Author: Ekmekjian Janet

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| 17:04:04 | 07-10-2005 | Politics |

USA EXPECTING RA REGULAR ELECTIONS

«USA will put up money as to make Armenian 2007 Parliamentary and 2008
Presidential elections democratic, just and transparent», – U.S. Àmbassador
Åxtraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Evans stated today
addressing Rose-Roth NATO PA seminar.

In his speech he also mentioned constitutional amendments as democratic ones
and conditioned them on further development of democracy in Armenia.
Secretary of `National Unity’ Aleksan Karapetyan asked John Evans whether it
would be right to hold extraordinary Parliamentary and Presidential for
creating an atmosphere of confidence and realizing the constitutional
amendments properly. U.S. Ambassador answered, that they understand very
well it’s not enough to have a good Constitution. `It’s necessary, but not
enough. Laws must be observed without arbitrariness’, John Evans noted. As
regards extraordinary elections Mr. Evans told that `there’s not much time
left until regular elections, so these 15 months may be used for preparation
to free and just elections.

Azeri delegate Leyla Alieva asked Evans if U.S. doesn’t keep ex-Soviet
countries in kind of dependence by marking them out financial means, and
doesn’t that ’cause diffidence of those countries as it actually happened at
Soviet times. Evans answered they don’t have such an aim, they just think,
if economic and social condition of people improves, there’ll be fewer
conflicts.

«By financial support we stimulate the formation of security and stability.
Support from outside does not weaken the development of self-dependence».
Mr. Evans also reminded, that U.S. alloted Armenia 1,6 mlrd dollars during
these years.

Is democracy possible in a region, where there are troops which simply block
some developments. Evans answered democracy and regional conflicts are
interconnected. If democracy wins, the conflicts will become fewer.

OSCE MG ONLY STRUCTURE DEALING WITH KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 6 2005

YEREVAN, October 6. /ARKA/. The OSCE Minsk Group remains the only
structure dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, RA Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan told reporters. According to him, the OSCE
MG is the only internationally recognized legal structure dealing
with the settlement. Oskianyan said that Azerbaijan can raise the
issue at various forums and try to get some resolutions adopted,
which is its right. “However, it is obvious that the Nagorno-Karabakh
is only possible to settle within the OSCE Minsk Group,” the Minister
said. According to him, no discussions, statements, resolutions can
replace real negotiations held within the OSCE MG. P.T. -0–

IN LINE FOR THE EU
By Timothy Garton Ash,

Los Angeles Times
Oct 6 2005

TIMOTHY GARTON ASH is professor of European Studies at Oxford
University and a Hoover Institution senior fellow.

THE EUROPEAN Union opened membership negotiations with Turkey this
week, but the upshot was not to ensure that Turkey will quickly become
a member. That may, in fact, take 10 to 15 years, if it happens at all.

Rather, the chief outcome was to ensure that the rest of southeastern
Europe will come into the EU – and probably well before Turkey.

There’s a nice historical irony here. Turkey, which in its earlier,
Ottoman form occupied much of the Balkans, and therefore cut them off
from what was then the Christian club of Europe, is now the European
door-opener for its former colonies.

Bulgaria and Romania are joining the EU in 2007 anyway. What was
Austria’s price for finally agreeing to the opening of negotiations
with Turkey? A similar promise for Croatia! One thing leads to
another. When those Balkan countries are in, they will immediately
start agitating for their neighbors, just as Poland is now agitating
for a promise to Ukraine. No matter that those neighbors are former
enemies, with bitter memories of recent wars and ethnic cleansing.

The mysterious alchemy of enlargement is that it turns former enemies
into advocates. Germany was the great promoter of Polish membership;
Greece remains one of the strongest supporters of Turkish membership.

When Serbia or Macedonia come knocking at Brussels’ door, they will
exclaim: “What? You have said yes to Turkey, but you say no to us,
who are closer to you and obviously more European than Turkey?”

Because these countries are for the most part small, and because the
EU already takes responsibility for much of southeastern Europe’s
security and reconstruction as a quasi-colonial post-conflict power,
the reluctant older members of the EU will sigh: “Oh, what the hell,
one or two more small countries won’t make that much difference anyway
– our big headaches are Turkey and Ukraine.” So they’ll slip in.

