Author: Chaltikian Arsine

EU-ARMENIA ACTION PLAN WILL LEAD THE REPUBLIC TO QUALITATIVELY NEW LEVEL

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.11.2006 17:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian, Azeri and Georgian FMs held a news
conference in Brussels yesterday. During the event, led by EU External
Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Armenian and Azeri
FMs were predisposed well towards each other. In any case, their
comments differed strongly from those made public during previous
similar meetings. In their prior comments both Ministers appreciated
the Action Plans within the ENP. Answering a question, whether their
comments seeming friendly mean anything in the light of the talks over
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict starting today, Vartan Oskanian said,
"We do not know what may happen tomorrow. There is a logical proposal
on the bargaining table, there are interesting ideas, talks should be
held and the necessary will should be displayed. This is what today’s
statement expressed."

In the opinion of Azeri FM Mammadyarov, "the issue should be considered
within the context that time pushed us forward, mutual understanding
has enhanced, it is necessary to move away from a stalemate point."

"In this case I believe we have good opportunities," Mammadyarov said.

Speaking of the Action Plan within the ENP, Oskanian remarked,
"New quality is attributed to our relations.

It is a rather large document, which comprises new opportunities. It
is necessary to concentrate and implement it in the best manner." "We
want to fully use it, as it will really lead Armenia to a qualitatively
new level both in political and economic respects," reports RFE/RL.

ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN FMS WANT PROGRESS ON KARABAKH ISSUE

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 14 2006

BRUSSELS, November 14 (Itar-Tass) – Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Vartan Oskanyan of Armenia and Elmar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan told
a joint news conference here on Monday night that they are intent on
achieving progress in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue at their
upcoming talks here.

Action Plans are to be signed here on Tuesday within the framework
of the policy of neighbourhood between the European Union and three
Southern Caucasus countries — Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Following the signing of those documents, the Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia are to meet for bilateral talks. Both Ministers
expressed confidence that the signing of the Action Plans would
provide a fine opportunity for progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

Vartan Oskanyan emphasized that the Action Plans "contain a common
vision of the situation in the region". "After they are signed, we
shall move to another room to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh problem —
this will be a basically new phase of the negotiating process. We
shall do our best to achieve progress and prepare a meeting between
our Presidents on the problem".

Elmar Mamedyarov, for his part, referred to the frozen conflicts as
"the main challenge to the Southern Caucasus countries". He shared
the optimism of his Armenian counterpart but stressed that one must
make headway in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in an "utterly
careful way".

Foreign Sales by U.S. Arms Makers Doubled in a Year
By LESLIE WAYNE

New York Times, p. B3
November 11, 2006

Sales of military weapons by United States contractors to foreign
governments doubled in the last year, as countries like Pakistan, Australia
and Greece stepped up purchases of armaments and the United States
government loosened policies to allow more American weapons to be sold on
the world market.

A total of $21 billion in arms sales agreements were signed from September
2005 to September 2006, compared with $10.6 billion in the previous year,
according to new data compiled by the Pentagon. Foreign military sales
agreements have typically ranged from $10 billion to $13 billion a year
since 2001.

A number of factors are behind the surge in sales. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the
Bush administration has used arms sales as a way to reward allies and cement
international relationships. Middle Eastern countries, flush with oil
revenues, have become big buyers.

Countries like India, Pakistan and Indonesia that were once barred from
buying American weapons have had those bans lifted, and some have placed big
orders.

For military contractors, the sales have provided a welcome source of new
revenue at a time when the Pentagon has indicated that the era of record
military budgets is ending.

Because many of the weapons sold overseas are mature products, the profit
margins to American arms makers are high, since the initial development
costs have long been recuperated.

And in the case of some planes, like the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet
and the C-17 Globemaster cargo plane, foreign military sales are a way to
keep open production lines that might close for lack of Pentagon orders.

`There have been a remarkable number of orders placed,’ said Howard Rubel,
an analyst at Jeffries & Company. `It’s another arrow in the quiver of
military contractors.’

