Boxing: Darchinyan becomes world champion

* Darchinyan wins IBF flyweight title with TKO of Pacheco
* Box: Darchinyan becomes Australia’s newest world champ
* Vic hooks a world crown
* ARMENIAN BOXER WINS IBF FLYWEIGHT TITLE
* Darchinyan destroys Pacheco, wins flyweight world title
* Goodnight, Irene: Darchinyan victorious in title bid
* Vic’s a knock-out
* Armenian takes IBF flyweight title
* Darchinyan wins IBF flyweight title with TKO of Pacheco
* Darchinyan stops Pacheco to win IBF flyweight title

***************************************************************************
Darchinyan wins IBF flyweight title with TKO of Pacheco

Jacksonville.com
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Story last updated at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 16, 2004

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Vic Darchinyan scored an 11th-round technical knockout of
defending champion Irene Pacheco to win the IBF flyweight title Thursday
night.

Darchinyan, a native of Armenia now living in Australia, controlled the pace
for most of the bout fought outdoors at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and
Casino in Hollywood.

Darchinyan’s gradual dominance began to take its toll on Pacheco in the 10th
round, when Darchinyan sent him to the canvas with a right to the head.

With a weary Pacheco returning to his corner at the end of the round,
Darchinyan didn’t let up his assault at the beginning of the 11th. He
unloaded a series of unanswered shots near the ropes and then dropped
Pacheco a second time with another right to the head.

Pacheco’s cornermen had seen enough, asking referee Jorge Alonso to stop the
fight at 44 seconds of the round.

For Pacheco, of Colombia, it was his first career loss in 31 professional
fights and seventh title defense.

Darchinyan (22-0, 17 KOs) was the busier fighter from the opening round and
didn’t let Pacheco build much of an offense. Pacheco’s frustrations prompted
repeated warnings from Alonso for hitting below the belt.

The low blows eventually cost Pacheco a point deduction in the ninth and
another two points removed in the 10th.

To add to Pacheco’s miseries, he suffered a deep gash to his right eyebrow
after colliding heads with Darchinyan in the fifth.

The fight was delayed seven minutes before the ninth round because of a loud
fireworks display during a festival adjacent to the fight facility.

Darchinyan weighed 111 pounds for the bout, while Pacheco weighed 112.

Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved.

***************************************************************************
Box: Darchinyan becomes Australia’s newest world champ
By Adrian Warren

AAP NEWSFEED, Australia
December 17, 2004, Friday 7:30 AM Eastern Time

SYDNEY, Dec 17

Vic Darchinyan turned on the punching pyrotechnics after the real
life fireworks had finished in Florida today, to give Australia
another eastern European-bred boxing world champion.

Darchinyan, who represented his birth country of Armenia at the
Sydney 2000 Olympics, maintained his own unbeaten record and
shattered the one belonging to International Boxing Federation
flyweight champion Irene Pacheco stopping the champ in the eleventh
round of their championship bout at the Hard Rock Casino in
Hollywood.

He moved alongside Australia’s only other currently universally
recognised world champion, IBF super lightweight title holder Kostya
Tszyu, who was born in Russia.

He knocked Pacheco down in the tenth and eleventh rounds before the
out-going champion’s corner stepped in to save their stricken fighter
from further punishment.

Darchinyan won despite an interruption of several minutes caused by
fireworks exploding nearby and numerous low blows from a desperate
Pacheco, who was deducted a point in both the ninth and tenth rounds.

“They had to stop the fight for several minutes and we were going
crazy because we knew Vic was getting on top and when the tenth round
started, Vic just jumped on him,” Darchinyan’s trainer Jeff Fenech
said from Florida.

“He was hitting Vic in the balls because he was getting beaten.”

It was 28-year-old Darchinyan’s 22nd straight win and Pacheco’s first
defeat in 31 bouts.

The victory also gave three-division world champion Fenech his first
fully-fledged world titleholder as a trainer.

“The monkey is finally off my back,” yelled a jubilant Fenech.

The threat of a hurricane moving toward Florida forced the fight to
be delayed three months, but it was Darchinyan’s force of will rather
than a force of nature which terminated Pacheco’s reign.

“I think I destroyed him because I stopped him,” said Darchinyan, who
registered his 17th KO win.

He had vowed before the fight to destroy 33-year-old Pacheco, who had
made six successful defences since 1999 but had not fought for 15
months.

Darchinyan followed the advice offered by Fenech when the fight
resumed following the break, between the eighth and ninth rounds,
ordered by referee Hoge Alonso.

“Jeff asked me to throw more punches and miss his right jab and throw
my straight left and I did exactly what Jeff told me,” Darchinyan
said.

“I started the fight good, but in a few of the middle rounds, I
started waiting for him because I just wanted to catch him with one
big punch and it wasn’t the right way, Jeff reminded me to throw more
punches.

“Jeff started pushing me and reminded me about Nedal Hussein, because
Nedal waited.”