The result is that, whether or not Turkey achieves membership over
the next decade, by 2015 the European Union will cover most of
what has historically been considered to constitute the territory
of Europe. And it will have 32 to 37 member states, for Switzerland,
Norway and Iceland may eventually choose to come in too. The frontline
cases will then be Turkey and Ukraine.

I don’t want you to think I’m ducking the question of Turkish
membership. If we were starting from scratch, I would say that the EU
should have a special partnership (Angela Merkel’s term) with Turkey
(rather than offering full-fledged membership). Why? Because at its
eastern and southeastern borders, Europe does not end, it merely
fades away. It fades away across the great expanses of Turkey and
Russia. Somewhere between Moscow and Vladivostok, somewhere between
Istanbul and Hakkari, you find yourself more in Asia than in Europe.

This partly European character suggests that a special partnership
is in order, because the sense of belonging to a geographical and
historical unity is important for any political community of Europe.

However, we are not starting from scratch. We have promises to keep.

For more than 40 years we have assured Turkey that it will belong to
our European community. We have repeated, strengthened, made concrete
these promises over the last decade.

Besides, the example of Turkey, which must reconcile a mainly Islamic
society with a secular state, is vital for the rest of the Islamic
world – and not insignificant for the 15 million to 20 million Muslims
living in Europe. When I was recently in Iran, a dissident mullah
told me: “There are two models, Turkey and Iran.”

Which should we support? The answer is what Americans call a
“no-brainer.”

Before it happens, however, we have to ensure two things. First,
that Turkey really does meet the EU’s famous “Copenhagen Criteria”
– having a stable liberal democracy, the rule of law (with full
equality for men and women), a free-market economy, free speech
(even for intellectuals who say there was a Turkish genocide against
the Armenians) and respect for minority rights (notably those of the
Kurds). On those, Turkey still has a long way to go.

Second, and just as demanding, public opinion in existing member
states, such as France and Austria, must be prepared to accept
Turkish membership.

Between those two requirements, we have at least 10 years’ work ahead.

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT OFFERED TO CONVENE SUMMIT OF SOUTH CAUCASIAN AND BALTIC STATES

Pan Armenian
05.10.2005 12:36

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili offered to
hold a summit of the South Caucasian and Baltic states in Tbilisi. “We
hope that will we succeed in enabling the 3+3 format proposed by
Georgia and Lithuania. The format includes the three South Caucasian
and three Baltic states”, Mikhail Saakashvili said during a joint press
conference with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga. According
to the Georgian President, the summit will promote the closing of
the former USSR republics in a new European format and the process
of integration of the South Caucasian states into the European
structures. “Such contacts are significant for consolidation of
democracy in the region and peaceful settlement of the conflicts
available”, Mikhail Saakashvili added.

RA FM MET PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Pan Armenian
05.10.2005 11:57

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
met with President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
of the Council of Europe Giovanni Di Stasi, RA MFA press center
reported. During the meeting Mr. Di Stasi informed of the principal
functions of the CoE Congress. The interlocutors also discussed the
constitutional reform process and the role of the local governing
bodies. The RA FM noted that the reforms will contribute to Armenia’s
honoring the commitments to the CoE.

OFFICIAL YEREVAN HOPES TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SOON

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2005

YEREVAN, October 5. /ARKA/. Armenia hopes that the beginning of
the negotiations on Turkey’s membership in the EU will make Turkey
recognize the Armenian Genocide. According to the press release of
the RA MFA Press Service Department, such an opinion was expressed
by the MFA Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparyan. According to the press
release, the beginning of the negotiations on Turkey’s membership in
the EU will put the EU-Turkey relations on a new level. According
to the press release, at this stage Turkey is going to carry out
fundamental changes. Particularly, Armenia hopes that the beginning
of the negotiations on Turkey’s membership in the EU will bring to
opening of the Turkish border with Armenia and to real steps aimed
to protect the rights of national minorities, strengthen democratic
values and principles. A.H. –0–

SPEECH OF ALIYEV AT MEETING WITH STAFF OF SPECIAL STATE SECURITY SERVICE

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Oct 5 2005

Dear soldiers, officers and generals,

I extend to all of you my heartfelt greetings and best wishes for
your glorious service to Motherland.