One of the biggest orders was placed by Pakistan, which had been barred from
buying most American weapons because of its nuclear program. That ban was
lifted last year and the country placed a $5 billion order for advanced F-16
jets made by the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

A similar ban on India was also lifted, opening up a potentially lucrative
market to American contractors. India is currently looking to buy up to 126
new fighter jets, and American contractors have been flying to India to show
off their wares.

Oil profits are also behind some of the orders. Saudi Arabia said in July
that it planned to spend $5.8 billion on American weapons to modernize its
National Guard and will also put in more than $3 billion in orders for Black
Hawk helicopters, Abrams and Bradley armored land vehicles, new radio
systems and other weapons.

In the gulf region, Bahrain, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have filed
plans to buy Black Hawk helicopters – for a total of $1 billion. Oman plans
to buy a $48 million anti-tank missile system. The Emirates plans to buy
rocket artillery equipment and military trucks for $752 million and Bahrain
will purchase Javelin missiles for $42 million.

Bahrain alone has accounted for $1 billion in foreign military sales in the
five years since 9/11.

`The rise in oil prices has allowed countries like Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates to increase their arms purchases dramatically,’ said
William Hartung, director of the arms trade project at the World Policy
Institute, which is part of the New School in New York.

For contractors, Mr. Hartung added, these sales `are a welcome windfall, not
just icing on the cake.’

These new big gulf region orders, like the Saudi deal, were not included in
the $21 billion tally for 2006. They will be carried over into the 2007
tally and are a sign that next year will be as robust as this one.

`We’ve got a good start on 2007,’ said Lt. Gen. Jeffrey B. Kohler, director
of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages foreign military
sales.

Besides Pakistan and India, since 9/11, bans on arms sales have been lifted
on Tajikistan, Serbia and Montenegro, Armenia and Azerbaijan as these
countries have been identified by the State Department as critical allies in
the war on terror. They have turned into buyers, although on a much smaller
scale than the big Pakistani or Saudi orders.

Armenia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan had no American arms purchases before
9/11. But as a group, they have bought $32 million in weapons under the
foreign military sales program, according to statistics from the Center for
Defense Information.

Foreign military sales are negotiated directly between the United States and
other governments and are overseen by the State Department, the Pentagon and
Congress.

Other strategically situated countries have also stepped up their purchases.
Nepal, for instance, bought $1.1 million of American weapons in the full
decade before 9/11, and $22 million in the five years since.

Similarly, Yemen, Djibouti and Uzbekistan bought $16.4 million combined in
the decade before 9/11, and $73 million of American weapons since.

`Foreign military sales are a good hedge against potential further cuts in
Pentagon procurement,’ said Mark T. Esper, executive vice president for
defense and international affairs at the Aerospace Industries Association, a
trade group.

In a conference call with analysts, Christopher E. Kubasik, chief financial
officer of Lockheed, estimated that foreign sales account for 15 percent –
or $5.5 billion – of Lockheed’s sales, which were $37 billion in 2005.

`They’re valued customers, and we plan to continue to grow in that area,’ he
said.

Foreign sales have importance to military contractors beyond the dollar
value of the contract. Once a country buys a weapon system, it will need to
continue to buy spare parts or upgrades.

`In the next couple of years,’ said Cai von Rumohr, an analyst with Cowen &
Company, `foreign sales as a percentage of company revenues will be tracking
up.’

Foreign sales can also keep endangered weapons programs alive.

For instance, when Boeing made some announcements that it might begin to
close production of its C-17 cargo line, Canada and Australia quickly
stepped in to place orders: Canada’s deal is valued at $1.3 billion and
Australia’s at $2 billion. Orders for the F-16 from Turkey, Greece and
Pakistan are pumping $11 billion into that program at a time when the Air
Force is phasing out of it.

