FIRST HOLOCAUST OF 20-TH CENTURY
PanArmenian News
Nov 22 2004
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Fronda Warsaw publishing house printed a book by
Polish historian, doctor of the Poznansky University Gregosh Kukharchik
titled “The First Holocaust of the 20-th Century” (Pierwszy Holocaust
XX wieku). The book consists of 220 pages and is dedicated to Armenian
Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. To note, Armenian businessmen residing
in Poland Ruben Yesayan contributed to the publication of the book.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
16 November 2004
Minister Oskanian Answers Questions by Armenian Mass Media On Colin Powell’s
Resignation
Question: Mr. Minister, how would you comment on Colin Powell’s
resignation?
Answer: I was sorry to hear of Secretary Powell’s resignation. During his
four years tenure, Armenia – US relations have deepened and our agenda has
become more multifaceted.
State Secretary Powell closely followed developments in our region and
wanted conflicts to be resolved and normal relations to be established
between neighbors.
I would like to emphasize Powell’s personal contribution to Armenia’s
selection for Millennium Challenge Account funding.
We value greatly Secretary Powell’s great role in each of these and other
areas. At each of our meetings, it was very clear that Secretary Powell’s
deep, multifaceted knowledge, personal integrity, and professional
commitment all come together to better serve all of us who have had the
opportunity and good fortune to work with him.
I am sure that we will continue our efficient cooperation with the new
Secretary of State for the benefit of our two nations.
Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Nov 15 2004
Police department’s greater shades of culture
Newly hired Korean- American Police cadet overcame ethnic
expectations to pursue her dream.
By Jackson Bell, News-Press and Leader
SOUTHEAST GLENDALE – A self-described adrenaline junkie, Sharon Kim
can’t conceive following through with her parents’ wish for her to
work as a pharmacist in a safe, but unexciting, drug store.
So breaking what she calls a Korean stereotype of putting family
before career, the 18-year-old Kim has decided to take her first step
toward her eventual goal of working with the FBI or Secret Service –
the Glendale Community College student became a Glendale Police
cadet.
“Since I was born in America and I’m American, I feel women can
pursue careers, no matter what,” she said. “But my parents think this
career might overshadow [family life] because I might work long
shifts and not have extra time for family commitments.”
Both Kim and Patrol Officer Matt Hyun-Koo Prokosch – the first
Korean-American officer hired to the force – agree that Korean
parents, like many immigrants, usually push their children into
entering such high-level professional jobs such as doctors and
lawyers that allow for better work schedules and pay higher than
public safety careers.
With Kim and Prokosch, all it took was a little education and a lot
of passion to convince their families that police work was a good
choice.
“[Korean immigrants] learn quickly that government jobs in the United
States are good jobs, where back in Korea they are not well
respected,” Prokosch said.
While Glendale Police are ahead of their firefighting counterparts,
both agencies are still trying to diversity their staff to better
reflect the community in which they serve.
The police department’s most recent demographics reveal that of 368
sworn and civilian employees, 84 are Latino, 23 are Asian or Pacific
Islanders, 17 are Armenian and seven are black, according to city
auditors. The Glendale Fire Department, in contrast, hired its first
Korean-American firefighter earlier this year, and has no Armenian
firefighters.
Korean is one of the more prominent Asian ethnicities in the area,
with pockets found in Glendale north of the Ventura (134) Freeway and
in La Cañada Flintridge and La Crescenta, officials said.
“She will have the opportunity to learn about the police culture, and
hopefully we can learn about her culture through her,” said Lt. Bruce
Fox, who heads the department’s Professional Standards Bureau.
“And at the same time, we might eventually gain a police officer that
will be badly needed to serve the Korean community of Glendale.”
But Sharon Kim’s mother, Michelle Kim, plans on supporting her
daughter no matter what her career choice is.
“That is what she wants to do and is really pursuing it as a career,
and I encourage her to do whatever she likes,” Michelle Kim said.
