Author: Jilavian Emma

ARMENIAN PM PAYS OFFICIAL VISIT TO LITHUANIA

Armenpress

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS: A delegation headed by Armenian
prime-minister Andranik Margarian has arrived today in Vilnius,
Lithuanian capital, on a three-day official visit at the invitation
of his Lithuanian counterpart Algirdas Brazauskas.

Armenian government press service said the delegation includes the
finance and economy minister Vardan Khachatrian, trade and economic
development minister Karen Tshmaritian, deputy foreign affairs minister
Armen Baiburtian, deputy agricultural minister Levon Rukhkian, a
parliamentarian Martin Sukiasian, head of the Commerce and Industry
Chamber Martin Sargsian and other officials and heads of companies.

Tonight the prime-minister and members of the delegation will visit
the Old Vilnius and get acquainted with its sightseeing, historic
architectural monuments. During the visit Andranik Margarian will also
meet with the representatives of the Armenian community. On June 30
the prime-minister will meet with Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus
and his counterpart Algidas Brazauskas.

AZG Armenian Daily #119, 29/06/2005

Armenian Genocide

100 ANSWERS TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Turnon publishing house of France put out “100 Answers About Armenian
Genocide” by journalist Anna Dastakian and historian Clare Muradian. Le
Monde newspaper of Paris informs that the 94-page book has the laconic
and clear answers numbered. The answers occupy a period till 2005.

The questions and answers deal with definitions of the Genocide,
with the complicity of Turkey’s allies, with EU’s preconditions for
Turkey’s accession etc. The book closes with a bibliography on related
sources (books, films and websites).

By Petros Keshishian

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO ITALY PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT

Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 09:15

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Ambassador to Italy Ruben Shugaryan
presented credentials to President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, reported
the Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In
the course of the meeting the parties discussed the process of
implementation of agreements, reached in the course of Armenian
President Robert Kocharian’s visit to Italy this January, as well as
the process of European integration of Armenia within the European
Cooperation Program. Besides, the interlocutors discussed issues of
Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabakh settlement. The parties
specially emphasized the importance of the holding of Armenian-Italian
Friendship Days in Armenia this autumn.

Pan Armenian News

ILO REGIONAL DIRECTOR TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA JUNE 27

25.06.2005 03:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Regional Director on Europe and Central Asia of the
International Labor Organization Friedrich Butler will pay an official visit
to Armenia, reported the Press Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social
Affairs of Armenia. June 27-29 Mr. Butler is scheduled to meet with Armenian
Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs; Foreign Affairs; Trade and Economic
Development; Chairman of the Standing Commission of the National Assembly of
Armenia for Social Affairs, Health and Environment, US Ambassador to
Armenia, Director of the World Bank Yerevan Office and other high-rank
officials.

AZG Armenian Daily #117, 25/06/2005

Armenia-CE

ARMENIAN REFERENDUM AND AZERBAIJANI ELECTIONS IN THE LIMELIGHT OF COUNCIL OF
EUROPE

Diego Freitas do Amaral, chairman of committee of ministers of the Council
of Europe and foreign minister of Portugal, stated that the CE will pay
special attention to Armenia and Azerbaijan in coming months. According to
Mediamax agency, do Amaral reminded in his speech at the PACE session that
the documents adopted in Warsaw are to delineate CE’s further actions.

“Firstly, we have to make sure that the participating states match CE’s
standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. For that reason
we’ll take the South Caucasian region in our limelight for the coming months
considering important developments connected with referendum on constitution
in Armenia and parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan in November”, he said.

Ekho newspaper of Baku informed that the June 22 session of PACE discussed 2
issues concerning Azerbaijan: functioning of democratic institutions and the
issue of political prisoners. A member of the PACE Monitoring Committee
Andreas Gross said that there is a group of people within the Azerbaijani
authorities that tries to stand against reforms. “On the threshold of
parliamentary elections we need to bring change into the situation otherwise
Azerbaijan will appear in dangerous position. Azeri deputies do nor agree
with us but the Azeri people does agree”, Gross said. PACE will not confirm
Azeri delegation’s mandate unless elections are just.

The US Congress has also discussed the issue of free elections in
Azerbaijan. The House of Representatives discussed a draft demanding “free
and just elections in Azerbaijan”. The draft reads, “The House of
Representatives calls on Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee complete
participation of oppositional parties including opposition members who were
arrested during the period prior to the elections of 2005”.

AZG Armenian Daily #114, 22/06/2005

Armenia-Turkey

TURKEY OFFICIALLY APPEALS TO ARMENIA TO RELEASE TURKISH SMUGGLER

On June 17, Armenian National Security Service detained Turkish citizen
Yeqta Turkyimaz for an attempt to export a large number of books dated 17-20
centuries. The same day Turkish public television responded to the arrest.

On June 21, Milliyet newspaper wrote, “Turkey takes steps to release Turkish
scientist Yeqta Turkyimaz detained in Armenian capital of Yerevan. Owing to
the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Turkish
ambassador to Georgia, Ertan Tezgyoz, passed the demand for release to the
Armenian ambassador to the country. The sources of Foreign Ministry
confirmed that Tezgyoz issued official appeal to the Armenian authorities.
Turkyimaz is the first researcher who got official permission to study the
Armenian archives. He was detained in Yerevan on suspicion of ‘exporting
ancient Armenian books’ but there was no statement as to developments”.