Darchinyan was referring to his stablemate’s unsuccessful challenge
last month for the World Boxing Council super bantamweight world
title when the Sydneysider failed to force the issue and dropped an
unanimous points decision to Mexican Oscar Larios.

Fenech was determined not to see another of his fighters squander a
precious world title opportunity and made it clear in no uncertain
terms what he wanted from Darchinyan.

“After three rounds he was so tired because he’s had such a long
preparation and I was pushing him hard. I got stuck in between a
couple of rounds and said to him if you don’t listen to me, I’m going
to walk out’,” Fenech said.

“There was some close rounds. Vic hit him with many better punches, I
thought Vic was just in front, but I didn’t want to say to him.

“I kept telling him C’mon Vic, we’re behind’. I just wanted him to
finish all over Pacheco because I know what happens in these places.”

Fenech was probably thinking back to his controversial draw with
Azumah Nelson in Las Vegas where many good judges felt he was robbed
of a victory, while some of his other fighters have also suffered
from controversial officiating in overseas fights.

***************************************************************************
Vic hooks a world crown
by Grantlee Kieza

Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia)
December 18, 2004 Saturday

VIC Darchinyan, the mighty atom of Australian boxing, unleashed some
big blows to win the IBF world flyweight title in Hollywood, Florida,
yesterday.

The Sydney Olympian, who stands just 166cm tall, knocked out
Colombia’s previously unbeaten Irene Pacheco in the 11th round before
a stunned crowd at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel.

The 51kg Darchinyan, whose father ran a petrol station in Armenia,
fought as though propelled by rocket fuel, decking the world
titleholder with a left hook in round 10 and finishing him off with a
similar punch in the next round.

The 28-year-old joins interim WBC super-middleweight champ Danny
Green as world titleholders trained by all-time great Jeff Fenech.

The fight had been halted for 10 minutes between rounds eight and
nine because of exploding fireworks near the venue and the bout was a
cracker from round one.

“This is the greatest moment of my life,” said Darchinyan, who had
dreamed of becoming world champion since he started boxing in Armenia
at the age of eight when he still went by his real first name,
Vakhtang.

“I always believed I could beat Pacheco and now I plan to be world
champion for many years.

“My plan is to unify the title and beat the WBC and WBA champions.”

Darchinyan, who became an Australian citizen in July, is unbeaten in
22 fights with 17 knockouts.

Pacheco, 33, the world champion since 1999, lost for the first time
in 31 fights.

***************************************************************************
ARMENIAN BOXER WINS IBF FLYWEIGHT TITLE

ArmenPress
Dec 17 2004

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: Vic Darchinyan scored an
11th-round technical knockout of defending champion Irene Pacheco to
win the IBF flyweight title Thursday night. Darchinyan (22-0, 17
KOs), a native of Armenia now living in Australia, controlled the
pace for most of the bout and finally knocked down Pacheco in the
10th round with a right to the head.
Darchinyan didn’t let up in the 11th. He unloaded a series of
unanswered shots near the ropes and then dropped Pacheco a second
time with another right to the head 44 seconds into the round.
Pacheco’s cornermen had seen enough, asking referee Jorge Alonso
to stop the fight. For Pacheco, of Colombia, it was his first career
loss in 31 professional fights and seventh title defense.

***************************************************************************
Darchinyan destroys Pacheco, wins flyweight world title
By Anthony Cocks, DHB Site Editor (December 17, 2004)

Doghouse Boxing, Canada
Dec 18 2004

Vic ‘Raging Bull’ Darchinyan

Australian-based Armenian Vic ‘Raging Bull’ Darchinyan became the
first Jeff Fenech trained fighter to win a world title when he
knocked out long reigning champion Irene ‘Mambaco’ Pacheco in the
11th round to annex the IBF flyweight title on Thursday night at the
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The 33-year-old Columbian southpaw was knocked down twice in the
fight, once in the tenth and again in the fatal eleventh round. Both
times right hooks did the damage. Pacheco was also deducted a point
for a low blow in round nine and another two points in round ten for
the same infraction.

Darchinyan, an accomplished amateur who relocated to Australia after
competing in the Sydney Olympics, took the fight to Pacheco from the
opening bell and never took his foot off the gas.

Pacheco, who was making the 7th defense of the title he won in 1999
with a 9th round stoppage of Luis Cox Coronado, enjoyed some success
with a body attack in the middle rounds but overall had little answer
to the 28-year-old’s relentless pressure.

Referee Jorge Alonso called a halt to the bout at 0:44 of round 11
after Pacheco was knocked down for a second time.

The fight was originally scheduled to take place on September 3 in
Florida before Hurricane Frances scuttled those plans.

The win is of particular significance to former three division
champion and Hall of Famer Fenech, who despite having trained some of
Australia’s best fighters to world title shots has until today been
unable to win the big one.

With the win Darchinyan moves to 22-0 (17) and joins the illustrious
ranks of Jimmy Carruthers, Rocky Mattioli, Lionel Rose, Johnny
Famechon, Lester Ellis, Barry Michael, Jeff Fenech, Jeff Harding,
Kostya Tszyu and Anthony Mundine as Australians who have won world
titles.