For that reason, the Aerospace Industries Association has been pressing
Congress to relax rules so more foreign deals can be done outside of
government scrutiny – an effort that has, so far, been rebuffed in Congress.

Last month, the industry association, along with representatives from the
Boeing Company and the Northrop Grumman Corporation, met at the Heritage
Foundation, a conservative Washington research group, to outline their plans
to pursue this effort.

s/11military.html?ex=1163912400&en=536ae1f1aee f4bce&ei=5070

ROLE OF INTELLIGENTSIA IN PROGRESS OF ARTSAKH SOCIETY
Norair Hovsepian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Nov 9 2006

The round-table meeting at the Union of Journalists of Artsakh on
November 3 was headlined "The Role of the Intelligentsia in the
Life of the NKR Society". Members of parliament, representatives of
different spheres of culture, reporters were present. "When we say the
intelligentsia are the wealth of the nation, we mean the potential of
the intelligentsia. In this sense, we are a lucky nation," said Kim
Gabrielian, the president of the Union of Journalists. Unfortunately,
we lack a "bank" which would convey these ideas to those who are
supposed to bring them into being, whereas the government needs such
ideas, says Kim Gabrielian. Meanwhile, the intelligentsia often
is absorbed by daily problems, a teacher has to grow vegetables,
and an actor has to sell things to earn their living. As a result,
it is clear who suffers. Kim Gabrielian says this regress leads the
intelligentsia to decay. Naturally, in this state the intelligentsia
cannot be imagined to have an influence on the society and political
life in the country. Meanwhile, it was the intelligentsia that waked
people in the 1060s, and the intelligentsia is at the origin of the
Artsakh movement. Member of Parliament Vahram Atanessian, chair of the
Committee of External Relations and Information expressed his opinion
on why the role of the intelligentsia has diminished. The crisis
of the intelligentsia started when public speeches were replaced by
state building, he says. During the public speeches the role of the
intelligentsia was highly important. When state building started,
the intelligentsia slowed down (Vahram Atanessian says this behavior
is typical of the intelligentsia), and other forces went ahead. Today
the intelligentsia is unable to make important decision. Therefore,
it has no importance in the society. According to Vahram Atanessian,
the change of the political order was another heavy blow to the
intelligentsia. Formerly, the intelligentsia used to get instructions
from the government and carry them out without thinking about problems
with their implementation that would occur later. The intelligentsia
is supposed to be free, whereas carrying out the instructions of
the government restricts freedom. Today the intelligentsia is free
and is supposed to create their audience on their own. However,
Vahram Atanessian declined to say what the intelligentsia does in
this direction, and only noticed that the society should be offered
what it needs, and that is required by the time. The chair of the
Press Club of Stepanakert Gegham Baghdassarian expressed a similar
opinion. He believes that a strong individual is sure to find his
place, whereas the government support and working in the framework
of the government instructions is favorable for mediocrities. "Today
there is fertile soil for finding talents," Gegham Baghdassarian
believes. The participants of the round-table meeting had different
opinions whether the intelligentsia is able to overcome the crisis
without help. The intelligentsia must preserve its best moral
characteristics. "We need strong, authoritative individuals," says
Gegham Baghdassarian. He believes that when mediocrities outnumber,
it is difficult to hope for progress.

Finally, there were interesting opinions on the
government-intelligentsia relation. Most participants of the
round-table meeting believe that these two forces form a dichotomy. A
creative person is opposition. The next question stemmed from this
whether the intelligentsia should become engaged in politics. The
controversial opinions eliminated the probability of a general
formula. Is it necessary to set up a union of the intelligentsia or
the existing unions have already proved ineffective? These and other
questions remained unanswered. The participants of the round-table
meeting agreed that it is impossible to answer all these questions in
a single meeting. Especially that these problems are becoming sharper.

RUMSFELD RESIGNS IN WAKE OF REPUBLICAN DEFEAT
By Ali Halit Aslan, Washington

Zaman, Turkey
Nov 9 2006

U.S. President George Bush was defeated in the midterm elections,
in what became a referendum on his Iraq policy. The outcome of the
elections has to a great extent changed the overall political structure
as well as the composition of Congress.