The National Guard of Azerbaijan was created after the country
restored its independence. In those years, the National Guard was
fighting selflessly against the Armenian occupants sacrificing their
lives for independence of Azerbaijan. The anarchy and chaos reigned
over the country questioning its very independence and future. The
turning point came in 1993 when national leader of our people Heydar
Aliyev returned to power in Azerbaijan. This allowed to re-establish
peace, stability and order in the country and paved the way for its
sustainable development. However, there were forces eager to plunge
the country into chaos and anarchy again.

We all remember quite well the coup attempts in 1994-95 suppressed
due to the courage of the national leader Heydar Aliyev and support he
had from the Azerbaijani people. The role of the National Guard then
was also great. Uniting around its leader, the people of Azerbaijan
achieved stability and managed to maintain it until now.

Stability is the basic condition for development of any country.

Social and political life in Azerbaijan is going well. Our country is
a rapidly developing one. The processes taking place in Azerbaijan are
decisive for the country’s present and future. Very important steps are
being taken towards improvement of the Azerbaijani people’s welfare.

Heydar Aliyev played a great in building of the Special State Security
Service and National Guard. It was beginning from the mid 1990s that
guardsmen were provided with logistical support, and considerably
improved their skills. Today, the process of army building is going
on rapidly. The yearly increasing military spending allows us to
maintain our military potential on a very high standard.

The 2006 military spending is going to be $600 mln against $300
mln in 2005 and 175 mln in 2004. This is a graphic evidence of the
governmental care about the army building, which foundation was laid
by national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev.

Azerbaijan has great possibilities, possesses huge natural resources.

As you know, the new oil strategy initiated by Heydar Aliyev in 1994
have led to great changes in Azerbaijan. The dynamic development of
our country, rapid economic growth and improvement of the people’s
social conditions are the outcomes of that oil strategy. Of course,
the Heydar Aliyev Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is playing a key
role in maintenance and strengthening peace and stability in the
region, and, therefore, sustainable development within Azerbaijan.

This pipeline will create better possibilities for Azerbaijan bringing
in huge revenues to the country. From this standpoint, the National
Guard will have to bear vast responsibility. I am sure security of
this pipeline will be duly ensured in the future.

We should make it, and strengthen the defensive potential as we live
in conditions of war. Clearing of our lands occupied as a result
of aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, is the most important
question, the most important problem Azerbaijan faces. We aspire
to solve in the peace way the mentioned question. As you know,
negotiations are underway, however, the result is not present.

Creation of powerful military potential in that case is necessary. It
is equitable to our national interests. The potential of the Azerbaijan
army, which becomes the big force in region, becomes stronger. Further,
we shall support this rate of growth, even more to raise potential of
army, to increase the military budget and we shall achieve liberation
of the Azerbaijan lands.

Certainly, extremely important role in it is played by strengthening
economic potential, preservation of stability in Azerbaijan,
maintenance of social order. In the given direction, huge work is
carried out, and the role of National Guards in this cause is enormous.

The National Guards has protected great leader Heydar Aliyev
during the most difficult periods of the history of Azerbaijan –
in 1994-1995, has provided its protection and, thus, has protected
independence of the Azerbaijan state. Should there not be Heydar
Aliyev, if at that time he did not manage over Azerbaijan, existence
of Azerbaijan, as the independent state would be in doubt. And today,
the National Guards, Special Service protect me, the President and
Supreme Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Azerbaijan
Republic. My safety, and, thus, provided stability in Azerbaijan.

I do not doubt that all accepted decisions will be executed, and the
goals will be achieved. Azerbaijan develops very intensively. We have
great prospects. However, the happy future of our country depends on
all of us. All of us, everyone on the place, should aspire to bring
contribution to strengthening of the state independence of Azerbaijan.

Social questions of National Guards and Special Services also find
solution. To the given questions, we pay big attention, salaries raise,
the material base becomes stronger, at the same time we solve household
problems of employees. So it also should be. Azerbaijan develops,
in our country enormous work is carried out, and each citizen, in
particular, each person who is taking place on military service should
live well. It should not have household problems, and it should receive
the good salary and adequately serve. I am confident that creative work
going in our country, dynamics of development will allow us to achieve
all targets, comprehensively to strengthen our country. Economic
development, social justice, development of political processes in
a normal way and protection of stability, calmness and safety of our
country are the most important questions in the years ahead.