What can be changed by another report?
By Karine Mangasarian
Yerkir/arm
November 12, 2004
NA Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian yesterday presented third report of
the` Committee on researches of effective use of foreign trenches,
grants, humanitarian aid,’ which concerned the use of credits provided
to the Yerevan Water Sewage cjsc in years 1999-2003. Hovhannisian said
that the water systems reforms cause anxiety and may result in rise of
water taxes.
Before arriving to that conclusion the temporary committee researched
the summary rendered by the Aukon auditing company as of
01.07.2002. According to the summary the repair of the whole system
takes some 83.6 billion AMD, re-evaluated amortization – 55 b AMD, as
a result of which the re-evaluated value is 28.5 b AMD. These results
were nearly fully accepted by the government decision N1952.
The Vice-Speaker prioritizes the circumstance that according to the
Aukon the rise of the re-evaluated value was indicated in the lines of
`Structures’ and `Houses, buildings,’ constituting about 85 per
cent. However, the KPMG independent auditing company researches bring
different data according to which about 55 per cent of re-evaluated
value is in the `Machineryâ=80=9D and ` Transportation’ lines.
Hovhannisian said: `As we know, the machinery and transportation
amortization periods are 5 years, i.e. each year we can count 20%
amortization of its cost in contrast to buildings which have an
amortization period of 20 years. And accounting excessive amortization
causes rise of self cost.’ He also prioritized the need to address
this issue on the parliamentary level.
The Vice-Speaker also quoted a peace of the report of the KPMG
auditing company regarding the Italian `El Utility’ company. The
conclusion said that ` without parliamentary assistance the Yerevan
Water Sewage company will be hardly able to carry out its activities.’
The speech maker summed up saying that the WB donation of 30 million
dollars is not sufficient for the improvement of the system. He also
reminded that in addition to this trench the Armenian government also
provided 4 million dollars.
`It appears that without government assistance this project cannot be
implemented,’ says Hovhannisian suggesting to `exile the Italian `El
Utility’ which somehow happened to win the WB grant’ from the country.
The discussions will be continued in the next session. But since the
parliament does not have the relevant authorities in rendering
punishment, the case may e interesting for judges.
Azeris protest worldwide at youth forum in breakaway Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
15 Nov 04
[Presenter] An international forum organized by Armenia on the duty of
young people in the area of conflicts, human rights, democracy and
participation is being held today in the occupied territory of
Azerbaijan, Xankandi [known as Stepanakert in
Armenian]. Representatives from 20 international youth organizations
are expected to take part in the conference, the head of the foreign
relations division of the International Central All-Armenian Youth
Foundation, which organized the event, Ruben Markasanyan, said. The
travel expenses of the visitors are covered by the foundation, which
is funded by the Armenian government.
The movement For Azerbaijan has staged a number of protests in several
cities of the world against the forum organized by Armenia on
Azerbaijan’s occupied land. The first protest of this kind was held in
Virginia, USA. A protest was also held in front of the House of
Azerbaijani Culture in central Tbilisi. Simultaneous protests were
mounted in Istanbul and Izmir.
[N. Abdullayev, representative of the movement For Azerbaijan,
captioned over still pictures of scenes in Turkey, speaking over
phone] Azerbaijani students living in Turkey are venting their just
protest at the international familiarization visit to be held by the
International Central All-Armenian Youth Foundation in Nagornyy
Karabakh on 15-19 November. Because the main reason behind organizing
this event in Nagornyy Karabakh is to have the separatist terrorist
regime in Nagornyy Karabakh recognized in the international community
and thus to have international legal and political relations. The key
principles of international law, such as the inviolability of borders,
territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, will be violated
following this event. Entry to Nagornyy Karabakh should take place
with Azerbaijan’s consent, since it is Azerbaijan’s territory and
within Azerbaijan’s sovereignty. For this purpose, we keep demanding
that delegates to the forum stop the offences they are making or are
likely to make.