Above all, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the leading engineer
behind the Iraq invasion, was most affected. Former CIA Director Robert
Gates was appointed for that post. For the first time in 12 years,
the Republicans lost their control over the House of Representatives
to Democrats, who also won control of the Senate.

Describing the elections results as "disappointment," Bush said he
wanted to work with the Democrats on a number of issues, including
the Iraqi situation. The Democrats will seek a new policy orientation
toward Iraq. The new House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, in an attempt to
explain the reason for their demand for a new policy, said, "I hope
the departure of Mr. Rumsfeld will mark a fresh start toward a new
policy in Iraq, signaling a willingness on the part of the president
to work with the Congress to devise a better way forward."

According to the unofficial results, the Democratic Party has
229 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives, while the
Republicans have 196. The Democratic Party secured 50 seats in the
100-member Senate. With the narrow majority of one seat, Democrats
now are guaranteeing the majority in the upper wing of the American
Congress. In Virginia, Democrat Jim Webb edged out the Republican
George Allen. Allen has 10 days to request a re-count in this
critical state.

In a press conference held at White House, President Bush admitted
that his policies, especially the one pursued in Iraq, contributed
to the defeat in the elections. Bush, who said he congratulated
the Democrat leaders for their success, noted that the voters gave
him a clear message: "The American people want their leaders in
Washington to set aside partisan differences, conduct ourselves
in an ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges
facing our nation." Bush assured the public that he would consider
the views of the Democrats and independent Baker-Hamilton commission,
especially on the controversial Iraqi policy.

Meanwhile, it is uncertain how the Democratic Party’s domination
in the House commissions would affect Turkish-American relations,
given the sympathy the Democrats have toward the Armenian allegations.

YOUTH HAVE BAD HABIT OF LEARNING FROM ADULTS
Haik Aramyan

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 7 2006

Ararat Mahtesyan, a high-ranking police official stated November 3 that
all of us, the whole society is to blame as the system of values of
the youth is becoming increasingly inclined to the "criminal world,
criminal approaches". The deputy chief of the Police was right,
it is the fault of everyone. The youth, which is not only our
present but also our future, has a "bad habit" – they learn from
grown-ups around them. They finish school, try to enter a university
or college, and afterwards they want to have a job, live a good and
full life. And what does a young man standing at the threshold of life
learn as an adult? For instance, he can see what is going on at the
universities. Then he witnesses the situation in the period of the
call-up. Then he learns about the ways how one can set up a business
or get a placement. He can see, for instance, how the law enforcement
agencies, the representatives of government agencies work, who often
deal with the representatives of the "criminal world", accompany them
or guarantee their security. He can see that there are privileged and
"second grade" citizens, there are people who do not obey the law, and
people who are cheated and robbed in the direct and indirect senses
of the word every day, placing the responsibilty for the life of the
country on their shoulders. What does a young man who is not a member
of the privileged class do after witnessing and understanding all these
things? (Especially that all this starts as early as at school.) He has
to go away or get used to this situation. The other right way is, of
course, that he must fight for his rights and welfare. In this sense,
however, there is still a long way to go. But presently the government
and the political forces of Armenia have established a system which
resembles that of the "criminal world", as Mr. Mahtesyan put it. The
mechanisms of black budget, extortion and blackmail function perfectly
within this system. The criminalization of the political and civil
life is underway, and efforts are made to introduce these mechanisms
everywhere, especially among young people. Baze Gatherings, youth wings
of political parties and other bureaucratic mechanisms are designed to
"spoil" the youth, pointing to the "right way" for them.

What does a young man, whose sensitive and pure soul craves for
justice, have to do in this situation? According to the adults,
justice is an abstract notion, however, it should be there. In the
meantime, the widely preached values of the mysterious, romantic
"criminal world" start attracting the young man. Everything is simple
and clear in this world, which is wrapped in the veil of mystery.

