Author: Nahapetian Boris

A1 Plus | 18:32:24 | 07-05-2004 | Politics |

AUTHORITIES HAVE NO INTENTION TO FULFIL THEIR CE COMMITMENTS

Republic party came up with a statement Friday pointing out facts of
Armenian Constitution and PACE 1374 resolution violation by Armenian
authorities.

In a clear breach of the Constitution and the PACE above- mentioned
resolution,

Yerevan Municipality refused to authorize peaceful rally;

On May 4, roads to Armenian capital were blocked in a bid to prevent people
from attending the rally;

New arrests were made;

Political prisoners’ motions to release them from pre-trial detention were
denied;

Media outlets were bared from operating.

Armenian congress meets to discuss mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire
AP Online
May 06, 2004

The Worldwide Armenian Congress began meeting here on Thursday to
discuss its efforts to receive international recognition of the mass
killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

Ara Abramian, head of the Worldwide Armenian Congress, said their goal
would be a full and final acknowledgment from the international
community.

“This envisions also an acknowledgment of genocide from Turkey and the
resolution of all related issues based on international law,” he said.

Armenia accuses Turkey of the genocide of up to 1.5 million Armenians
between 1915 and 1919, when Armenia was under the Ottoman
Empire. Turkey rejects the claim and says Armenians were killed in
civil unrest during the collapse of the empire.

Armenia has pushed for the United States and other nations to declare
the killings a genocide based on well-documented historical
evidence. Many countries, including Russia and France, have officially
recognized the event as genocide, along with some U.S. states.

The conference organizers, which also include the Armenian Institute
of International Law and Politics in Moscow, also planned to discuss
ways to unify the Armenian position on the issue, particularly in
regard to questions of territorial or material compensation.

A unified position “is very important for Turkey and for our
supporters and opponents so that everyone can understand what would be
the consequences and the limits of Armenian demands,” said Andranik
Migranian, a well-known political expert, who acknowledged divergent
views among political parties in Armenia, the Armenian government and
the large Armenian Diaspora.

The meeting, behind held in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, also
planned to discuss issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan, as well as prospects for improving
Turkey-Armenian relations.

YEREVAN TO RESPOND TO PACE RESOLUTION ON SITUATION IN COUNTRY

06.05.2004 16:50

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian does not agree with
some formulas in the descriptive part of the PACE resolution on the domestic
situation in the country, the state leader told journalists in Yerevan
today. In his words, such definitions, as e.g. “political oppression” are
especially displeasing. R. Kocharian reported that one of these days
official Yerevan will prepare its response on the descriptive part of the
resolution and the special opinion will be presented to the Council of
Europe before July, as the document requires. In the President’s words,
Armenia is a Council of Europe member and “is fully entitled to protect its
official point of view regarding the PACE resolution.” “The Council of
Europe is not a place where unilateral decisions can be made,” he
emphasized. It should be reminded that the resolution the PACE passed last
week calls on the authorities and opposition of Armenia to refrain from
violence and to sit at the bargaining table.

Associated Press Worldstream
May 5, 2004 Wednesday

Armenian president signs into law a measure on rallies

YEREVAN, Armenia

Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed into law on Wednesday on
measure on public gatherings that limits where they can be held but
that provides for penalizing officials if they block legitimate
rallies.

The law came as Armenia undergoes a wave of opposition protests
calling for Kocharian’s resignation.

The law calls for rallies to be prohibited within 150 meters (about
500 feet) of places of strategic or state significance. That
designation could include the presidential palace, where police
forcefully broke up a large rally last month, injuring some
demonstrators and detaining more than 100.

However, the measure also calls for says national and local officials
can be subject to criminal or administrative punishment if they
illegally hinder the organization of mass demonstrations.

Justice Minister David Arutyunian said the final version of the draft
law took into account most of the changes recommended by the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Among the changes was elimination of a clause that would have
considered journalists and other non-participants in a rally legally
responsible in connection with a gathering’s actions.

Artur Bagdasarian, speaker of the Armenian parliament, said that
lawmakers couldn’t address all of the opposition’s complaints about
the new law, calling some of them unrealistic. However, he said they
could propose a parliamentary initiative to make changes or additions
to the law.

AZERI MINISTER REVEALS DETAILS OF KARABAKH TALKS

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
30 Apr 04

BAKU

The next meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers
will be held on 12 May, most probably on the sidelines of a session of
the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Council of Europe in
Strasbourg, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told
journalists today.