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 15, 2004, Monday
ARMENIA INCREASES DEFENSE SPENDING
The defense budget will increase by 12% to $106 million in 2005; the
spare of defense expenditure in the republican budget will reach 13%.
The government explains this decision by the aggravation of the
situation in Nagorny Karabakh.
Source: Vedomosti, November 11, 2004, p. A3
Translated by Alexander Dubovoi
International Journalist’s Network
Nov 14 2004
Radio Hour Production
Nov 19, 2004 – Dec 10, 2004
Seminar
In Yerevan. Organized by Internews-Armenia. For Armenian radio
journalists and producers. The seminar will emphasize practical work
as a key part of the training. The consultant for this seminar will
be Bruce Gellerman of the United States. Gellerman is a veteran radio
journalist and producer who has worked with National Public Radio, 60
Minutes, the BBC, CBS News, Deutsche Welle and the New York Times.
For more information, contact training coordinator David Aslanyan at
[email protected] or telephone +374-1-58-36-20. The
Internews-Armenia Web site:
The Washington Post
November 14, 2004 Sunday
Final Edition
For Eskandarians, A Father-Son Game;
United’s Alecko Enjoys Same Success
by William Gildea, Washington Post Staff Writer
RAMSEY, N.J
Andranik Eskandarian drove his white 2004 Cadillac Escalade through
the streets of north Jersey, past Paramus, on the way to Hackensack
and a sports store he owns there. He is the father of Alecko
Eskandarian, the surprise leading goal scorer of D.C. United, which
plays the Kansas City Wizards today in Carson, Calif., for the
championship of Major League Soccer. The senior Eskandarian once was
a standout defender for the New York Cosmos of the now-defunct North
American Soccer League, and, growing up, Alecko used to challenge him
on the backyard soccer field of the family’s home in nearby Montvale.
“I always tell Alecko, ‘You are playing now at a good time. I don’t
play anymore,’ ” the father said good-naturedly. He turned down a
side street to avoid traffic and parked near the Main Street store
originally owned and now managed by a teammate on the Cosmos, Hubert
Birkenmeier, the former goalie. It was against Birkenmeier, one of
the NASL’s finest netminders, that the young Alecko also honed his
shooting skills.
They played inside the store.
“Alecko has a very powerful shot,” Birkenmeier said. “I know. He hit
it enough off of me.”
“We used to break stuff,” Alecko would say later. “I think we scared
away some customers.”
Birkenmeier favors the area MLS team, the MetroStars, but he roots
hardest of all for Alecko. For years, he has kept Alecko’s favorite
soccer ball tucked away in the store’s basement. As recently as a few
weeks ago, Alecko visited the store and retrieved the ball, bouncing
it on his foot for the next hour.
“Here it is,” said Birkenmeier, producing a green soccer ball. “This
is a football we will never sell.”
He told how Alecko used to kick that ball between the rows of
clothing and racks of shoes, recalling hectic encounters that might
better have taken place outdoors, on a field somewhere. Now he
watches Alecko on television, or in person at Giants Stadium when
United plays there.
“Alecko is always in the right spot to score,” Birkenmeier said
proudly. “But what I liked about him so much the last game, I never
saw him working so hard. He ran his butt off. You can see
improvement. He has still more confidence. I guess the coaching has
something to do with that, too.”
He put the green ball back in the basement, treating it like a small
boy’s favorite toy.
Alecko Eskandarian is still growing as a soccer player. At 22, he can
look forward to a future that many soccer observers foresee as
blindingly bright. For now, his skills and fame are ascendant —
never more so than eight nights ago at RFK Stadium when D.C. United
beat New England in MLS’s Eastern Conference final. He is short, 5
feet 8, and compact, 160 pounds, with broad shoulders, and powerful
legs that enable him to run fast and for as long as any game might
last.