Pacheco suffers his first loss and falls to 30-1 (23).

Australian fight fans can watch a replay of the fight on Fox Sports 2
on Christmas Eve, 24th December 2004 from 7:30pm AEDT.

***************************************************************************
Goodnight, Irene: Darchinyan victorious in title bid
December 18, 2004

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Dec 18 2004

Vic Darchinyan turned on the pugilistic pyrotechnics after the real
life fireworks had finished to give Australia another eastern
European-bred boxing world champion in Florida on Thursday.

Darchinyan, who represented Armenia at the Sydney Olympics,
maintained his own unbeaten record and shattered the one belonging to
International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Irene Pacheco,
stopping the champion in the 11th round of their championship bout at
the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.

Darchinyan knocked Pacheco down in the 10th and 11th rounds before
the Colombian’s corner stepped in.

The Australian won the encounter despite an interruption of several
minutes caused by fireworks exploding nearby and numerous low blows
from a desperate Pacheco, who was deducted a point in both the ninth
and 10th rounds.

“They had to stop the fight for several minutes and we were going
crazy because we knew Vic was getting on top. And when the 10th round
started, Vic just jumped on him,” Darchinyan’s trainer, Jeff Fenech,
said from Florida. “He was hitting Vic in the balls because he was
getting beaten.”

It was 28-year-old Darchinyan’s 22nd consecutive win and Pacheco’s
first defeat in 31 bouts.

The victory also gave three-division world champion Fenech his first
world titleholder as a trainer. “The monkey is finally off my back,”
yelled a jubilant Fenech.

Darchinyan, who registered his 17th KO win, joins IBF
super-lightweight titleholder Kostya Tszyu as Australia’s only
top-level world champions.

“I think I destroyed him because I stopped him,” said Darchinyan, who
registered his 17th KO win. He had vowed before the fight to destroy
33-year-old Pacheco, who had made six successful defences since 1999
but had not fought for 15 months.

Darchinyan followed the advice of Fenech when the fight resumed
following the break between the eighth and ninth rounds.

“Jeff asked me to throw more punches and miss his right jab and throw
my straight left, and I did exactly what Jeff told me,” Darchinyan
said. “I started the fight good, but in a few of the middle rounds, I
started waiting for him because I just wanted to catch him with one
big punch. It wasn’t the right way. Jeff reminded me to throw more
punches.”

Fenech had made it clear what he wanted from Darchinyan.

“After three rounds he was so tired because he’s had such a long
preparation and I was pushing him hard. I got stuck in between a
couple of rounds and said to him: ‘If you don’t listen to me, I’m
going to walk out’,” Fenech said.

“There was some close rounds. Vic hit him with many better punches, I
thought Vic was just in front, but I didn’t want to say to him. I
kept telling him ‘C’mon Vic, we’re behind’.”

***************************************************************************
Vic’s a knock-out
By GRANTLEE KIEZA

Daily Telegraph, Australia
Dec 18 2004

VIC Darchinyan, the mighty atom of Australian boxing, unleashed some
furious fission to win the IBF world flyweight title in Hollywood,
Florida yesterday.

The Sydney Olympian knocked out Colombia’s previously unbeaten Irene
Pacheco in the 11th round before a stunned crowd at the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel.

The 51kg Darchinyan, 28, whose father ran a petrol station in
Armenia, fought as though propelled by rocket fuel, decking the world
titleholder with a southpaw left hook in round 10 and then finishing
him off with the same punch in the 11th.

He now joins interim WBC super-middleweight champ Danny Green as two
world titleholders trained by all-time great Jeff Fenech.

The fight had been halted for 10 minutes between rounds eight and
nine because of exploding fireworks near the venue and the bout was a
cracker from round one.

“This is the greatest moment of my life,” said Darchinyan, who had
dreamed of becoming world champion since he started boxing in Armenia
at the age of eight when he still went by his real first name,
Vakhtang.

“I always believed I could beat Pacheco and now I plan to be world
champion for many years.

“My plan is to unify the title and beat the WBC and WBA champions.”

Darchinyan, who became an Australian citizen in July, is now unbeaten
in 22 fights with 17 knockouts. Pacheco, 33, the world champ since
1999, lost for the first time in 31 fights.

Darchinyan started the bout between the two left-handers in whirlwind
style but the lanky Pacheco, enjoying a 5cm height advantage, fought
back in the middle rounds using long-armed body shots.

Referee Jorge Alonso took a point off Pacheco in round nine for a low
blow and penalised him two more points in round 10 for the same
offence.

But Darchinyan had no intention of winning on points.

The bout, postponed from September 3 as Hurricane Frances struck the
Florida coast, will be telecast on Fox Sports on Christmas Eve.

***************************************************************************
Armenian takes IBF flyweight title

ESPN
Dec 17 2004

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Vic Darchinyan scored an 11th-round technical
knockout of defending champion Irene Pacheco to win the IBF flyweight
title Thursday night.

