Author: Dabaghian Diana

THE PRESIDENT OF LATVIA IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Oct 10 2005

On October 8 Vaira Vike-Freiberg, President of the Republic of Latvia
was hosted in the Nat ional Assembly. The problems of the development
of the Armenian-Latvian relations were in the center of discussions
with NA President Artur Baghdasaryan, representatives of the standing
committees of the National Assembly, factions and grouping. Welcoming
the high-ranking guest, NA President Artur Baghdasaryan highlighted
the experience of Latvia on the road of European Integration,
strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation (during the
visit of the President of the Republic of Latvia a memorandum of
inter-parliamentary cooperation was signed) and regional ties with
the establishment of direct ties between the marzes and cities. The
sides also elaborated on the trade-economic and scientific-cultural
ties, discussed the possibility of the establishment of a direct
flight between two countries, which can become an impetus for the
development of trade-economic ties.

Vaira Vike-Freiberg, President of the Republic of Latvia highlighted
the success of the constitutional reforms in Armenia, noting that the
parliaments are always basic pillars of democracy, and the cooperation
of the legislative bodies of two countries has an important role in
the inter-state relations. He expressed confidence to continue the
cooperation in all directions with Armenia.

Hrair karapetyan, Secretary of ARF faction, expressed gratitude for
adopting the bill on recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the
first reading in the Parliament of Latvia. In response Mrs. Freiberg
mentioned that during her visit to Turkey she elaborated on the
necessity of recognizing the Armenian Genocide during the meeting
with the President and Prime Minister of Turkey, highlighting not
to have dark pages in the history of the country before joining the
European family.

During the meeting other issues were also discussed.

THE ECONOMIST: ARMENIA ARMENIANS SUPPORT TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 10 2005

LONDON and ANKARA (JTW) – British weekly the Economist reported
that the Armenians in Armenia support Turkey’s European Union
(EU) membership while the overseas Armenians strongly oppose such
a development.

Arsen Ghazaryan, who co-chairs association of Turkish and Armenian
businessmen, told the weekly that Armenian economy is frustrated
because of the economic isolation. A Young Armenian woman told the
Economist “It’s easy to be principled in the diaspora. They don’t
have to live between Turkey and Azerbaijan”.

Dr. Nilgun Gulcan who defends that there are enormous differences
between Armenia Armenians and the Diaspora Armenians is not optimistic:
“The Economist reports just a little part of the true story. Turkey’s
membership will change a lot the region and the Armenians will
enjoy. However Armenian Government has not realized this simple
fact. Yerevan still tries to undermine Turkish interests in the
European Union. They did anything possible to prevent Turkey’s EU
membership” she added.

According to Dr. Nilgun Gulcan the Armenian Government is under the
control of the Diaspora extremists:

“The Diaspora ultra-nationalists shifted the political tendencies
in Armenia. They made a secret coup against the Ter Petrosyan
Administration, because Petrosyan knew that Armenia could not survive
without regional co-operation. The first President understood that
relying the foreign countries and the Diaspora harmed Armenia and
Armenians. The Tashnaks and the other extremists made co-operation
with the Russian deep state and they changed the president. Now the
ultra-hawk Kocharian is president and he is also a Diaspora Armenian.

He commanded the occupying Karabakh Armenian forces. The extremists
know that any solution would end their economic and political
interests. If there is no Turkish-Armenian problem, how they can
collect donation from the Armenians in California? If there is no
Armenian issue, how the Armenian politicians in France can get vote
from the Armenian voters? Many Armenians owe their famous and economic
wealth to the Armenian Problem. I mean they abuse the past for their
own personal and group interests. As a matter of fact that they do
not respect their ancestors’ tragedy.”