Off the laces of his left shoe after a run from midfield against the
Revolution, he blasted a 22-yard shot that rose and ticked high off
the inside of the far post (almost faster than the eye could see) and
ricocheted into the net to start the scoring in what turned out to be
one of the most exciting games in the franchise’s nine-year history.
It was a virtuoso shot. He had reached top speed when he leaned
almost imperceptibly forward so that his head and torso were almost
above the ball, enabling him to bring the force of his entire body to
bear when he swung through with his kicking leg.
If beating his defender wasn’t enough, he had to place the shot
perfectly because the New England goalie has an extraordinary reach
and a proven ability to stretch full out in an effort to make stops.
But he couldn’t stop Eskandarian.
“He probably had an inch to score that goal,” Andranik said one day
this week at his other soccer store, Eski’s Sports, on Ramsey’s Main
Street. “I watched the tape. If it was an inch inside, the goalie
would have saved it. It was that calculated a shot, an unbelievably
calculated shot.”
The father knows much about such things. An Armenian descendant who
grew up in Tehran, he played in the 1978 World Cup for Iran before
playing for the Cosmos from 1979 through 1984. He was too late to
have been a teammate of Pele, who retired from the Cosmos in 1977,
but the roster still glittered with such international stars as Franz
Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and scoring machine Giorgio Chinaglia.
Now 53, Eskandarian still plays three times a week — for an over-40
team and an over-35 team. He weighs only five pounds more than his
155 with the Cosmos, and thus was in top condition when Alecko was
growing up and trying to score goals against him.
“As early as when he was 4 years old, he would look at the highlight
tape of all those goals by Giorgio Chinaglia [pronounced
Canal-e-ah],” his father said. “He would put the tape in and he
couldn’t even sit down and watch, he would walk and watch it, because
he was boiling inside to do it. So he would take me in the backyard
and he would put me in the goal and he would start shooting. He grew
like that.”
“That’s all I ever thought about, scoring goals,” the younger
Eskandarian said after a practice this week at RFK, before D.C.
United flew to California for the title game. “I think it’s my
personality.”
His brother Ara, three years older, who played soccer at Villanova
and now is an accountant in New York, “was shy, kind of. He didn’t
want the spotlight. He was a defender, like my father. But with me, I
wanted a lot of attention, all eyes on me. I always wanted to be
scoring goals.”
He almost always has: 154 goals in four years at Bergen Catholic High
and 50 in three seasons at the University of Virginia. After a
discouraging rookie year with D.C. United when former coach Ray
Hudson played him only sporadically, he scored a team-high 10 goals
this season, and has added two more in the playoffs. Peter Nowak, the
rookie coach who rescued Eskandarian from the bench, described him as
one of a few young players on D.C. United with exceptional potential,
“all guys still under their mothers’ wings, so to speak,” a group
that includes 15-year-old Freddy Adu.
“Eski can score goals when he’s in good spots, and when he gets a
look at the goal he’s deadly,” Kevin Payne, United’s president, said.
“What gets much harder at this level compared with college is getting
in those spots and getting those looks at the goal. When he came into
the league, he didn’t really understand how hard he had to work off
the ball to give himself those opportunities. At the same time, there
wasn’t any consistency to his playing time. So he was confused. There
wasn’t as much coaching done with him, I don’t believe. This year,
Peter . . . was going to see to it that Eski was one of guys who was
going to be vitally important because Peter was convinced that he
could do it.
“Right now,” Payne added, “I would put his work rate up against any
forward in the world. And he’s just going to get better and better.”
Eskandarian’s career almost was inevitable, growing up as he did in a
household where the sport was roughly the equivalent of breathing.
When he had barely begun to walk, he chased after a soccer ball and
kicked it rather than trying to pick it up. While that was hardly
unique, his father recalled Alecko persisting in kicking a ball.
“Look what we have here,” he told his wife Anna, who also is of
Armenian descent and from Iran.
“I remember always having a ball around me,” Alecko said. “When I was
little, there was a sponge ball I would sleep with and kick around
all day long. I just loved it. And when you have an older brother,
you do what he does, and he was growing up playing soccer.