Darchinyan (22-0, 17 KOs), a native of Armenia now living in
Australia, controlled the pace for most of the bout and finally
knocked down Pacheco in the 10th round with a right to the head.

Darchinyan didn’t let up in the 11th. He unloaded a series of
unanswered shots near the ropes and then dropped Pacheco a second
time with another right to the head 44 seconds into the round.

Pacheco’s cornermen had seen enough, asking referee Jorge Alonso to
stop the fight.

For Pacheco, of Colombia, it was his first career loss in 31
professional fights and seventh title defense.

***************************************************************************
Darchinyan wins IBF flyweight title with TKO of Pacheco

Associated Press
Dec 17 2004

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Vic Darchinyan scored an 11th-round technical
knockout of defending champion Irene Pacheco to win the IBF flyweight
title Thursday night.

Darchinyan, a native of Armenia now living in Australia, controlled
the pace for most of the bout fought outdoors at the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood.

Darchinyan’s gradual dominance began to take its toll on Pacheco in
the 10th round, when Darchinyan sent him to the canvas with a right
to the head.

With a weary Pacheco returning to his corner at the end of the round,
Darchinyan didn’t let up his assault at the beginning of the 11th. He
unloaded a series of unanswered shots near the ropes and then dropped
Pacheco a second time with another right to the head.

Pacheco’s cornermen had seen enough, asking referee Jorge Alonso to
stop the fight at 44 seconds of the round.

For Pacheco, of Colombia, it was his first career loss in 31
professional fights and seventh title defense.

Darchinyan (22-0, 17 KOs) was the busier fighter from the opening
round and didn’t let Pacheco build much of an offense. Pacheco’s
frustrations prompted repeated warnings from Alonso for hitting below
the belt.

The low blows eventually cost Pacheco a point deduction in the ninth
and another two points removed in the 10th.

To add to Pacheco’s miseries, he suffered a deep gash to his right
eyebrow after colliding heads with Darchinyan in the fifth.

The fight was delayed seven minutes before the ninth round because of
a loud fireworks display during a festival adjacent to the fight
facility.

Darchinyan weighed 111 pounds for the bout, while Pacheco weighed
112.

***************************************************************************
Darchinyan stops Pacheco to win IBF flyweight title
by Paul Upham:

SecondsOut
Dec 17 2004

Australian based Armenian “Raging Bull” Vic Darchinyan
22-0 (17) won the IBF flyweight title on Thursday night at the Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, USA with an 11th round
knockout over Colombian Irene Pacheco 30-1 (23). Darchinyan dropped
Pacheco with a left hand in round 10 and again in round 11, before
the corner of 33 year-old Pacheco stopped the fight.

“I am very happy,” Darchinyan told SecondsOut. “Jeff (Fenech) came
into the ring when they stopped the fight and he picked me up. After
much hard work, finally I have become world champion.”

28 year-old Darchinyan first joined Jeff Fenech’s Team Fenech in 2000
after representing his native Armenia at the Sydney Olympic Games.
The three-time world champion and Hall of Famer was very impressed
with what he saw and encouraged him to stay in Australia and turn
professional.

“He went exactly how I thought he would go,” said Fenech. “I thought
that he was going to be a little off. He had been training for so
long. I knew he would go through this tired period and then he just
came back strong as ever.”

The first six rounds of the fight were very close and Fenech reminded
Darchinyan between rounds of what was at stake.

“I thought it was close,” said Fenech. “I thought Vic might have been
in front by one round after nine. It was close and afterwards they
told me that after nine rounds it was even. I had some serious words
to Vic at the end of round eight and nine. I told him a few home
truths and he went out and did the job.”

“It was my fault,” admitted Darchinyan, in describing some slow work
from himself in the middle rounds. “I stopped a bit and Jeff reminded
me to keep punching again.”

In rounds 9 and 10 Pacheco was twice penalised for intentional low
blows. “When he knew that Vic was going to finishing him, he was
punching low on purpose,” said Fenech.

“Pacheco was a good champion,” said Darchinyan. “He had some good
punches to the body. But he was a dirty fighter too. He hit me low
when we were in close.”

After the 9th round, there was an unusual ten-minute delay for safety
reasons due to a large fireworks display next door at the Hard Rock
Hotel.
“It was crazy,” said Fenech. “We weren’t worried about the fireworks.
I told the referee to just let them fight. We were there to win.”

Darchinyan, who arrives back home in Sydney at 8am on Sunday morning,
has no promotional options on him and will not have to make a
mandatory defence until September 2005. Unification bouts with WBC
flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and WBA champion Lorenzo
Parra are a priority.

“I want to stay at flyweight and win the WBC and WBA titles,” said
Darchinyan. “I’ll talk to Jeff and after that, we may move up in
weight.”

If those fights are not possible straight away, Darchinyan has his
eyes fixed on a USA 2000 Olympian.

“I want to fight Brian Viloria,” he said. “I have sparred him before.
I win, no problem.”