Everyone is equal there, there is "justice", scoundrels are punished:
this is their perception. And where else can a young man turn his
face? It should be noted that the system established in Armenia
presently is attempting at attracting young people into this system
of values by their everyday activities and propaganda. This is an
easier way to sustain their privileged status.

"RESOLUTION IS EU PARADOX"

Sabah, Turkey
Nov 8 2006

Social democrat leader Bos who is anticipated to become the Prime
Minister of Holland in the election on November 22nd spoke to Sabah
about Turkey’s road to the EU; and the Armenian genocide and law
preparations regarding this.

Wouter Bos stated that the issue of the Armenian Genocide is always
on the agenda of Turkey’s relationship with the EU. Bos stated that
this issue can not be put forward as a preliminary condition to
Turkey. He said: "this issue which could not be solved for a century
should be discussed openly and confidently. Barristers should decide
the definition of genocide and whether it is planned and proven." The
French Parliament’s accepting the legal bill of denial of genocide
is an approach opposite to the freedom of expression. While Turkey is
asked to take steps regarding human rights and freedom of expression,
one EU country accepts such a bill limiting this liberty; which is
a paradox for the EU. This, in turn ruins the dependability of the
European Union."

Eurasia Daily Monitor

Tuesday, November 7, 2006 — Volume 3, Issue 206

ARMENIA SELLING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, INDUSTRY TO RUSSIA

by Vladimir Socor

In his November 6 news conference, Armenia’s de facto strongman and
presidential aspirant Serge Sarkisian welcomed the just-consummated purchase
of the Armentel telecommunications company by the Russian Vympelcom.
Sarkisian is defense minister as well as secretary of the national security
council (supervising the security agencies), concurrently heading the
Armenian side in the Armenia-Russia Economic Cooperation Commission, thus
also in charge of Armenia’s economic relations with Russia. `I don’t see any
risk at all in the growth of Russian capital in our country,’ Sarkisian
averred (Interfax, November 6).

Indeed he has, along with his long-time political ally President
Robert Kocharian, overseen the process of transferring Armenia’s
infrastructure and industrial assets to Russian interests. On October
31-November 1 in Moscow, Kocharian finalized the handover of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline and the Hrazdan electricity generating plant’s
fifth power bloc, the leading unit in the country, to Gazprom in return for
temporary price relief on Russian gas (see EDM, November 3). Low-priced gas
is only a recent rationale for selling infrastructure assets to Russia. In
2002-2005, the rationale was debt relief. Kocharian and Sarkisian oversaw
the transfer of state-owned industries to Russia in debt-for-assets swaps.

Vympelcom announced on November 3 in Moscow the purchase of a 90%
stake in Armentel from the Greek owner, Hellenic Telecommunications (OTE).
The Armenian government approved the deal with Vympelcom after an
international tender in which 16 companies participated and four were
short-listed. Vympelcom is paying $ 434 million in cash and assumes an
additional $ 52 million in OTE debt. OTE had bought Armentel from the
Armenian government in 1997 for $142.5 million and invested a reported $300
million in it since then. Armentel currently has a 40% to 50% share of
Armenia’s mobile telephone market and operates the country’s fixed-line
telephony network. The Armenian government retains a 10% stake in Armentel.
According to government data (Arminfo, November 3), Armentel has until now
been Armenia’s second-largest taxpayer.

During Kocharian’s Moscow visit last week, Russia’s Comstar
Telesystems announced the acquisition of Armenia’s telecommunications
company CallNet and its subsidiary, the Internet service provider Cornet.
The fast-growing Callnet and Cornet comprise the second-largest
telecommunications group in Armenia. The Russian Comstar is acquiring a 75%
stake in that group for an as yet undisclosed price, with an option to
purchase the remaining 25%.