“My parents would have to kick me off the backyard field because I
would be out there till midnight doing my own thing if they let me. I
would do it for hours and hours. You know, like little kids playing
basketball, pretending to be Jordan, taking the last shot. Well, I
was in the backyard pretending to be whoever and ‘scoring’ with only
a few seconds left.”
He attended an Armenian elementary school, describing himself at the
time as prone to mischief. Because of his antics, he said, the school
had to create detention.
His father disciplined him, though. The elder Eskandarian always
coached the soccer teams his son played on — and the father was
tough.
“Very tough,” said Alecko, his dark eyes widening, “but in a positive
way. One of the many things my parents have given me is their
honesty. If I’m doing well, they’ll tell me. If I’m doing bad,
they’ll be the first ones to tell me. I remember in high school I
scored five goals in a game and we won 5-0 and my dad said, ‘You
played terrible today.’ I was like, ‘I’m sure there was someone worse
than me.’ He said, ‘No.’ ”
Oh, yes, acknowledged the father, seated in his back-room office in
Eski’s Sports, he was a strict father-coach. But, as he told it, he
believed in his son advancing “gradually” in soccer and keeping a
“humble” attitude no matter how accomplished a player he became.
“When he was in high school and people came to us and said, ‘Send him
to England to play,’ or, ‘Send him to Germany,’ I didn’t feel that
way. I wanted him to stay in the family.”
Anna called to her husband from out in the store. High up in one
corner of the room, near the shirts and shoes and opposite an oil
painting she made of him in his No. 2 Cosmos uniform, is a TV. Fox
Sports World was coming on with MLS highlights, specifically the
United-New England game. Even though he already had watched his own
complete tape of the game, Andranik stood next to Anna, enjoying
their son’s exquisite goal one more time. She, too, thrives on
soccer, and Alecko sometimes calls her “Coach.”
“They thought he was going to cross,” she said, meaning that the
defenders appeared to be looking for him to pass the ball.
“Ah, but you could see it in his face,” said Andranik, noting that
Alecko had looked toward the goal with his eyes while not moving his
head.
Moments later, she stepped toward the TV and pointed up to a player
breaking free in front of the net. Sounding much like a coach, she
said: “There was no defender. No one was covering.”
Andranik laughed at her frustration over the play.
At length, United’s players were shown celebrating the victory after
penalty kicks. “That was a nice moment,” she said with a smile.
Ironically, Andranik experienced a similar feeling at RFK in 1980,
when the NASL held its title game there and the Cosmos won.
“So I was back there watching my son, and it was a beautiful feeling
for me,” he said. “After 24 years, Alecko was holding that cup there.
For me, it’s a blessing.”
Eskandarian’s two seasons with United could not have been more
different.
In last year’s opener, he suffered a concussion when he was knocked
to the ground and landed headfirst. In this year’s opener, he scored
in a 2-1 victory over San Jose.
Last season, he wasn’t given much of a chance. This season, he was
slowed by hamstring problems after the opener and found himself back
on the bench, fearing more frustration. But on June 19, 21/2 months
into the season and with the team struggling, he was given a start
based on his hard work at practice and the team’s obvious need for a
change. He scored two goals as United beat Columbus, 3-1.
Veteran midfielder Ben Olsen put it this way: “It’s easy to say now
after he’s had this year, but I saw some stuff from this kid in
college, the goals he scored, his size, his width, his speed, his
pace, his strikes on goal, he’s got the whole package. We saw it in
practice a lot the year before. We knew that once this kid got hot,
he was going to be okay.”
At forward, he has been perfectly paired with veteran Jaime Moreno,
who led the team in points (28) and the entire league in assists (14)
during the regular season. “When you’re on the same page, it makes
everything easier,” Moreno said. “That’s how we’ve felt, that we can
go at the defenders and we can score.”
Eskandarian, as his father would have it, sounded grateful to be
playing.