***************************************************************************
This compilation was contributed to by:
Sebouh Tashjian
Katia Peltekian

–Boundary_(ID_e1UYdSa7m+2P9t0ydWqZMw)–

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Goodnight-Irene-Darchinyan-victorious-in-title-bid/2004/12/17/1102787280252.html?oneclick=true

Azerbaijan to bar transit cargoes to Armenia across its territory

Azerbaijan to bar transit cargoes to Armenia across its territory
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman

ITAR-TASS News Agency
December 17, 2004 Friday

BAKU, December 17 — Problems on the border between Azerbaijan and
Georgia will be settled when “we are fully certain that not a single
gram of cargoes is transited to Armenia”, said on Friday Azerbaijan
President Ilkham Aliev, speaking in an interview with reporters. He
commented on the situation on the border between the two countries,
where a great number of trains with oil, petroproducts, grain and other
goods congregated over inspections of wagons with transit cargoes.

The head of state noted that as a result of smuggling operations,
falsification and swindling with cargoes, passing across the Azerbaijan
territory to Georgia, “a possibility emerged to sidetrack some of
them to Armenia”. “We have put an end to this and will not permit
such actions at any price,” the president emphasized.

He added that the border with Georgia would open if “a normal regime
of work is established there, otherwise it will remain closed”.

Aliev noted that Azerbaijan’s actions find understanding with the
Georgian leadership. “We understand that this is detrimental to
Azerbaijan and to Georgia to a certain degree, but there is no other
way out,” he stated.

Speaking of relations with Georgia, Aliev said that “there are some
forces, wishing to inflict damage on us”. “We know what these forces
are. They are inside Azerbaijan, but they concentrate mostly outside,”
the Azerbaijan leader continued. “We shall not permit to inflict
damage on the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia
as well as to interfere with our cooperation,” he added.

Azerbaijan started inspecting transit cargoes at the Beyuk-Kyasik rail
station, bordering Georgia, on December 7. According to official data,
this move was prompted by signals that part of cargoes, passing across
Azerbaijan to Georgia, are sidetracked to Armenia.

The multilateral agreement on the development of the transport
Europe-Caucasus-Asia corridor, signed in September 1998, there is
a special reservation of Azerbaijan that its territory should not
be used for transit of goods to Armenia and reception of goods from
that country.

PASADENA: Program gives kids a shot in the arm

Program gives kids a shot in the arm

Organization hopes to raise $200,000 at fundraising
dinner to vaccinate children in Armenia.

Glendale News-Press
December 15, 2004

By Josh Kleinbaum

PASADENA — Until two years ago, children in Armenia
received one vaccination, paid for by international
aid organization UNICEF. The vaccination only covered
measles, leaving children exposed to a handful of
other diseases, including mumps and congenital
rubella.

Outbreaks of mumps began rippling through the young
population of Armenia, said Kathryn Donovan, a UNICEF
spokeswoman. Adults suffered from rubella, leading to
unhealthy newborns.

“Untreated mumps, while not fatal, can have serious
health consequences,” Donovan said.

A Glendale-based organization is giving the next
generation of Armenians a shot in the arm, quite
literally. The Millennium Armenian Children’s Vaccine
Fund is raising $1.5 million to vaccinate every child
in Armenia for diphtheria, hepatitis B, mumps,
measles, rubella, pertussis, polio, tetanus and
tuberculosis. At 6:30 tonight, the fund will hold a
gala fundraising dinner to try to raise the final
$200,000.

“This is the one sector of aid or health that reaches
every single person who was born in Armenia,” said
Eliza Karagezian, the fund’s director. “All of the
other projects are necessary or important, but none of
them touches every single person the way that our
project does. Starting off a new generation of
children in Armenia on a healthy foot is extremely
important. The first step of a healthy democracy is
having a healthy population.”

Michael Mahdesian, former deputy director, Bureau for
Humanitarian Response United States Agency for
International Development, and Lise Grandé, United
Nations Development Program Resident Representative to
Armenia, will speak at the $200 per person gala at the
Craven’s Estate, 430 Madeline Drive in Pasadena. Actor
Mike Connors will be a special guest.

Organizers hope the fundraiser will complete the $1.5
million two-year fundraising effort, which is expected
to vaccinate 37,000 Armenian children per year for the
next 15 years.

“What I love about this program is fact that a little
bit of effort yields a great good,” said Tamar
Kevonian, publisher of Mosaix, an Armenian lifestyles
magazine, who will serve as master of ceremonies.
“It’s a finite project, not something that people have
to contribute to every year. There’s a lot of other
organizations that provide assistance, but this is on
such a molecular level. If we don’t keep these kids
healthy, they can’t grow up to take advantage of
education benefits, career benefits, anything.”

Karagezian said tickets will be available at the door.
For more information, call 291-6490.

,1,5462749.story

–Boundary_(ID_j3cCImG2P7So4yKap4YqmQ)–

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/glendale/news/la-gnp-vaccine15dec15

ANKARA: ‘Brave Support’ from French President Chirac to Turkey

‘Brave Support’ from French President Chirac to Turkey

The Journal of Turkish Weekly
Dec 16 2004

French President Jacques Chirac in an interview to TF1 TV has said
that Turkey could join the European Union – if it complies in full
with entry requirements, and partial membership was not an option.
Chrirac said membership negotiations can be started in 2005.