Dr. Sedat Laciner, director of ISRO, argued that both countries have
potential to become great allies:

“Armenia needs Turkey. There are more than 100 million Turks around
Armenia and Turkish Government is now really sincere in solving the
problems with Armenia. The border between Armenia and Turkey should
be opened and the business should be improved. Now the trade volume
between two countries is around 200 million dollars though the gate
is closed. Turkey will not open the border till Armenia withdraws
its forces from occupied territories and Yerevan recognise Turkey’s
national borders. However Armenia should understand that Armenia
could not survive by fighting Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Irredentism will mostly damage Armenian interests. The extremist
Armenian nationalism just focuses on territory. The focus should
be shifted into the human factors. If your people are poor and not
integrated with the rest of the world, territory causes problem,
not wealth and power. Any compromise from irredentist demands will
make Armenia wealthier and more integrated with Europe. And Turkey
will be the most helpful country in this process”.

Armenians argue that the 1915 Relocation campaign was genocide,
though the Ottoman Empire never accepted the allegation. The Ottoman
State had declared that there was a riot and most of the Armenians
died due to the bad weather conditions, famine and war circumstances.

Turkey similarly has not accepted the Armenians claims. More than
520.000 Turkish people were massacred by the Armenian armed groups
during the First World War, and Turkish historians urge the Armenians
to recognize all these killings as massacre.

“THE FUTURE OF THE REGION IS THE EUROPEAN UNITED FAMILY”

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Oct 6 2005

On October 5 RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan received Goran
Lennmarker, OSCE PA Special Representative on Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.

During the meeting both sides the peaceful settlement of South
Caucasus regional conflicts and deepening of democracy, which will
give opportunity to the development of the regional countries with
the perspective of being integrated in the European big family.

At the request of Mr. Lennmarker RA NA President informed about the
process of constitutional reforms taking place in Armenia, after the
successful end of which other laws will also be changed complying
with European standards. Both sides highlighted the inclusion of the
whole society in the processes of constitutional reforms.

Elaborating on the current stage of the peaceful settlement of
Nagaorno Karabakh conflict, Mr. Lennmarker noted that his presented
report on the issue in Washington was very symbolically called
“Golden Opportunity,” and he really finds that both Azerbaijan and
Armenia a golden opportunity is created for overcoming the conflict
and progress. NA President Artur Baghdasaryan noted that Armenia was
for the peaceful settlement of the conflict and expressed a wish that
the key problem will get its peaceful and fair solution.

During the meeting the problems of the establishment of the
Armenian-Swedish inter-parliamentary relations were also discussed.

OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV MEETING MAY BE HELD IN LJUBLJANA

Pan Armenian
06.10.2005 10:35

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian does not rule out the
opportunity to hold a meeting with his Azeri counterpart E. Mammadyarov
in Ljubljana in December. However, the Armenian FM said no official
invitation from the OSCE MG had been received yet. “A meeting is
not ruled out, as we will be in Ljubljana at that time,” Oskanian
stated. It should be reminded that earlier Mammadyarov said OSCE MG
US Co-Chair Steven Mann will arrive in Baku in the second decade of
October. The date of the meeting of the Armenian and Azeri FMs will
be appointed just in the course of that visit.

In his words, most probably the Oskanian-Mammadyarov meeting will be
held in Ljubljana December 4-5. It may take place during the Summit
of the OSCE FMs in Ljubljana, reported IA Regnum.

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I LEADS BRANCH OF CHURCH

The Toronto Star
October 5, 2005 Wednesday

His Holiness Aram I, of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church, is the
Catholicos of the See of Cilicia, which is based in Lebanon. Aram I
arrived in Toronto Friday for a six-day visit.

The See of Cilicia was established in Lebanon after the Armenian
genocide in the early 20th Century. For historical and political
reasons, this branch developed into an independent institution
operating separately from the Armenian-based church, whose
administrative and spiritual headquarters has always been the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia. His Holiness Karekin II, whose
title is Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, leads
that church. Both have operations worldwide – generally linked to
the diaspora of one See or the other. The Canadian diocese for the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is in Montreal. A story published last
Thursday did not explain the divide. As a result, the role of Aram
I was unclear. Clarification

MEMBERSHIP FEE MUST BE PAID DURING 4 YEARS

Panorama
16:17 04/10/05

To become a member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Armenia must
pay 8 million and 951 thousand dollars during 4 years.

“43% of total amount must be paid by cash, and 57% the government must
pay by bonds”, the International Financial Cooperation department of
MFE reported Panorama. am today.