Azerbaijan will become a rich, powerful state. Now, in the world
there are new threats, and new challenges. In some cases, processes
going in the world result in very bitter consequences. In the various
countries there are monstrous acts of terrorism. In the places,
which took place near our borders, it is possible to tell, acts of
terrorism are made on a regular basis. But Azerbaijan is a space
of stability. Azerbaijan is space of safety. And we should protect,
and we protect this stability. We have opportunities for this purpose.

First of all, patriotism of Azerbaijani people, normal work of
the Azerbaijan military men and law enforcement bodies, operative,
and also the technical and other actions spent for prevention of the
negative facts which can take place in Azerbaijan, allow us to support
this peace and stability in Azerbaijan both now, and henceforth.

At all times, and during management of Azerbaijan in 1970s, our
national leader Heydar Aliyev had huge merits before the Azerbaijani
people. All life of the national leader – in 1990s as the President
of Republic, has provided development of Azerbaijan, has achieved
that Azerbaijan became a worthy member of the world community,
consist in service to people. One of the major among all carried
out works will be that in Azerbaijan stability, calmness, the peace
has been established. In Azerbaijan, has been created a strong army,
and the military men are capable to solve all tasks put before them.

Dear friends!

Dear soldiers, officers, generals!

Dear guardsmen!

Once again I warmly welcome you and wish successes in your honorable
service in the name of Motherland. Thanks.

EYE ON EUROPE: EMBRACING TURKEY, EU STYLE
By Gareth Harding

UPI – United Press International
October 4, 2005 Tuesday 11:31 AM EST

It may have been messy, over 40 years in the making and in the teeth of
widespread public skepticism, but the decision to open membership talks
with Turkey Monday is one of the boldest and potentially far-reaching
ever taken by European leaders.

“We have just made history,” British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told
reporters after clasping Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in a
bear-hug at the end of a 30-hour negotiating session of EU diplomatic
chiefs in Luxembourg.

Referring to the marathon talks on Turkey — and the decision by
foreign ministers to start membership negotiations with Croatia —
a weary-looking EU Enlargement Commissioner Ollie Rehn said Tuesday:
“After a long night, there is a new dawn for the western Balkans
region and it is a European dawn.”

Turkish commentators were also ecstatic the four-decade wait to start
accession talks was finally over.

“A new Europe, a new Turkey,” gushed the Milliyet daily newspaper,
embellishing its front page with the yellow stars of the EU flag and
a picture of Kemal Ataturk, the West-leaning secular statesman who
founded modern Turkey in 1923.

Politicians — and journalists — have a tendency toward hyperbole,
but for once they are not exaggerating. If Turkey joins the European
Union in 10-15 years time — and it is a big if given the strength of
public opposition and the reticence of certain “old” European member
states — the EU will undergo possible its biggest change since it
was founded in the 1950s. The geopolitical map of the world will also
never look the same.

By 2015 — the earliest the country is likely to join the bloc,
Turkey’s population is expected to jump from 71 million to 82 million,
boosting the number of EU citizens to almost 600 million after the
entry of Bulgaria, Rumania and Croatia later this decade.

As voting strength in the Council of Ministers and the EU parliament —
the club’s two legislative bodies — is based largely on population,
Turkey would overtake Germany to become Europe’s largest and most
powerful state.

The EU, a small, prosperous clique of Western European states
for almost half a century, would also see its point of axis shift
radically eastward. With the entry of Turkey, the bloc would share
common borders with Syria, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
become a major player in the Caspian Sea and south Caucasus regions
and increase its clout in the Middle East. A European club of nations
would have a member with 95 percent of its landmass and 90 percent of
its population in Asia — reason enough for many to oppose Turkey’s
EU ambitions.

The entry of Turkey will also strengthen the EU’s fledgling defense
arm, increasing the club’s ability to carry out global peacekeeping
operations and acting as a buffer zone between a stable Europe and a
volatile Middle East. Turkey, a NATO member for more than 50 years,
has the largest armed forces in Europe and spends more of its budget
on defense than any other EU state — both great assets for a union
with big defense ambitions but pitiful resources.