President Chirac spoke after the European Parliament (EP) voted to
approve the start of accession talks. In their non-binding vote,
passed by 407 votes to 262, MEPs called on EU leaders to open entry
talks with Turkey “without undue delay”.

This week the EU leaders will meet with Turkish counterparts in
Brussels, and they will decide on Friday whether negotiations with
Turkey will start or not.

Mr Chirac stressed that the EU would benefit from having Turkey aboard.

“Does Europe, and particularly France, have an interest in Turkey
joining it?” he asked in a live interview on French TV.

“My answer is… ‘Yes, if Turkey totally meets the conditions we
impose on any candidate for our union’.”

Chirac: “Partial Membership is not an Option”

Mr Chirac suggested that partial membership for Turkey, as suggested
by some of his own supporters in France, was not an option.

“To ask a country like Turkey, a great country with a rich and long
history, to make a considerable effort to reach a risky or partial
result is not reasonable,” he said.

If Ankara met all its accession obligations, he continued, it should
not be turned away at the last moment.

“We will take a very heavy responsibility for history if, faced with a
people who tell us ‘We have adopted all your values, all your rules,
all your objectives’ ,we tell them, ‘Eh, no thanks’,” the French
leader said.

President Chirac’s clear support for Turkey is found brave by the
EU experts: “There is a strong opposition and manipulation against
Turkey in France. Extreme nationalists and religionists with extreme
Armenian and Greek lobbies do anything possible in order to block
Turkey’s membership. Under these curcumstances Chirac gave a vivid
support for Turkey’s EU bid. And this should be appreciated. Simply
a brave decision” said Dr. Selin Akyuz from the ISRO.

‘Meaningful’

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the vote as
“very meaningful” but warned that his country would walk away if
confronted by any “unacceptable conditions”.

‘Red Lines’

Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul set out
four “red lines” his country would not cross:

– Negotiations must have Turkey’s complete membership as the final aim

– Turkey must not be forced to extend diplomatic recognition to the
Republic of Cyprus

– The decision to start talks must not be conditional on subsequent
decisions by EU leaders

– There should be no special conditions imposed permanently on Turkey.

–Boundary_(ID_sd2/1rhZJeMLmFp7jx5nZw)–

Europe’s Turkish challenge

BBC News
Dec 14 2004

European Press Review

Europe’s Turkish challenge

The French newspaper Le Figaro comments on France’s decision to ask
Ankara to admit that the killing of hundreds of thousands of
Armenians during World War I amounted to genocide.

“The French authorities are trying to give assurances to French
public opinion and the elected representatives … who are hostile to
Turkey joining the European Union.”

Noting that the request will be put to Turkey during membership
talks, the paper says France has “never before established such a
clear link” between the Armenian deaths and talks on Turkey’s
membership of the EU.

The paper recalls that French-Turkish ties were strained in 2001 when
France termed the killings “genocide”.

“By demanding that Ankara recognises the Armenian tragedy of 1915,
Paris risks reopening an old wound,” the paper warns.

Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten is more concerned about Turkey’s neighbour,
Cyprus.

In calling for improved relations on the island at a crucial moment
for Turkey, Cyprus is “obviously attempting to take Turkey hostage in
an attempt to have a Cyprus solution imposed without contributing
anything itself,” the paper believes.

“The precarious situation shows that it was a major mistake to allow
the Republic of Cyprus into the EU as long as the problem of the
divided Mediterranean island had not been solved.”

For Sweden’s Expressen, “old Europe” fears that Turkish membership
will scupper European integration are misplaced.

“The EU is above all a peace project”, it explains.

“Turkey offers an opportunity to tear down the wall of the 21st
Century – the one between the West and the Muslim world”.

Paris doit composer avec opinion publique hostile a ladhesion turque

Agence France Presse
13 décembre 2004 lundi 12:53 PM GMT

Paris doit composer avec une opinion publique hostile à l’adhésion
turque (PAPIER D’ANGLE)

Par Suzette BLOCH

PARIS 13 déc

Une forte majorité de Français est hostile à l’entrée de la Turquie
dans l’Union Européenne, mettant les autorités françaises, qui y sont
au contraire favorables, dans une position délicate à la veille du
sommet européen des 16 et 17 décembre.

Un sondage publié lundi dans Le Figaro montre que 67% de Français se
déclarent opposés à une Turquie européenne. 39% d’entre eux
expliquent ce refus par le fait que “les droits de l’Homme n’y sont
toujours pas respectés” et 34% parce qu’il “y a trop de différences
religieuses et culturelles”.

Les Français ne sont cependant pas fermés à la discussion puisque 54%
des sondés sont favorables à l’ouverture des négociations d’adhésion.