Asked by an ITAR-TASS correspondent whether the sides were ready for
compromises, the foreign minister said that “this is a subject of
negotiations”. “We are discussing a number of ideas,” Mammadyarov
said, adding that one of them was the liberation of seven districts of
Azerbaijan in exchange for the reopening of transport links with
Armenia.

The foreign minister believes that a useful exchange of opinion was
held between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents within the
framework of the European economic forum in Warsaw on 28 April. He
also said that Baku had given the green light to Ankara’s initiative
to hold a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.

A1 Plus | 20:01:28 | 03-05-2004 | Politics |

ARMENIA IS BADLY IN NEED OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH

If Armenia wants to become truly democratic country it needs freedom of
speech, especially in struggle against corruption, the head of World Bank’s
Armenian office Roger Robinson said at the discussion dedicated to
International Freedom of Speech Day held Monday in Yerevan Press Club.

The Club Chair Boris Navasardyan said to put into practice freedom of speech
principle many issues, such as A1+ Company problem, should be reconsidered
and solved.

Astkhik Gevorgyan, the head of the Journalists’ Union, said Cooperation in
the Name of Open Society organization came up with a statement Monday
demanding law enforcement authorities to track down perpetrators of last
month’s violence and prosecute them to the full extent of the law. There is
also demand in the statement to remove articles 135,136 and 318 from Penal
Code.

The fact that A1+ TV Company has been repeatedly denied broadcasting license
proves that Armenian Radio and Television National Commission isn’t guided
by principles of impartiality and justice.

Goergian Times
April 23 2004

Karabagh armed forces – an example for Abkhazia

N. Alyev E. Alekperove. Azeri newspaper `Echo’. Baku

Media outlets again report that the separatist republics in South
Caucasus are going to establish close military cooperation with one
another.
`Strong Abkhaz state guarantees security and human right protection
for Armenian population. This position is shared in Armenia as well.
I think Armenian political circles in Abkhazia see a geopolitical
ally in South Caucasus. I would like to underline the fact that the
outlines of cooperation and mutual understanding has been established
with the mountainous Karabkha republic,’ said Prime Minister of
breakaway Abkhazia Raul Khajimba at the session of Armenian
community.
Abkhaz separatists have been holding close relations with the
Karabagh administration. As Afsni-press news agency reports, `the
government uses the military experience of the Karabagh military
forces.’ That manifests that the mutual cooperation would serve as a
steady basis for Armenian-Abkhaz cooperation,’ said Khajimba.

Azerbaijani does not take the similar statements at face value. Mirza
Metini, head of press-service of Azeri Foreign Ministry, said that he
had heard similar rhetoric many times before.
`The unrecognized separatist republic endeavor to draw attention of
the world community. Let’s just recall the case of Dnetre coastal
when Armenian and Dnetr separatists claimed they would assist one
another in the fight for independence. But all that is just
statements and nothing more.’

Mirza admits he can `hardly imagine how Armenian and Abkhaz
separatists can assist one another while none of them have military
potential’. He says neither Georgia nor Azerbaijan recognize the
self-proclaimed republics.

When given a similar question Ramiz Melikov, spokesman for the
Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan, replied that the statements by the
so-called Prime Minister should not be taken serious. The mountainous
Karabagh and Abkhazia are separatist regions. International community
does not usually respond to actions of unrecognized republics.’
Azeri newspaper Eko has connected the Georgian embassy to Azerbaijan
to get comments. The embassy official stressed that neither he is
going to comment on the statements of the so-called Prime Minister
who is not recognized by a single country.

Military expert Ezeri Japarov remarked: `Lately separatist republics
have intensified relations and consultations at the level of the so
called `ministries of foreign affairs’. They continue meeting one
another and try to draw attention of international community.

The expert says their efforts are vain as none of the state
recognizes their existence. Japarov said that there cannot be any
kind of military cooperation between the breakaway regions.
Abkhazia’s and Karabgh’s armed forces are nothing but a formation of
beoviks.

Agence France Presse
April 24, 2004 Saturday 7:10 AM Eastern Time

Armenian leader to visit France on Sunday

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharian heads to France on Sunday for a
visit during which he will meet with his French counterpart Jacques
Chirac, his press service said.

