Author: Karagyozian Lena

Controversial EP Report on Turkey Faces Voting Next Week
By Cihan News Agency

Zaman, Turkey
Sept 22 2006

Friday, September 22, 2006
zaman.com

The controversial report on Turkey prepared by Dutch rapporteur Camiel
Eurlings will be discussed and voted on in the European Parliament
(EP) General Assembly next week.

The draft report on Turkey’s progress towards accession to the EU and
the reforms is to be discussed in the European parliament on Tuesday.

The provision, making the recognition of so-called Armenian, Pontus
Greek and Syriac genocides a precondition for Turkey’s EU membership,
is expected to be removed from the draft with motions. Certain
amendments are also expected to be made on the Cyprus issue in favor
of Turkey, a diplomatic source said.

The report will be discussed on Tuesday afternoon and the European
Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn will attend the meeting. The
voting of the report is to take place on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, the EP Foreign Affairs Committee approved Camiel
Eurlings’ report on Turkey. The report called on Turkey to recognize
the alleged killing of Armenians during WWI as genocide and to open
its ports to Greek Cypriot traffic.

The Turkish foreign ministry rejected the report, saying that it
lacked common sense and smacked of political bias.

The draft report insists that there are persistent shortcomings in
areas such as freedom of expression, religious, minority and women’s
rights in Turkey.

Yuri Merzlyakov: OSCE MG Proposal Acceptable for Armenia on Whole

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2006 14:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Azeri side responded to the OSCE MG Co-chairs’
proposals in written form, OSCE MG Russian Co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov
said. In his words, Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov handed the reply at
the London meeting September 13. "However, Mr. Mammadyarov warned
that this not a final reply, the document can be presented to the
other side after the co-chairs rework at it, and it is agreed upon
with the Azerbaijani side," the Russian diplomat said.

According to him, the Armenian side made an oral statement that the
text is acceptable but for some resolution amendments.

Yuri Merzlyakov remarked that the meeting of the Armenian and Azeri
FMs will not take place within the framework of the 61st session
of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. They will hold separate
meetings with the mediators. The Russian diplomat said that September
12 in Paris the Armenian Minister warned he will refuse to meet with
Mammadyarov in case the issue of ‘frozen conflicts’ is included in
the session agenda. "On the day of meeting with Mammadyarov it was
announced that GUAM’s proposal was not passed in the General Assembly
and we agreed on the ministerial meeting in New York. But then the
proposal was passed with one odd vote and Oskanian said he will not
meet with Mammadyarov but will hold consultations with the Co-chairs,"
Merzlyakov said, reported APA.

Ahmadinejad proclaims respect for pope but Iran has strange anti-Catholic coalition
by Dariush Mirzai

AsiaNews.it, Italy
21 September, 2006

IRAN – VATICAN

Foreigners, Armenians and minorities have taken to the streets, but
the "students" have not. Tomorrow, however, the Islamic Propagation
Office has called a rally in Teheran to "show anger and hatred".

Teheran (AsiaNews) – Despite Ahmadinejad’s proclamations of "respect"
for Benedict XVI, the anti-pope controversy is not yet over in the
Islamic republic of Iran. However, there is no popular uprising and
the regime so far has not used the fervent ranks of "bassij", the
"students", as it did in the controversy about the Muhammad cartoons
in February. But tomorrow, Friday, a day of prayer, the

Islamic Propagation Office has invited Iranian Muslims to a
demonstration in Teheran, to "show the anger and hatred" of the
faithful against the "anti-Islamic" statements of the pope.

The tenors of the regime, the Supreme Guide Khamenei and the powerful
and very rich Hashemi Rafsanjani, stoked controversy against the pope,
accusing him of collusion with Zionist and US circles (Khamenei)
or of "irrationality" (Rafsanjani).

Yesterday’s demonstrations were quite strange: authorised if
not organised by the authorities, they gathered "strangers" and
"minorities". A group of Armenians and other demonstrators gathered
outside Hosseinieh Ershad mosque to protest against the pope’s
"anti-Islamic" attitude. In Iran, the Armenians constitute quite
an important minority that enjoys historic status of "privileged"
inferiority. What’s more, they are Orthodox, but there is also an
Armenian Catholic community – a Salesian priest of Armenian rite
was recently ordained in Teheran. This demonstration is one of those
typical signs of "peace" and obedience that allow Iranian minorities
to survive.