Cette hostilité contraint le gouvernement à répéter inlassablement
que “négociations d’adhésion” ne veut pas dire “adhésion” et que
toutes les options restent ouvertes.

“Ceux qui prétendent que la Turquie va inévitablement, dès demain
matin, entrer dans l’Union, mentent”, a ainsi déclaré le ministre des
Affaires étrangères Michel Barnier lundi dans Le Parisien.

La France souhaite que le sommet européen qui décidera de l’ouverture
des négociations d’adhésion en fixe la date à fin 2005 ou début 2006
soit après le référendum sur la Constitution européenne. Elle veut
éviter que la question turque ne parasite le débat sur la
Constitution européenne, en apportant des arguments aux partisans de
son rejet.

Pour rassurer son opinion publique et sa classe politique, Paris
souhaite également que soit affirmé dans le texte du sommet européen
qu’il s’agit d’un processus ouvert, dont la conclusion n’est pas
garantie, et que soit mentionnée l’option possible d’un “partenariat”
privilégié UE-Turquie, en cas d’échec.

“La conclusion des négociations qui vont s’ouvrir n’est pas écrite.
C’est un processus dont le résultat n’est pas garanti d’avance: La
France souhaite d’ailleurs que ceci soit spécifié vendredi à
Bruxelles”, a indiqué M. Barnier lundi.

Le président Jacques Chirac a déjà tenu à rassurer les Français en
leur promettant qu’ils seront de toute façon, le temps venu,
consultés par référendum sur l’adhésion de la Turquie.

Outre l’opinion publique, la classe politique est également
majoritairement opposée à l’adhésion de la Turquie, notamment au sein
de la droite qui est divisée sur cette question jusqu’au plus haut
niveau.

Jacques Chirac et Michel Barnier ont toujours défendu l’idée d’une
Turquie européenne, allant à l’encontre de l’UMP (Union pour un
mouvement populaire) qui s’est prononcé contre.

“Notre intérêt est qu’une Turquie intégrée soit, le jour venu, notre
frontière définitive au sud-est de l’Europe”, a encore redit lundi M.
Barnier.

A gauche, le PS est plutôt favorable mais pose comme condition la
reconnaissance par Ankara du génocide arménien de 1915. Seuls les
Verts sont totalement en faveur de l’adhésion turque.

“Si un vote avait lieu actuellement, 80% des parlementaires français
voteraient contre”, affirmait récemment un membre de l’entourage de
Michel Barnier. “Cette opposition est fondamentalement due à des
questions de religion”, estimait-il.

Le président de la Conférence des évêques de France, Mgr Jean-Pierre
Ricard, a annoncé cette semaine avoir envoyé une lettre au président
Chirac pour lui faire part de “l’inquiétude de l’Eglise catholique au
sujet du respect des droits fondamentaux en Turquie”.

Turquia no tiene quien le alpauda

El Periódico de Catalunya
12 dic. 2004

TURQUÍA NO TIENE QUIEN LE APLAUDA

CARLOS Elordi

A medida que se acerca la cumbre que habrá de fijar posiciones, el
debate en torno a la entrada de Turquía en la Unión Europea ocupa
cada vez más espacio en las secciones de opinión de los diarios y
semanarios serios de nuestro continente. Y si algo se deduce de unas
y otras aportaciones es que son pocos, aunque a la cabeza de ellos
figuren nada menos que Chirac y Schröder, los partidarios firmes, sin
ambages, del sí. Muchos otros ponen pegas, matizan, proponen
retrasos. Y unos cuantos se oponen abiertamente a la idea.

Rudolph Scharping, exministro y expresidente del partido
socialdemócrata alemán, lo ha dicho muy claro en LE FIGARO: “No hay
duda alguna de que en el actual estado de cosas, Turquía no está en
condiciones de convertirse en miembro de la UE. Aunque ese país haya
llevado a cabo progresos sorprendentes y en plazos muy cortos, aún
sigue muy lejos del objetivo: la sociedad civil dista mucho de ser
estable; Turquía no asume la totalidad de su historia, y
concretamente el genocidio armenio. No están garantizados los
derechos de la mujer. Los ciudadanos turcos siguen siendo el mayor
colectivo de refugiados políticos en Alemania. Habrá que esperar
muchos años y algunos conflictos para ver si el control civil sobre
los militares y la prohibición de la tortura son pilares reales y
aceptados de una democracia fundada en un verdadero estado de
derecho”.