Also during Kocharian’s visit, Russia’s state-owned Foreign Trade Bank
(Vneshtorgbank) announced its intention to acquire the remaining 30% of
shares in what used to be Armenia’s Savings Bank. The Vneshtorgbank had in
2004 acquired 70% of the shares in that bank, which became Vneshtorgbank
Armenia. The tycoon Mikhail Bagdasarov owns the remaining 30% stake and is
negotiating its sale to the Russian Vneshtorgbank (Kommersant, SKRIN Market
and Corporate News, October 30, 31).

On the eve of Kocharian’s Moscow visit, Sarkisian presided over the
ceremony marking the completion of the Armenian Aluminium plant’s overhaul
by Russian Aluminum. The Yerevan-based ArmenAl, a major producer of
aluminium foil, idled in the 1990s, was acquired in 2002 by RusAl, which two
years later subcontracted the overhaul to Germany’s Achenbach firm for $80
million (RFE/RL Armenia Report, Armenpress, October 26).

In September of this year, the Russian state-owned Inter-RAO UES (a
subsidiary of Russia’s Unified Energy Systems state monopoly) completed the
acquisition of the Electricity Networks of Armenia in full ownership from
the British-based Midland Holdings, which had privatized those networks in
2002. Apart from the transmission networks, Russia’s UES owns and operates
some 80% of Armenia’s electricity generation capacities and is the financial
manager of Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant.

During his meeting with Kocharian in the Kremlin on October 31,
Russian President Vladimir Putin professed to feel that the level of Russian
investment in Armenia is too low, `strangely and shamefully’ so. Widely
cited in Armenia, this remark seems disingenuous on several counts. In fact,
Russia is the largest foreign investor overall in post-Soviet Armenia. Putin
‘s estimation for 2006 apparently did not include the
transactions-in-progress that are being finalized now. Unlike Western
investors, Russian ones are focusing on Armenia’s strategic assets and
infrastructure as an economic basis for political influence and control.
Putin’s remark seems designed to goad official Yerevan into selling more
assets to Russian interests, in which case Yerevan would have to start
scraping the bottom of the assets barrel.

(Noyan Tapan, Mediamax, PanArmenianNet, Armenpress, November 1-6)

–Vladimir Socor

ARMENIAN AND KAZAKH PRESIDENTS HIGHLY ASSESS DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES

Armenpress
Nov 06 2006

ASTANA, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS: Delegation headed by the Armenian
President Robert Kocharian has left today on a two-day official
visit to the capital of Kazakhstan Astana. The delegation consists of
Armenian Trade and Economic Development Minister Karen Tshmaritian,
Armenian Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Hasmik Poghosian, deputy
foreign ministers Gegham Gharibjanian and Samvel Avetisian, deputy
defense and education ministers Yuri Khachaturov and Bagrat Yesayan,
Chairman of the Armenian Central Bank Tigran Sargsian, Chief Prosecutor
Aghvan Hovsepian and other officials.

After the meeting ceremony negotiations took place at the residence
of the Kazakh president after which a number of intergovernmental
documents have been signed. At a joint press conference, followed
after the signing ceremony, the presidents of the two countries noted
that the documents will create a better basis for cooperation. Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbaev said that during the meeting with
his Armenian counterpart they mainly referred to the development of
trade-economic cooperation between the two countries as the volume
of the turnover does not satisfy either of the sides.

President of Armenia Robert Kocharian pointed out the high level of
the political dialogue existing between the two countries but he said
bilateral economic cooperation between the countries is rather weak.

"Kazakh business has started displaying interest towards Armenia,"
Kocharian said, noting that the Armenian-Kazakh inter-governmental
commission for economic cooperation, which held its second session
yesterday, may have an essential role in the development of bilateral
relations.

The two presidents also referred to the cooperation in the humanitarian
sphere. Robert Kocharian said that the potential of the two countries
is not being fully used in this sphere.

Kocharian also said that during the meeting with his Kazakh counterpart
he presented to him the current pace of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
regulation process.