Another particular demonstration was that held by foreign Islamic
"seminarians" of Qom, including a group of Americans who shouted,
apart from the classic "Down with America" and "Down with Israel",
a bizarre "Down with the pope". Gathered outside Qom’s World Center
for Islamic Sciences, they approved a manifesto addressed to "Mr Pope"
and accused Christianity of having caused the last two world wars
and thus of being without reason and without any right to criticize
the use of violence in the name of religion.

Photos of the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Nasrallah, have been
taken down from the streets of Teheran and right now, the faces of
"martyrs" (shahid) from the Iraq war are exposed.

On Friday at 7am, a traditional military parade will take place
near the Mausoleum of Khomeini. In this atmosphere, the next attack
of propaganda should not target religious minorities but rather
"arrogant" states opposed to Iran’s nuclear policy. This was announced
by Ahmadinejad’s address in New York yesterday.

INDEPENDENCE – GREATEST DREAM AND GREATEST RESPONSIBILITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.09.2006 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 15 years of Armenia’s independence were hard
and full of losses but it was also the time of great victories and
achievements, self-affirmation and renaissance of national values,
says the congratulatory address of Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Tigran Torosian on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Armenia’s
independence. "Thanks to the unlimited strength of our people we
could counteract the ordeals. Today we have two Armenian states
and our borders are well secured. Armenia has an efficient army
and state system," the message says. Tigran Torosian underscored
that the Armenian people still face challenges and problems. "These
are the international recognition of the NKR, creation of proper
living conditions for the people, who experienced the hardships of
independence formation, and worthy representation of a strong state
within the international community. Independence is a great dream and
great responsibility at the same time. I congratulate the Armenian
people with the 15th anniversary of independence and wish happiness,
prosperity and every success," the RA Parliament Speaker said,
reported the RA NA press office.

GEORGIAN OFFICIALS HAIL RUSSIA PLAN FOR EARLY BASE PULLOUT

RIA Novosti
21:49 | 19/ 09/ 2006

TBILISI, September 19 (RIA Novosti) – Georgia’s Defense Ministry
voiced its approval Tuesday for Russia’s decision to complete an
ahead-of-schedule withdrawal of its two Soviet-era military bases in
the Caucasus country, as a train carrying the last batch of hardware
from one of the bases left Georgia.

Under an agreement signed by Russia and Georgia on March 31, Russian
troops and military hardware are to leave the bases in the southern
city of Akhalkalaki and the western city of Batumi by 2008.

General Andrei Popov, Russia’s chief military commander in the South
Caucasus, said a total of 727 units of hardware and 2626.6 metric
tons of arms, ammunition, and general equipment had left Georgia for
bases in Russia and Armenia since the beginning of this year.

"The 2006 plan for the withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia can
be considered 100% implemented," Popov said.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 15, 2006 Friday 09:03 AM EST

Russian prosecutors looking for true causes of ethnic conflicts

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office will generalize the
information about ethnic conflicts to see their true causes, Deputy
Prosecutor General Alexander Buksman told reporters, answering their
questions about the incident in the town of Volsky, Saratov region.

“At present, the Prosecutor General’s Office is generalizing the
information about such events, in order to find out the true causes
that lead to such situations,” Buksman said.

The incident occurred in a Volsky cafe in the evening on September
10. Three local residents came up to a table where Armenian
construction workers were taking a meal. A row flared up which
escalated into a knife fight. The injured were taken to hospital,
where one of them, a local resident, died. The other brawlers
escaped.

Regional law-enforcement bodies see no connection between the
incident and ethnic hate, regional police spokesman Alexei Yegorov
told Itar-Tass on Friday.

“We see no connection between the incident and ethnic hate. Local
residents have always had friendly relations with representatives of
other nationalities. It was a domestic incident,” he underlined.

A criminal case was opened over the fatal fight. The participants in
the brawl have been put on the wanted list. A more precise evaluation
of what has happened will be made after they have been caught,
investigators said.

In late August, two persons were killed and another four were
seriously injured in a mass fight in the Karelian town of Kondopoga.
Prosecutors opened criminal proceedings over the murder of two or
more persons and hooliganism committed by a group of persons.

Six people were detained on suspicion of involvement and one was put
on the wanted list.