En un debate que ha publicado LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR, Daniel Cohn
Bendit, actual portaestandarte del europeísmo más entusiasta, ha
defendido una postura (más o menos la de “veamos que ocurre y
decidamos luego”) que, si no fuera porque se argumenta con
reflexiones fundadas, podría ser calificada de frívola. “Yo estoy por
la apertura de negociaciones, sin que por ello sepa cómo van a
terminar. En el actual estadio de nuestra historia debemos intentar
el milagro del Bósforo sin saber si se producirá. Al final del
periodo de prueba, no será la adecuación de las legislaciones lo que
nos permitirá confirmar que existe una comunidad de valores y que
podemos llevar a cabo la ampliación, sino la evolución global del
nivel de vida, la actitud hacia la religión, la laicidad, la
condición de la mujer. …”. Concluye con pragmatismo: En definitiva,
si dentro de diez años Turquía se convierte en ‘La Meca de la
democracia’, con un Islam secularizado de forma democrática, la
integración no sólo sería posible, sino deseable. Negarse a esa
perspectiva sería hacer el juego a los islamistas radicales”.
A más corto plazo, parece que Europa no tendrá más remedio que
resolver el contencioso que él éxito de ventas de los aviones Airbus
ha generado con los Estados Unidos. Porque si hasta LOS ANGELES
TIMES, tal vez el más anti-Bush de los grandes diarios
norteamericanos, se ha desmelenado en sus ataques a Bruselas con tal
motivo, hay que suponer que el ambiente está que arde en aquel lado
del océano: “Las relaciones transatlánticas, actualmente deterioradas
por el conflicto e Irak, pueden empeorar significativamente si EEUU y
la UE no resuelven su más importante disputa comercial. Los altos
subsidios con los que los gobiernos europeos apoyan al Airbus en su
competición con Boeing violan las leyes comerciales internacionales.
El gobierno Bush hace bien presionando a los europeos”, ha escrito el
gran diario californiano.

Foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia meet in Brussels

Kazinform, Kazakhstan
Dec 10 2004

Foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia meet in Brussels

Baku. December 10. KAZINFORM. On the eve of the Euro Atlantic
Partnership Council /EAPC/ session in Brussels, Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia met in presence of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs to discuss on the base of the so-called “Prague process”
the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan
announced, AzerTaj reports. Addressing the EAPC session participants,
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov expressed the need
to further develop political dialogue with NATO allies and partners
to strengthen security in the region.
“Security Cooperation between NATO and Partners in the South Caucasus
will enhance the prospects for tackling the complex problems of the
region”, he said.
He also touched the illegal settling of ethnic Armenians in the
occupied territories saying “transfer of settlers into the occupied
territories runs counter to sincere and serious negotiations,”
Speaking of the successful cooperation of Azerbaijan with the
Northern Atlantic Alliance, Minister Mammadyarov focused on
Azerbaijan’s active involvement in the peacemaking operations in
Kosovo and Afghanistan, as well as the international coalition in
Iraq.
“There has been very good progress on cooperation not only in the
military sphere.
Border security, science, environment, civil emergency and public
affairs represent new developing areas of partnership between
Azerbaijan and NATO,” he continued.
In Brussels, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also met with Foreign
Minister of France Michel Barnier, European Union Foreign Policy
Chief Javier Solana and EU Special Representative on South Caucasus
Heike Talvitie.

Azerbaijan will strengthen its armed forces

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 10, 2004, Friday

AZERBAIJAN WILL STRENGTHEN ITS ARMED FORCES

Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is not the topic of negotiations –
it must be restored, and the invaders must leave the republic’s
territory. Only after that the issue of the peace treaty can be
raised. (…) This statement was made by President Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan at a government meeting on December 7. (…)

Azerbaijan will focus on military construction. (…) Aliyev stated:
“The defense budget will increase by 30% next year. Later on we will
be able to increase it by 50%, 100% and 200%. Azerbaijan’s economic
potential makes this task realistic. Armenia cannot compete with us.
Armenia’s budget amounts to only $500 million. Azerbaijan spends $250
million on its army.”

Source: Turan information agency (Baku), December 8, 2004

Translated by Alexander Dubovoi

AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian Students Earn High Marks in AP 2004 Awards

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, December 9, 2004

AGBU MANOOGIAN-DEMIRDJIAN SCHOOL STUDENTS EARN HIGH MARKS IN AP
SCHOLAR AWARDS 2004: SELECTED FROM OVER ONE MILLION STUDENTS

New York, NY – Thirty-nine students at AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
School have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board
in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level
Advanced Placement Program (AP®) Exams.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers students the
opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in
high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or
both for successful performance on the AP Exams.

About 17 percent of the more than one million high school students in
almost 15,000 secondary schools worldwide who took AP Exams performed
at a sufficiently high level to merit the recognition of AP
Scholar. At AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, 39 percent of all
students who took AP Exams in May 2004 have earned AP Scholar Awards.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on
student performance on AP exams. At AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian, three
students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award, eleven students
qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award, five students
qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award, and twenty students
qualified for the AP Scholar Award.

Most American colleges and universities award credit, advanced
placement, or both based on successful performance on the AP
Exams. More than 1,400 institutions award a full year’s credit
(sophomore standing) to students presenting a sufficient number of
qualifying grades.

The College Board’s mission is to connect high school students to
college success and opportunity. The College Board is committed to the
principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied
in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

Established in 1976, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian () is
one of AGBU’s largest Armenian schools in the Diaspora and continues
to serve Southern California’s growing Armenian community.

For more information on AGBU and its programs around the world, please
visit,

www.agbu.org
www.agbumds.org
www.agbu.org.