“The presidents of Armenia and France will discuss bilateral and
regional cooperation during their meeting,” presidential spokesman
Asmik Petrosyan told AFP.

France, along with Russia and the United States, is a co-chair of the
Minsk Group, a 13-nation grouping within the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that has been seeking to
mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan in their dispute over the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan went to war in the early 1990s
when Nagorno-Karabakh, mainly populated by Armenians, seceded from
Azerbaijan at the time of the Soviet Union’s collapse, and the two
Soviet Caucasian republics became independent.

More than 30,000 people were killed and a million were left homeless
before a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, with Armenia in de facto
control over the mountainous territory inside Azerbaijan.

The two former Soviet republics in the Caucasus remain in an
undeclared state of war over the enclave.

Kocharian is due to leave Paris on Tuesday and head to Warsaw.

Turkey Chides Canada Over Armenia Genocide Vote

22.04.2004

By Gareth Jones

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey on Thursday condemned the Canadian
parliament’s decision to recognize the 1915 killing of Armenians by
Ottoman forces as genocide and warned of damage to bilateral ties.

Canada’s parliament voted 153-68 on Wednesday in support of a motion
classifying the events of 90 years ago as genocide, disregarding an
appeal from the Canadian government.

Armenians say some 1.5 million of their people were deliberately
slaughtered by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923.

Turkey denies charges of genocide, saying Armenians were among victims
of a partisan war during World War One as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.
Ankara accuses Armenians of carrying out massacres while siding with
invading Russian troops.

“We strongly condemn the approval by Canada’s Federal Parliament of this
decision which follows (the pressure of) marginal groups despite our
objections,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“This decision will benefit neither Canadian Armenians nor Armenia.
Responsibility for all the negative consequences of this decision
belongs to the Canadian politicians,” it added.

The ministry did not say what these consequences might be, but Fazli
Corman, the Turkish embassy councillor in Ottawa, earlier cited the
example of Canadian companies seeking to sign contracts in Turkey.

Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham said the motion would not alter
Ottawa’s official policy, that while the events of 1915 were a tragedy,
they did not constitute genocide.

“VOLATILE REGION”

Canada’s embassy in Ankara issued a statement calling for reconciliation
between Turks and Armenians. It also urged their governments to deal
with the issue of the alleged genocide and to work for greater stability
in their “volatile region.”

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border is
closed because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, a
territory populated by Christian Armenians but assigned to Muslim
Azerbaijan in Soviet times. Turkey has close linguistic and cultural
ties with oil-rich Azerbaijan.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry accused “narrow-minded Canadian politicians”
of fomenting ethnic and religious hatred between “people of different
ethnic backgrounds who live in peace.”

Earlier this week, Turkey also criticized a reference to the alleged
genocide on an Armenian monument unveiled in Poland. The word
“slandered” the Turkish nation, the Foreign Ministry said, and hurt
Turkey’s historically warm ties with Poland.

Parliaments in Russia, France and Switzerland, have also adopted motions
describing the events of 1915 as genocide.

Turkey froze official visits to France and temporarily blocked French
firms from entering lucrative defense contracts in 2001 after the French
parliament backed the Armenian case. France is home to Europe’s biggest
Armenian diaspora.

The U.S. Congress dropped a similar resolution in 2000 after the White
House warned it would harm U.S. security interests in the Middle East.

Turkey is a key NATO (news – web sites) ally guarding Europe’s
southeastern flank and its secular democracy is often held up by
Washington as an example to be emulated by the rest of the Muslim world.

ARKA News Agency
April 22 2004

RA Foreign Minister made a report `New Caucasus in Context of
Changing Geopolitics’ in London

October 16 to be celebrated in Armenia as Press Worker Day

RA NA Speaker receive deputies of Bundestag

RA President and German Foreign Minister discuss bilateral relations

John Ordway, the US Ambassador in Armenia: Support of the opposition
doesn’t concern the US and is not in the US interest

On April 21 the House of the Parliament of Canada acknowledges the
Armenian Genocide of 1915

*********************************************************************

RA FOREIGN MINISTER MADE A REPORT `NEW CAUCASUS IN CONTEXT OF
CHANGING GEOPOLITICS’ IN LONDON

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian made a
report `New Caucasus in Context of Changing Geopolitics’ in London,
RA MFA told ARKA. The Minister emphasized four basic problems of
Armenia: security, development, eurointegration and Karabakh
conflict.
Today Oskanian will meet with GB MFA Jack Strow in the frames of his
working meeting in London. L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

