it. Agil Samedbeyli also said one should
not present Nagorny Karabakh to the Azerbaijan’s public and media
as the third party, as they try to recognize Nagorny Karabakh as the
third party. The lawyer Farman Salmanli reported, Nagorni Karabkh is
the territory of Azerbaijan and the subject of the international law
and Azerbaijan became the UNO member having Nagorny Karabakh as its
part and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was recognized by
all states in the world.

URL:

AZERI OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS ARMENIA’S THREATS TO QUIT PEACE TALKS

Bilik Dunyasi news agency, Baku, in Russian
16 Sep 05

Baku, 16 September: The latest statement of the press secretary of the
Armenian Foreign Ministry, Gamlet Gasparyan, on the Nagornyy Karabakh
process is nothing but a diplomatic trick and manoeuvring, the head
of the foreign relations department of the Azerbaijani presidential
administration, Novruz Mammadov, has said.

Gasparyan said that “our position remains unchanged. If Azerbaijan
raises any issue with the UN, Armenia will quit the Nagornyy Karabakh
peace talks and Baku will have to negotiate directly” with Xankandi
[Stepanakert].

Mammadov was commenting on the inclusion of the issue “On the situation
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” on the agenda of the 60th
session of the UN General Assembly.

“Behind this message is Armenia’s great anxiety. The matter is that
Azerbaijan’s position on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict has become very strong and is supported by
international organizations and states. The inclusion of the issue
‘On the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’ on the
agenda of the 60th session is a logical consequence of this. There
is nothing unusual here. This is our right,” Mammadov said.

Armenia sees that Azerbaijan’s stand on the Nagornyy Karabakh
settlement is getting more support from the international community and
is trying to threaten Azerbaijan that they will stop the negotiations,
step aside and involve the Armenians of Nagornyy Karabakh in direct
talks.

“First, it is not so easy to avoid the talks. The territories are
under occupation and negotiations are continuing. Armenia is in
a desperate position and may be looking for an excuse. Second,
if Armenia indeed wants to quit the talks and Yerevan officially
declares its withdrawal from the Nagornyy Karabakh issue, we will
find a chance to talk to the Armenians of Nagornyy Karabakh. We can
do it and there is no problem about that,” Mammadov added.

ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF WORKS OF JEWELLERS AND DIAMOND MANUFACTURERS OF ARMENIA TO OPEN ON SEPTEMBER 29

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The annual exhibition of works of
jewellers and diamond manufacturers of Armenia will open in Yerevan
on September 29. As Artur Gyulnazarian, the Executive Director of the
Association of Jewellers and Diamond Manufacturers of Armenia informed
during the interview to the Noyan Tapan correspondent, gold adornments,
jewels and poli-precious stones and subjects made of them, souvenirs
as well as instruments and equipments used in jewellery and diamond
manufacture will be exhibited.

According to A.Gyulnazarian, about 3 dozens of companies and more
than 20 individual businessmen placed orders for participation in
the exhibition.

According to him, during such exhibitions, meetings of jewellers and
representatives of companies standing near to the sphere, exchange of
experience support development of jewellery and diamond manufacturing
in Armenia.

Politicians are voted the world’s least trusted people

Brian Whitaker
Thursday September 15, 2005
The Guardian
()

Most people believe their government does not act according to their
wishes, a worldwide opinion survey shows. Lack of confidence in
governments is highest in the former Soviet bloc, where 75% say their
country is not governed by the will of the people, but similar views
are held by most Europeans (64%) and North Americans (60%).

The findings come from one of the largest international polls ever
undertaken. Commissioned by the BBC World Service, Gallup interviewed
more than 50,000 people in 68 countries, representative of the views
of 1.3 billion people worldwide. The main exclusions were China and
most of the Middle East, where government restrictions make polling
difficult or impossible. Overall, slightly less than half of those
surveyed (47%) felt that elections in their country were free and
fair. Confidence in elections was highest in Scandinavia (82%) and
South Africa (76%), and lowest in West Africa (24%) and the former
Soviet Union (25%).

Worldwide, politicians represent the least trusted occupation in the
survey, scoring only 13%. Religious leaders are the most trusted
(33%), followed by military/police leaders (26%), journalists (26%)
and business leaders (19%).

Asked which types of people they would like to give more power to, 35%
favoured “intellectuals” (writers and academics), followed by
religious leaders on 25%.

Behind the global figures there are wide variations between countries
and regions. There is a low level of trust in all types of leaders
throughout Europe. Almost a third of people expressed no trust in
military, religious, business or political leaders or journalists. The
media and journalists are particularly distrusted in Europe.

Japanese people have very little trust in authority figures – only 1%
have faith in military / police leaders and 3% trust religious
leaders. Only 4% of Ukrainians and 8% of Russians said they trusted
military or police leaders.

Confidence in religious leaders varies widely. They are most trusted
in Africa (74% against 33% globally), and in Nigeria 86% would give
them more power.

In the US 50% trust religious leaders and 40% would give them more
power.

Almost everywhere, people said family and friends were the most
important influences on their personal decisions, but religious
leaders were the most important influence for 13% in Africa and 12% in
North America. Elsewhere, religious influence was small or negligible.