“The coaches gave me the opportunity to start against Columbus,” he
said. “After that, the guys on the team kind of began looking at me
like, all right, you’re going to be a goal scorer, we’re going to
count on you every game to try to make something happen. That’s the
role I wanted.”
It will be his role today. A score of relatives who have settled in
California will be in the stands rooting for him, although the dean
of the family will have to watch on television at his home in nearby
Glendale, his health preventing him from going to the stadium. That
would be Andranik’s father, Galoost. Alecko would like to win the MLS
Cup for him. He is 92.
La Padania, Italia
26 Ottobre 2004
Nel 1987 anche il parlamento europeo ha riconosciuto lo sterminio
Il primo Stato cattolico: una “colpa” pagata con un milione e mezzo
di morti
La presenza degli armeni sul loro territorio risale a più di 2500 anni
fa. Fino all’inizio del ventesimo secolo essi hanno abitato una vasta
area che, estendendosi ben oltre i confini dell’attuale Repubblica
armena ex sovietica, ingloba il lembo nord-occidentale dell’Iran,
la parte orientale della Turchia, le regioni occidentali dell’
Azerbaigian ed una parte nel sud della Georgia.
All’inizio del 4° secolo l’Armenia si convertì al Cristianesimo
divenendo così la prima nazione a proclamare la fede cattolica come
religione di Stato. La dominazione straniera più lunga e nefasta per
l’Armenia è stata quella dei turchi che vi penetrarono per la prima
volta circa nove secoli fa e pian piano la soggiogarono instaurando
un regime di pulizia etnica ante litteram, con soprusi, vessazioni,
conversioni forzate all’islam e ricorrenti massacri.
Verso la fine del diciannovesimo secolo le persecuzioni contro gli
armeni da parte dei turchi aumentarono in intensità ed in ferocia,
raggiungendo il loro culmine sotto il regno del sultano Abdul Hamid
II, responsabile di stermini di massa nel corso dei quali, dal 1895
al 1897, furono trucidati 300.000 armeni.
Sul finire del 19 secolo, iniziò a svilupparsi presso i Turchi il
movimento dei Giovani Turchi, che si impadronì del potere nel 1908
con l’obiettivo di realizzare la Grande Turchia. Gli armeni, situati
fra i turchi dell’Anatolia e quelli del Caucaso, costituivano un’
isola non-turca e cristiana: fu quindi deciso di sterminarli.
Già un anno dopo aver conquistato il potere i Giovani Turchi
dimostrarono i loro intendimenti con il massacro di Adana, in
Cilicia, nel corso del quale furono uccisi più di trentamila armeni.
L’occasione per pianificare lo sterminio si presentò con lo scoppio
della Prima Guerra Mondiale.
Inizialmente furono chiamati alle armi tutti gli armeni validi che,
dopo esser stati separati dai loro reparti, vennero uccisi. Furono
quindi arrestati ed in seguito uccisi tutti gli intellettuali,
i sacerdoti, i dirigenti politici. Nelle città e nei villaggi
abitati da Armeni rimasero solo donne, vecchi e bambini. Per loro
venne decretata la deportazione. Le carovane dei deportati venivano
sistematicamente decimate dalla cosiddetta “Teskilate maksuse”
(Organizzazione Speciale) il cui compito era lo sterminio. I mezzi
usati per compiere questo massacro furono di inaudita ferocia e sadico
accanimento. Chi riusciva a sfuggire verso il deserto periva di fame e
sete. In tutto morirono circa 1.500.000 di persone: la quasi totalità
degli armeni di Turchia. Furono risparmiati solo quelli residenti a
Istanbul e Smirne, perché troppo vicini a sedi diplomatiche straniere.
Il 24 aprile è la data in cui vengono commemorate le vittime
del genocidio armeno in varie parti del mondo. Nel 1985 la
“Sottocommissione per la lotta contro le misure discriminatorie e per
la protezione delle minoranze” della Commissione dei Diritti dell’Uomo
dell’ Onu ha riconosciuto, fra gli altri, anche il genocidio armeno.