But the biggest change will be in terms of Europe’s self-perception and
outside image. For centuries, Europe has defined itself as a Christian
continent whose borders end at the Bosporus Straits. If membership
negotiations succeed, the EU — which is increasingly synonymous with
Europe — will have a Muslim population approaching 100 million and
frontiers stretching to the Middle East and the southern Caucasus.

“Until we can get over the idea of Europe as a Christian club, whether
in the minds of Europeans, or more importantly within the Muslim world,
we are not going to be able to get on top of this problem of a clash of
cultures,” Graham Watson, leader of the European Parliament’s Liberal
grouping, told United Press International. “But once the Islamic
world can see the EU has allowed in not just a Muslim country but
a large Muslim country, then I think the perception of the European
Union changes.”

For all the fears and anxieties it creates among many Europeans,
the prospect of Turkey taking its seat in the family of EU nations
is still a very long way off. First, Ankara will have to spend over
a decade imposing the Union’s 80,000-page rulebook into national law.

Then, at the end of the process, both Turks and Europeans will have
to consent to the membership agreement. This is looking increasingly
unlikely on both sides. In Turkey, support for joining the EU has
plummeted from 75 percent to 60 percent in a year and is likely to
fall even further as Brussels Eurocrats make huge and often humiliating
demands on a big and proud nation.

With the Union suffering from enlargement fatigue after the entry of 10
largely ex-communist states last year, there is also little enthusiasm
for Turkish entry among EU voters. In a recent commission opinion poll,
52 percent of Europeans said they were against Turkish membership,
with only 35 percent in favor. In France and Austria, which both plan
to hold referendums on Turkish accession, over three-quarter of the
public are opposed.

For the time being, though, there is palpable relief in Brussels —
not because the EU has taken a historic decision to reach out to the
Muslim world, strengthen its military might and boost its growth and
population, but because a humiliating failure to agree a common stance
on opening talks was narrowly avoided.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SETS CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM FOR NEXT MONTH

The Associated Press
10/04/05 12:36 EDT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian has
signed an order to hold a constitutional referendum next month,
the presidential office said Tuesday.

Kocharian signed the constitutional amendments, passed by the Armenian
parliament last month, and scheduled a referendum for Nov.

27 to vote on them, his office said in a statement.

The amendments are intended to impose a more strict separation of
powers between the judicial, executive and legislative branches. The
proposed changes also include removal of a clause outlawing dual
citizenship for members of Armenia’s large foreign Diaspora.

Lawmakers passed the amendments on Sep. 28 by a 89-0 vote, with one
abstention. The 24 opposition deputies, however, boycotted the vote,
just as they have boycotted most sessions of parliament on the grounds
that their proposals were not taken into account.

The opposition has called on Armenians to reject the amendments in
a late November referendum.

UNITED ARMENIAN FUND
1101 N. Pacific Avenue # 301
Glendale, CA 91202
Tel: 818.241.8900
Fax: 818.241.6900

30 September 2005

UAF’s 135th Airlift Delivers $1.8 Million of Aid to Armenia

Glendale, CA – The United Armenian Fund’s 135th airlift arrived in
Yerevan on September 30, delivering 1.8 million of humanitarian
assistance.

The UAF itself collected ($712,000) of medicines and medical supplies
for this flight, almost all of it donated by the Catholic Medical
Mission Board.

Other organizations which contributed goods for this airlift were:
Mekhitarist Congregation of Armenian Fathers ($684,000); Nork Marash
Medical Center ($86,000); Shushi Music School Society ($43,000);
Armenian American Cultural Association ($43,000); Foundation Semra
($33,000) and Fund for Armenian Relief ($32,000).

Also contributing to this airlift were: Howard Karagheusian
Commemorative Corp. ($23,000); Armenian Missionary Association of
America ($20,000); Armenian General Benevolent Union ($13,000); Western
Diocese of the Armenian Church ($12,000) and AmeriCares ($12,000).

Since its inception in 1989, the UAF has sent $415 million of
humanitarian assistance to Armenia on board 135 airlifts and 1,237 sea
containers.

The UAF is the collective effort of the Armenian Assembly of America,
the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian Missionary
Association of America, the Armenian Relief Society, the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America, the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
of America and the Lincy Foundation.

For more information, contact the UAF office at 1101 North Pacific
Avenue, Suite 301, Glendale, CA 91202 or call (818) 241-8900.