The point is, that recently it’s spread an information concerning to
the above mentioned membership, that our country is obliged to buy
10.557 stock shares of ADB. Let us remind you that ADB stock shares
overall comprise 3.509.728 stocks equivalent to 51.6 milliard dollars.

According to International Financial Cooperation department, 7.3% of
10. 557 stocks (that is 742 stocks) must be invested in the capital
of ADB. So our country must pay only for that stocks. /Panorama.am/

HISTORY ENSURES AUSTRIANS REMAIN BITTERLY OPPOSED
by Stephen Castle

The Independent
October 3, 2005

Across Europe, opinion may be divided on whether Turkey should be
allowed to enter the EU. But in Austria there is little sign of a
debate because history ensures that the issue touches the rawest
of nerves.

In 1683 the Ottoman army of Kara Mustafa Pasha was routed at the
gates of Vienna in a defeat that marked the last Turkish effort to
take the city. All around the Austrian capital are reminders of the
battle and so strong is the event in the national consciousness that
newspapers have characterised Ankara’s EU bid as a new siege of Vienna.

To complicate matters further Austria is a strong supporter of
(Christian) Croatia, which also wants to join the EU. This step has
been held up because of a row over Zagreb’s lack of co-operation in
surrendering a suspected war criminal, Ante Gotovina.

Austrians feel it would be wrong to start talking to Turkey while
holding back on Croatia. Vienna’s critics suggest darkly that Austria’s
own past may prompt it to worry less about punishing war crimes than
other nations.

Taking a tough stance has proved politically popular for the Austrian
Chancellor, Wolfgang Schnssel, but his party was crushed in regional
elections yesterday.

Elsewhere in Europe, the echoes of history have played a part in the
debate. France, home to Europe’s largest Armenian population, has
sometimes had difficult relations with Turkey. In 2001 its parliament
formally recognised the Armenian genocide (during the collapse of
the Ottoman empire) provoking fury from Ankara.

Ironically Ankara’s biggest rival, Greece, has not sought to hold up
talks, believing that a Turkey inside the EU would be more modern,
restrained and susceptible to outside influence.

BAGHDASARIAN DEMANDS STATE FUNDING FOR SAVINGS COMPENSATION
By Astghik Bedevian

Armenialiberty.org, Armenia
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 4 2005

Parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian demanded on Tuesday that the
Armenian government begin compensating the population for the dramatic
depreciation of its Soviet-era bank deposits, a major theme of his
socioeconomic discourse dismissed as populist by his foes.

Baghdasarian warned his coalition partners against scuttling the
passage of a controversial bill that suggests a partial solution
to the problem. He said agreement on enacting the bill was reached
by his Orinats Yerkir Party, Prime Minister Andranik Markarian’s
Republican Party (HHK) and the third coalition partner, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) at a meeting with President
Robert Kocharian last week.

“I hope that the political agreement will be honored by the Republican
Party and other political forces that joined this initiative,” he
told reporters, alluding to the HHK’s long-running opposition to the
proposed compensation.

The bill in question, which was blocked by Markarian’s cabinet last
year, was unexpectedly included on the Armenian parliament’s agenda
on Monday. It calls for $83 million in public funds to be paid to
the former deposit holders within the next ten years.

Leaders of the National Assembly’s largest faction controlled by
the HHK continue to believe that the proposed sum is too modest to
address the problem and would lead to a waste of scarce government
resources. They indicated that they will block debate on the Orinats
Yerkir bill, arguing that the government’s draft budget for next year
does not earmark anything for the savings compensation.

“The budget must certainly include a relevant provision,” insisted
Baghdasarian. “Armenia will have a $1 billion budget next year. This
means the ongoing economic growth is allowing us to gradually address
socioeconomic problems. If the fight against corruption becomes more
effective, there will be even more funds at our disposal.”

Orinats Yerkir is represented in the government with three ministers.

None of them is known to have opposed the draft budget approved by
the executive last week.