Another criminal case was opened over the mass fight near the Chaika
restaurant. On Thursday, Karelian prosecutors brought charges against
Sergei Mozgalyov, 33, the main instigator of the restaurant fight. He
was charged under several counts, including bodily harm with the use
of weapons, and hooliganism-motivated violence.

Azeri Press Agency

Zhelyu Zhelev: Kosovo is the Balkans’ Nagorno Garabagh

[ 16 Sen. 2006 15:50 ]

`Kosovo is the Balkans’ Nagorno Garabagh,’ former
Bulgarian President & Balkan Political Club president
Zhelyu Zhelev said in his visit in Yerevan, APA
reports.

He said the separation of Kosovo from Serbia might
cause precedent.
`There are about one million Albans on Albania-Greece
border and two million Hungarians in Rumania. Kosovo’s
independence might cause other nations to determine
their fortune and gain independence too,’ he said.
/APA/

PRESS RELEASE
U.S. Embassy Yerevan
1 American Avenue
Yerevan, Armenia 0082
Telephone: (+374 10) 46-47-00
Email: [email protected]

September 14, 2006

U.S. Embassy Invites Armenian-Americans to U.S. Assistance Presentation

The U.S. Embassy welcomes all U.S. citizens visiting Armenia to
participate in the September 18-20 Armenian Diaspora Conference to
attend a presentation of U.S. government assistance programs in Armenia
at the U.S. Embassy (1 American Avenue) This event will follow the
concluding session of the Diaspora Conference and will take place on
Wednesday, September 20 at 2:30 p.m. America is fully engaged to help
Armenia become a more secure, more democratic and more prosperous place
for all who live here, thereby becoming a stronger partner for the
United States.

The U.S Embassy invites all those interested in attending the event to
register by 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 19, by sending an email with
their name to [email protected]. All those who register must present a
U.S. passport and must arrive by 2:30 p.m. in order to enter the U.S.
Embassy.

Only those who have registered prior to the event and have a valid U.S.
passport will be allowed to attend.

The Embassy event will include:

* Presentations by U.S. Charge D’Affaires Anthony Godfrey, USAID
Director Robin Phillips and Millennium Challenge Corporation Country
Director Alex Russin
* An opportunity to learn about various aspects of U.S Government
assistance to Armenia
* The screening of Bridges for the Future, a film on
American-Armenian Diaspora and U.S. government partnerships in Armenia
* Optional visits for a limited number of participants to
assistance sites outside Yerevan

PRESS RELEASE
Burbank School Board Member Paul Krekorian
Contact: Adrin Nazarian
Tel: 818-512-4045

September 12, 2006

PAUL KREKORIAN EARNS STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT IN RACE FOR STATE ASSEMBLY

Paul Krekorian, Burbank School Board member and the Democratic nominee
for the State Assembly, has announced two major environmental
endorsements. Both the Sierra Club California and the California
League of Conservation Voters have formally endorsed Krekorian for the
upcoming November general election.

The Sierra Club was founded by John Muir in 1892 and is by far the
largest environmental organization in California, with approximately
200,000 members. "This year, environmental issues–especially in
relation to energy issues, are front and center in races across the
country," said Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club’s Political Director. "The
real strength of the Sierra Club endorsement is mobilizing our members
to support candidates with a record of protecting clean air, clean
water and special places. We’ll do everything we can to help these
pro-environmental candidates win."

The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) is the
non-partisan political action arm of the state’s environmental
movement. CLCV’s mission is to protect the environmental quality of
the state by increasing public awareness of the environmental
performance of all elected officials, working to elect environmentally
responsible candidates, and holding them accountable to the
environmental agenda once elected.

The 43rd Assembly District includes Glendale, Burbank, Los Feliz,
Silver Lake, North Hollywood, Van Nuys and Valley Village.

# # #

GEORGIAN AND ARMENIAN MFAS HOLD CONSULTATIONS ON RA CITIZENS’ DETENTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.09.2006 16:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Presently the RA Foreign Ministry is holding talks
with the Georgian MFA on the fact of Armenian citizens’ detention,
RA MFA Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

In his words there were cases of detention of Armenian citizens in
Georgia. "We constantly contact with the Georgian Foreign Ministry
and the Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi," Vladimir Karapetian remarked.

Meanwhile, RA Embassy advisor Levon Hakobian refused to answer the
question whether the information on detention of 100 Armenian citizens
corresponds to reality. "We are not empowered to comment on the issue,"
he underscored.