FROM 2006 ICRC TO INTENSIFY WORK ON SEARCH OF THE MISSINGS IN ARMENIA,
NKR AND AZERBAIJAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17. ARMINFO. From 2006, the International Committee
of Red Cross (ICRC) is to enlarge the activity on collection of
life-time information about missing citizens of Armenia, Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

The ICRC Armenian mission delegate Catherine Patronoff informed
ARMINFO’s reporter that the intensifying may help in identifying the
remains of bodies of the deceased during a conflict. The information
collection will be conducted in close cooperation with the State
committees on POWs, hostages and the missings affairs, as well as with
the Armenian Red Cross Association, Patronoff noted.

To remind, the renewed list of the missings transferred by the ICRC to
Armenia’s, NKR and Azeri authorities in Feb 2004 includes 3165 names,
419 of them are Armenians. In Jan 2005, the ICRC transferred the
parties a Memorandum appealing to clear up the fate of the
missings. The document supposes a number of methods necessary for
giving the required information, as well for conducting exhumation and
identification procedures of remains, and rendering assistance to the
missings families, she noted.

Patronoff also noted that 652 Armenian and Azeri POWs and civil
persons have been released at the ICRC mediation since the beginning
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to its mandate, the ICRC since
1992 have assisted to Armenia’s, NKR and Azeri authorities in
organizing the return of POWs to their motherland.

UEFA.com
Sept 16 2005

FOOTBALL EUROPE: Pyunik close in on Armenian title

League split
The return to action saw the league split in two, with the top six
sides competing in the championship pool and retaining the points
they had accumulated from playing one other, while the remainder
battle it out in the relegation group.

Pyunik prevail
Championship leaders FC Pyunik have increased their advantage from
five to ten points in just two matches after their rivals slipped up.
Pyunik began with a 5-0 triumph against FC Dinamo-Zenit Yerevan
before winning 2-1 against second-placed FC MIKA. MIKA could only
draw their previous game against FC Kilikia thanks to two penalties
from Aghvan Mkrtchian.

Trio missing
However, it was not all good news for Pyunik. Armenia Under-21
goalkeeper Apoula Edima, midfielder Karl Lombe and forward Mamadou
Diawara failed to return after the holidays, and it is unclear when –
indeed if – they will return to the Pyunik fold.

Danaev signs
Third-placed FC Banants have also struggled after the restart, a
goalless draw against FC Kotayk preceding a 3-1 home defeat by
Kilikia which only strengthened Pyunik’s title challenge. Banants
have released Moldovan forward Dumitriu Gusila while signing Andrei
Danaev on loan from Ukrainian club FC Stal Alchevsk.

Triple capture
Kotayk, now within one point of third position after a 2-0 victory
against Dinamo-Zenit, resumed their campaign with three new players.
Arkadij Chilingaryan and Karen Navoyan joined from FC Lernayin
Artsakh along with midfielder Nikolay Agasyan whose Dinamo-Zenit
contract had expired.

Relegation issue
In the relegation section, FC Ararat Yerevan and FC Shirak drew 1-1
in the first leg of their play-off. Gor Atabekyan’s early goal for
Ararat was cancelled out on 68 minutes by Karen Khachatryan’s penalty
for the hosts. The losing side will face another play-off against the
team finishing second in the first division to determine whether they
preserve top-flight status.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 15 2005

US Amb. terms indication of Garabagh as Armenian territory as mistake

Baku, September 14, AssA-Irada

The presentation of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan and Upper Garabagh
regions as Armenian territories on the website of the US embassy in
Armenia is simply a mistake, US ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish
has said.
`The talk of Nakhchivan’s affiliation to Armenia is ridiculous. This
was a consequence of a mere mistake. The United States recognizes the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and is working
hard to support dialogue aimed at settling the Garabagh conflict.’
The ambassador mentioned the efforts being taken by Washington within
the OSCE Minsk Group mediating the conflict resolution.
The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Taghizada has
regarded the distortion of facts as unacceptable, calling for a
thorough scrutiny. Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who is
visiting the United States, will be informed of the incident
immediately upon his return to the country, he said.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 15 2005

Armenia can’t prevent Azerbaijan’s WTO admission – official

Baku, September 14, AssA-Irada

Armenia will not be able to prevent Azerbaijan’s admission to the
World Trade Organization, says Economic Development Ministry official
Shovgi Mehdizada.
The country is required to sign a bilateral agreement with each WTO
member state for its admittance to the organization. However, such an
agreement will not be signed with Armenia. Azerbaijan has already
stated that it will not establish any ties with aggressor Armenia,
said Mehdizada.
`In legal terms, according to the 13th provision of the Morocco
agreement which formed WTO, each country reserves the right not to
forge any ties with another state that it faces problems with. We
will apply this provision and Armenia will not be able to take the
matter to the WTO court of arbitration in any case. Even if this
country forwards an appeal, the court will not consider it.’*

THERE IS NO FORGIVING TO THOSE WHO COMMITTED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE:
GOVERNOR OF ST.PETERSBURG

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14. ARMINFO. An official delegation of
St.Petersburg led by the governor of the city Valentina Matvienko
visited today the memorial and museum of the victims of the Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey.

“We are shocked with the outrageous crime against humanity – the
Armenian Genocide. There is no forgiving to those who committed this
atrocity. The whole world should condemn this,” Matvienko wrote in the
visitors’ book. She also planted a fir-tree in the memorial
park. “This is a great honor to me,” she said.