Tomorrow the Armenian president will meet with the representatives
of the Armenian community in Kazakhstan.

Turkey would make EU a ‘real global power’
by Deaglan de Breadun, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

The Irish Times
November 3, 2006 Friday

TURKEY: Having Turkey as a member would help the European Union to
become a "real global power", the country’s chief negotiator for EU
accession, Ali Babacan, told the Forum on Europe yesterday.

"Turkey’s membership will help strengthen the EU’s role as a global
actor. If the EU wants to be one of the major players in the global
scene, a real global power, Turkey will help to achieve this,"
he said in a speech entitled Turkey’s case for membership of the
European Union.

Addressing a crowded forum session in Dublin, Mr Babacan stressed
Turkey’s strategic importance for the future of the EU. "As a key
regional actor and ally located in close proximity to many existing
and potential hotspots that are high on the European and international
agenda, Turkey can help enhance stability and promote welfare in the
Balkans, the Caucasus, central Asia and the Middle East."

A total of 29 speakers from different parties and organisations
responded to Mr Babacan’s speech, many of them raising issues about
human rights – particularly the rights of women – and free speech in
Turkey, the position of the Kurdish population and the alleged genocide
committed against Armenians by Turkish forces from 1915 to 1917.

Minister of State for European Affairs Noel Treacy said the Government
was "disappointed" that progress in the negotiations with Turkey
"hasn’t been as fast as it might be" and he called on Ankara to lift
its current ban on Cypriot vessels and aircraft.

Fine Gael delegate Charles Flanagan criticised restrictions on freedom
of expression under Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, but added:
"Our party, Fine Gael, firmly supports your application."

Labour TD Joe Costello reminded Mr Babacan that Ireland "was left
waiting for 12 years" before joining the European Economic Community,
as it then was. He criticised the lack of trade union rights in Turkey.

Sinn Fein’s Daithí Doolan said the Turkish government had "an appalling
human rights record" and called for the "freezing" of accession talks
until there was clear evidence of an improvement.

Senator Martin Mansergh of Fianna Fail said: "It would be quite wrong
for a party that was closely associated with a paramilitary campaign
to be so vehemently lecturing from a height Turkey on the question
of human rights".

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins said a section of European opinion
"do not want the EU to become another imperial power". Expressing
concern that Turkish accession could weaken workers’ rights in the EU,
he said the Irish experience with Turkish firm Gama Construction had
been "incredibly disastrous".

Green Party councillor Brian Meaney praised the efficiency of the
Turkish workers and management from Gama Construction in relation
to the Ennis bypass which was "going to be completed well ahead of
schedule and well within the budget". Several speakers, including
Independent Senator Mary Henry and Fianna Fail delegate Una McGurk
raised the issue of women’s rights.

Responding at the end, Mr Babacan sharply criticised the Greek Cypriot
government, which he said had campaigned for a "No" vote in the
referendum on the Annan Plan for the reunification of Cyprus in 2004.

Greek Cypriot (Republic of Cyprus) vessels and aircraft could not enter
Turkish seaports and airports but there were also trade restrictions on
northern Cyprus as well as on Turkish trucks entering Austria, Italy
and Belgium. "Why don’t we lift all the restrictions at once?" On the
issue of free expression, he said that when Turkish prime minister
Racep Tayyip Erdogan was mayor of Istanbul, he was imprisoned for
four months because he had recited four lines from a poem on the
school syllabus.

Mr Babacan said he was not happy with the situation regarding
Article 301, but there was a separation of powers in Turkey and he
was "quite puzzled" when his government was asked to interfere in
judicial decisions.

Meanwhile, Finland’s European presidency yesterday cancelled a weekend
meeting between the Turkish and Cypriot foreign ministers scheduled
to take place in Helsinki on the issue of access to ports in Turkey
and trade restrictions on northern Cyprus.

–Boundary_(ID_xtLGsKn6657ngyOuAVHBDw)–