OCTOBER 16 TO BE CELEBRATED IN ARMENIA AS PRESS WORKER DAY

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. In accordance to RA Government decision,
October 16 will be celebrated in Armenia as Press Worker Day, RA
Government told ARKA.
On Oct. 16, 1794 first Armenian printed periodic magazine Azdarar was
issued in Madras (India). L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

RA NA SPEAKER RECEIVE DEPUTIES OF BUNDESTAG

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian received
deputies of Bundestag Folker Ruche, Ludger Folmer and Rudolph Bindig,
RA NA told ARKA. The parties discussed expanding of interparliament
relations between Armenia and Germany and eurointegration of South
Caucasus region. `Armenia is ready to regional dialogue for peaceful
settlement of the conflicts’, the Speaker said. L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

RA PRESIDENT AND GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian and German
Foreign Minister, Vice Chancellor Joschka Fischer discussed bilateral
relations. Kocharian highly estimated the level of bilateral
political cooperation and stressed that the visit of Vice Chancellor
is estimated as continuation of dialogue and growth of interest to
South Caucasus in the region.
Talking about Karabakh settlement the parties noted the importance of
creation of atmosphere of trust between the parties. Kocharian said
that he offered Azerbaijan settlement formula by means of
cooperation, which is however is not accepted by Azeri party. He also
represented position of Armenia on Armenian-Turkish relations.
`Armenia has always been for conduction of dialogue without
pre-conditions and always stressed that relations between the parties
must not be determined with our relations with third country’,
Kocharian said.
The parties discussed wide spectrum of Armenian-German bilateral
cooperation and regional issues. The parties noted that activation of
political dialogue between the countries is obvious. The countries
also actively cooperation in international structures. Armenian party
highly estimated realization of development programs with Germany,
namely realization of programs in the sphere of energy, water supply,
infrastructures and small and medium business.
Fischer arrived today in Armenia in the frames of regional visit.
L.D. –0 –

*********************************************************************

JOHN ORDWAY, THE US AMBASSADOR IN ARMENIA: SUPPORT OF THE OPPOSITION
DOESN’T CONCERN THE US AND IS NOT IN THE US INTEREST

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. `Support of the opposition doesn’t concern
the US and is not in the US interests’, stated John Ordway, the US
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Armenia, during the
briefing. As he said, political quest and the issues of further ways
of development of Armenia are to be solved only by Armenians
themselves. `As during the elections, as now we do not support any of
the sides’, said Ordway. He also noted that it’s in the interests of
the US to see Armenia as economically developed and stable country in
the region. A.H. –0–

*********************************************************************

ON APRIL 21 THE HOUSE OF THE PARLIAMENT OF CANADA ACKNOWLEDGES THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. On April 21 the House of the Parliament of
Canada acknowledged the Armenian Genocide of 1915. According to the
press release of RA Embassy in Canada, the decision was adopted by
153 votes to 68. According to the press release, in the adopted
resolution Ì-38 it’s stated that the House acknowledges the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 and condemns this as a crime against humanity. The
resolution was proposed by a member of Bloc Quebecois opposition
party, Ms. Madeline Dalphond-Guiral. According to the press release,
before voting that took place on April 21, the resolution passed two
discussions on February 25 and April 20, in the course of which the
majority was for adoption of the resolution. `Notwithstanding the
threats on the part of the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa, the majority of
the opposition and part of the ruling party voted for the adoption of
the resolution’, according to the statement of the Armenian Embàssy.
According to the press release, acknowledgement of the Armenian
Genocide is a result of consistent work of decades of the Armenian
community in Canada. Besides, many influential figures and community
organizations also have their input in this, as well as the
monotonous and goal -oriented position of RA regarding the issue of
the Armenian Genocide acknowledgement. As it’s stated in the press
release, the Senate of Canada adopted resolution which acknowledged
the Armenian Genocide already on June 13, 2002.
Beginning from the seconds half of the 19th century till 1920 the
Ottoman Empire regularly prosecuted Armenians. The barbarity of the
Ottoman Turkey towards Armenians took place in 1915, when in various
regions of West Armenia, which was a part of Ottoman Turkey, over 1.5
mln of Armenians were massacred. A.H. –0–