FOR STUDENTS, A SHOCKING BRUSH WITH GENOCIDE
By Willy Fluharty

The Virginian-Pilot(Norfolk, Va.)
September 26, 2005 Monday The Virginian-Pilot Edition

In May, Willy Fluharty, a teacher in Cape Henry Collegiate School’s
international studies department, took a group of seniors to Cambodia
and Vietnam. Here is his account of the trip to Cambodia:

As our group of 15 Cape Henry Collegiate seniors gingerly walked around
fragments of femurs and skulls that “floated” to the surface after a
recent monsoonal rainfall, Vanta, our guide at the Killing Fields in
Cambodia, told of his personal experience under the genocidal regime
of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge.

Vanta was only a few years old when the Khmer Rouge came and evacuated
his neighborhood in the eastern part of Siem Reap near the ancient
Khmer capital of Angkor Wat. His family was forced into an agrarian
commune as slave laborers — as was the entire population of 6 million
after the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975.

Thousands died of starvation in the beginning of the communist
Utopian vision of Pol Pot, which supposedly was short for “Political
Potential.” Vanta survived on two spoonfuls of rice mush per day and
porridge of indigenous plants that his mother cooked each evening. He
recounted how she was sure he wouldn’t survive because he did not like
the taste of weed soup. So his mother begged the camp cook to help
supplement his diet. The cook obliged, but was caught and executed.

During the 3 years, 8 months and 20 days of the Khmer Rouge reign
of terror, a time frame seared into the memory of every Cambodian,
an estimated 2 million were killed, or 30 percent of the population,
in an act of insane genocide. The trauma this genocide inflicted on
the people is evident in the titles we witnessed at the Central Market
book stand in Phnom Penh. Books like “First They Killed My Father,”
“Stay Alive My Son,” “Year Zero” and “When Broken Glass Floats”
fill the store with morbid tales of genocide and survival.

Few elderly Cambodians are seen because many did not survive the
killing. The median age is 19. At our first stop in Phnom Penh,
at the Buddhist Wat Phnom, our group walked between saffron-robed
monks and a mob of limbless beggars who had the unfortunate fate of
stepping on one of the millions of land mines left over from decades
of civil war. Then came the child beggars.

The students were taken aback by the masses of poor. It’s one
thing to read about economic development and GDP per capita, but
it’s another when students witness first-hand the reality of a $350
average annual income.

But the students were most shocked at the magnitude of the genocide.

After visiting the powerful Killing Fields memorial, a five-story glass
building with thousands of skulls, one of my Cape Henry students,
Brandon Flynn, asked, “We know so much about the Holocaust, why
don’t we know anything about this?” He had just stepped over bones
and clothing that were recently exposed.

Each day someone walks through the mass grave site of an estimated
17,000 people, and gathers the bones and clothes and piles them up
for later removal. For about an hour, I didn’t hear one of my students
say a word as they absorbed the gravity of the Cambodian genocide in
all of its barbarity.

Cambodia was only one of many, many tragedies that man has thrust
upon himself; Armenia, Tibet, Rwanda, Bosnia and the present crisis
in Darfur are a few more examples.

“Why didn’t we intervene in Cambodia to stop the killing?” asked
student Whitney Fulton.

We had just lost 58,000 young Americans in neighboring Vietnam so
we let the Khmer Rouge have their way with the people. We tried and
failed in Southeast Asia. It was someone else’s turn to be the global
cop. Turns out, it was Vietnam itself that was forced to intervene
in Cambodia to stop the killing in 1979.

For our Cape Henry students, the “discovery” of the Cambodian
genocide and the massive poverty created the perfect educational
environment. “How can you stop such genocide?” they asked. “What can
we do to stop global poverty?”

After silently walking through the Tuol Sleng torture prison that
was converted from a high school under Pol Pot, the students saw
blood-splattered walls and floors along with hundreds of pictures of
the tortured and executed.

“How many must die before we do something about it?” As a teacher, I
welcomed being asked the question. Will I have to take another group of
Cape Henry students to another field of bones before I hear it again?

E-mail the author at [email protected]

GRAPHIC: RICHARD VOGEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS; A former soldier lays incense
at Cambodia’s Killing Fields memorial, where thousands of skulls are
on view.