Il Parlamento Europeo, nella seduta del 18 giugno 1987, riconoscendo
il genocidio armeno e condannando l’atteggiamento della Turchia,
ha invitato gli stati membri della Comunità Europea a dedicare un
giorno alla memoria dell’olocausto degli armeni.
–Boundary_(ID_mqR2Knm/BKdIesfblFNLAw)–
Georgia’s NATO ambitions
The Messenger
Nov 9 2004
The General Secretary of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer’s visit to Georgia
last week, just days after NATO accepted Georgia’s proposed Individual
Partnership Action Plan, brought closer the possibility of full NATO
membership, although Scheffer stressed that Georgia has much to do
before this will be possible.
During his visit to Georgia, the General Secretary of NATO stated that
in the future NATO is going to widen its alliance with post Soviet
countries, but that such cooperation should not be seen as against
anyone. The newspaper Khvalindeli Dge quoted Scheffer as saying:
“We are not entering the Caucasus or Central Asia to banish anyone
from these regions; nor is it a competition. We are doing it to open
the door widely for those countries which admire Western values and
want to be integrated into western structures.”
Scheffer’s statement was clearly intended for Russia, which is
concerned about NATO expansion east. The Secretary General’s message
was conciliatory but firm: while NATO expansion is not intended as
a threat to Russia, he said, it will go ahead whatever Moscow’s stance.
Scheffer visited the three South Caucasus countries, suggesting that
NATO is open to all three joining. But in fact NATO’s relationship
with the individual countries is somewhat different, with relations
between it and Armenia having only a formal character, while Azerbaijan
is less determined to join NATO than Georgia. After meeting with the
General Secretary, President Mikheil Saakashvili underlined that only
Georgia had presented a partnership program to NATO.
“I do not know yet when Georgia will become a member of NATO, but I am
interested that it happens very soon. Georgia will enter NATO during
my presidential term,” newspaper Akhali Taoba quoted Saakashvili
as saying.
But even though Saakashvili often says that he will be the president
of Georgia for two terms and that his program is designed for a double
term, his evaluation of the situation seems optimistic. For his part,
Scheffer was more cautious: “I am a realist and I should say that
Georgia has to do a lot to join NATO,” newspaper Rezonansi quotes
Scheffer as saying.
During his visit Scheffer also commented on Georgia’s internal
conflicts, and made it clear that NATO will not directly intervene.
The general secretary said: “Georgia should solve the problems of
Abkhazia and Tskhinvali itself.” “The NATO alliance respects the
territorial integrity of Georgia,” he said. But “NATO has no direct
role in assisting for the solution of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”
Scheffer did reiterate NATO’s position that Russia must withdraw its
bases from Georgian territory, thus fulfilling the agreement it signed
in 1999 in Istanbul. “The Russian federation has well acknowledged
the position of NATO. There is no doubt… Russia must fulfill the
Istanbul summit decision,” the newspaper 24 Saati quoted him as saying.
However, the NATO General Secretary sought to assuage Russian fears
that their bases, once removed, will be replaced with NATO bases,
saying that there will be no NATO bases in the South Caucasus, and
that “NATO will not play any role in guaranteeing the security of
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, although it is in its interest
to guarantee the stability and the security of this region,” the
newspaper Rezonansi quoted him as saying.
Saakashvili has repeatedly said that no Western country or organization
will be permitted to deploy troops on Georgian territory, and he
responded to Scheffer’s advice that Georgia work together with Russia
to resolve differences between the sides, saying that Georgia is
still prepared to make certain compromises with Russia.
“But there will be no compromise about Georgia’s territorial integrity
and every Georgian citizen’s freedom of choice,” 24 Saati quotes the
president as saying.
–Boundary_(ID_rALbTdn+dKnFW+MfOH1AsQ)–