By Hakob Chalrian

Foreign ministers’ meeting `beneficial’, says Deputy FM

Baku, June 20, AssA-Irada

The talks between Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers Elmar
Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian held in Paris on Friday were
`comprehensive, serious and beneficial’, Azeri officials have said.

The parties discussed several details – covering areas from freeing
the occupied territories to political issues.

`Although these details were discussed in separate, they are closely
inter-related. The sides therefore intend to coordinate all the
elements jointly and solve these issues according to the
initially-outlined schedule’, said Araz Azimov, Deputy Foreign
Minister and the President’s envoy on the Upper Garabagh conflict.
`The return of occupied territories is a pivotal issue for Azerbaijan.
This however, does not mean settling the conflict yet, as a number of
other problems will remain to be resolved’, he told journalists on
Monday.

Azimov noted that to achieve a conflict resolution, the contempt
between the two nations should be done away with, while Azerbaijan and
Armenia should start cooperating.

Among other key issues discussed in Paris was the co-existence of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian communities in Upper Garabagh. The issue of
granting Garabagh the status of self-administration is currently not
being discussed, he said.

`The status of the region should be determined with the involvementof
all people living here. For this to be possible, all refugees must
return home.’

Armenian Minister Oskanian told Radio Liberty prior to the Paris
meeting that no major results should be expected from the
discussions. He said the talks are aimed at shaping up and reflecting
on paper the agreements reached previously by the two countries’
Presidents in Warsaw.*

PESSIMISM OR REALISM?

A1plus

| 13:16:15 | 18-06-2005 | Politics |

“The reformation of the Electoral Code should be carried out in
three directions – the presence of balanced election commissions,
proper public control and equality between the candidates”, candidate
of juridical sciences Hrayr Tovmasyan considers. In his opinion no
positive changes can be observes as regards the formation of the
election commissions. H. Tovmasyan noted however certain progress
referring to the public control and expansion of the rights of the
observers and empowered persons. No one has the right to drive out
an empowered person from the polling station, excluding arrests. As
for securing equal rights for all the candidates, Tovmasyan does not
see any progress.

He gave a positive estimate to the fact that henceforth the rolls
will be compiled not by the local self-government bodies but by
the appropriate police departments. Nevertheless there is certain
vagueness, which is to become clear at practice. Hrayr Tovmasyan is
also concerned over the fact that the rolls in military units and
colonies cannot be published. Thus, public control is ruled out while
the military vote. The second problem is connected with the appeal
of the decision of the election commission. The order established
can create deadlock situations and exclude efficient protection
mechanisms. According to the amendments all the complaints are
considered on common ground. “It means that the complaints will be
considered during a month and the terms of contesting the outcomes
of the elections will be expired by the time”, he says.

H. Tovmasyan said it would be naïve to bind justice of the upcoming
elections with the amendments to the Electoral Code . “This law is
a part of political and legislative system of the country and the
protection mechanisms depend the independence of the juridical system
and the way the authorities defend the rights of the citizens. Taking
into account the nature of the above mentioned bodies it is easy to
say that proper atmosphere for fair elections has not been created
in Armenia yet.

Victoria Abrahamyan

–Boundary_(ID_E5h2R+lpV9aZzJjODnP/kw)–

GERMAN BUNDESTAG UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Pan Armenian News
17.06.2005 03:14

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The German Bundestag has unanimously adopted the
Resolution on the Armenian Genocide sponsored by the Christian
Democratic Union/ Christian Social Union without discussion. As
reported by the Zaman Turkish newspaper, the document is titled
Commemoration of Victims and Deportation of Armenians in 1915: Germany
has to participate in reconciliation of Armenians and Turks. The
newspaper notes that in spite the document adopted by the Bundestag
does not directly mention recognition of the Armenian Genocide, it
notes that «many independent historians, as well as parliaments of
many countries and international organizations call events of 1915
a genocide.» As reported by RFE/RL, the resolution language uses the
word «genocide» only once. Ashot Manucharyan, a journalist residing
in Germany, called the document «a statement of cravens.» «The German
know well there was a genocide, their archives are full of documents
confirming this fact,» Ashot Manucharyan remarked. In his opinion,
however «it is better than nothing.» The Resolution notes that the
German Government has to urge Turkey «to investigate the Genocide
and stimulate reconciliation with Armenians.» «The Parliament is
sure there is need for a fair historical investigation, which is the
most important basis for reconciliation,» the Resolution notes. The
Resolution recommends forming a commission composed of Turkish,
Armenian and foreign historians to study the events taken place in
early 20th century. Besides, the document notes that the Turkish
authorities «suppress attempts of discussion of the topic in the
country.» It should be noted that the MPs urged the German Foreign
Ministry to open archives referring to the period.

–Boundary_(ID_69i0E/shHe7IROHtIsiVdg)–

Turkish Army will continue antiterrorist fight in southeast – general

Anatolia news agency
16 Jun 05

Ankara, 16 June: Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen Ilker Basbug said:
“The responsibility of Turkish security forces in southeastern Anatolia
region is to fight against terrorists. They will pursue their mission.”

When reporters recalled statements of EU ambassadors who said
Turkey should be active in southeastern Anatolia region not only by
military measures but also by civilian measures, Gen Basbug said: “The
responsibility of Turkish security forces in southeastern Anatolia
region is to fight against terrorists. Certainly, it is normal to
take measures against terrorism. We have taken these measures; it is
not a new issue.”