October 03, 2005
u.html

Bitter debate over Turkey’s EU bid
On eve of talks, the EU remained at odds over opening doors to Turkey.

By Mark Rice-Oxley

LONDON – Europeans haven’t agonized this much about Turkey since the
Ottoman Empire was unravelling 100 years ago.

The geopolitics may have been very different in the age of kaisers and
sultans, of imperial gambits and gunboat diplomacy. But one central
question has persisted: What sort of alliance should bind Europe to
the very different civilization on its eastern doorstep?

It’s a question that is perplexing European Union leaders as they
reach a critical juncture in deciding whether to throw open their
doors to Turkish membership. Formal negotiations were scheduled to
start Monday. But so fierce is the row that there were serious doubts
at press time Sunday that the talks would start – with Britain urging
members not to “abandon” Turkey even as Austria proposed a
watered-down membership.

That is because EU enlargement is always controversial – and Turkey is
proving the most controversial of the lot because of its striking
difference from the European norm in terms of economics, demography,
culture, religion, and even basic geography.

The crucial question is whether these differences will enhance or
undermine the EU. Proponents say incorporating a Muslim-majority
country for the first time will help the EU reach out to the Islamic
world, and see Turkey’s young, growing population and economy as a
boon.

“A populous Turkey anchored in Europe would be a very good model and a
great symbol to the Middle East, to the Caucasus, and to the Central
Asian countries and others,” says Fadi Hakura, a specialist at the
London-based Chatham House think tank. “It’s become the symbol of the
merging of European and Western culture and Islam,” he says.

This idea appeals to the Americans as well, and they have thrown their
weight firmly behind Turkish accession, mindful that it will provide a
bridgehead to the Islamic world and extend the EU’s border up to Iraq
and Iran in the east.

But opponents fret that a new member as large and poor as Turkey would
adulterate European values. Lingering concern persists about the
incorporation of 10 mostly East European countries last year, which
some feared would dilute EU prosperity. Many feel that EU enlargement
has run its course and that further extensions would make it unwieldy.

“Vienna must not become Istanbul!” has been the rallying cry in
Austria, a notable antagonist, which up until the last minute was
holding out for offering Turkey the lesser “partnership” deal instead.

Such opinions have been gaining currency this year. Two-thirds of
Europeans oppose Turkish membership, according to a recent EU survey.

When French and Dutch voters abruptly rejected a new EU constitution
in the summer, the Turkey question played a big role.

Since then, several EU heavyweights, from French would-be president
Nicolas Sarkozy to German would-be chancellor Angela Merkel, have
voiced grave doubts about Turkish accession.

An additional problem has been a lingering dispute over Cyprus, which
Turkey refuses to recognize, but which is now an EU member.

EU members were also concerned by a recent attempt in Turkey to shut
down a conference on the 1915 mass killings of Armenians, as well as
moves to prosecute prominent author Orhan Pamuk over his use of the
term “genocide” to describe the killings in a foreign newspaper
interview.

Turkey itself has been upset by listening to Europeans discuss its
merits and demerits in public. It is incensed that the Oct. 3 fanfare
start date, formalized earlier this year, should now be called into
question.

The foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, has warned that it may walk away
from the process if fair play is not upheld.

That would be disastrous, say Turkophiles, warning of the terrible
message it would send to the Islamic world.

Denis Macshane, a British MP and former Europe minister in the British
government which as the current EU president is spearheading the
talks, said that if the EU broke its word of honor it would “encourage
nationalists and those who don’t want Turkey to live by European
norms.”

He adds that for all Turkey’s current problems with human rights,
economic vacillation and security, the long process of getting it
ready for EU membership will encourage it to raise its game – as it
did with other EU newcomers.

“For the first time since Ataturk you have a real momentum for
modernization, democratization, and economic reform in Turkey,” says
Macshane. “Istanbul is one of the cradles of European cultures and
civilization. Turkey itself has got one foot in Europe and one foot in
Asia. The question is do we want it to live under European norms and
laws or tell it go off and imitate the worst performances of its
neighbors?”

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