Author: Nargizian David

HEAD OF THE CHURCH OF DENMARK MET WITH CATOLICOS OF KILIKIA

A1+
10 Feb 05

The Head of the Church of Denmark, Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen visited
the Catholicosate of Kilikia on the 8th of February and held a meeting
with His Holiness Aram I. The two spiritual leaders discussed issues
related to Christian education and inter-church relations.

His Holiness expressed his belief about the importance of renewing the
ecumenical movement and making it relevant to people’s lives. In this
context, the Catholicos and His Grace also discussed the Middle East,
the birthplace of Christianity. They emphasized the importance of
speeding up the peace process and bringing to a halt the emigration
of Christians.

The Toronto Sun, Canada
February 12, 2005 Saturday
EARLY EDITION

BOXERS IN TOUGH

MONTREAL

Canadian boxers Joachim Alcine of Montreal and Ian Gardner of Saint
John, N.B., both face tough ring tasks today.

Alcine (21-0) takes on hard-hitting Mexican Carlos Bojorquez (23-6-6)
in the feature 12-round match on an afternoon card at the Montreal
Casino. Two minor belts are on the line — Alcine’s NABA title and
the vacant WBC International title.

Gardner (18-1) faces Armenian-born German Arthur Abraham (14-0) at Max
Schmelling Hall in Berlin for the WBA International middleweight title.

FRENCH CHAIRMAN TO VEX TURKS

Azg/arm
9 Feb 05

A delegation headed by the chairman of the National Assembly of
France was paying an official visit to Turkey these days. Judging from
Turkish mass mediaâ~@~Ys avarice in providing information on issues
Jean-Luis Debret raised, one can conclude that they were extremely
vexing for Turkey.

As daily Azg informed yesterday, the French chairman touched a very
sensitive issue during his get-together with Turkish prime minister
â~@~S the Genocide issue. PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded that they
have left the issue to historians to discuss and added: “Unlike them,
we have opened our archives”. Arsen Avagian, envoy of Armenia at
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, headquartered in
Istanbul told Turkish Hyuriet newspaper on February 7 that 3 separate
sources in Yerevan study the issue and emphasized: “Those archives
are open for all scientists of the world, including Turkish. But no
Turkish scientists has ever applied for researching them.”

The question is not the archives, certainly, but the French
chairmanâ~@~Ys unpleasant surprise and the indignation it stirred
up. Another Turkish newspaper, the pro-government Yeni Shafaq,
responded to Debretâ~@~Ys words on February 7 and partly cast light
on the event.

According to Yeni Shafaq, Jean-Luis Debret not only raised the issue
of Armenian Genocide but also demanded urgent solution considering
its recognition an actual issue. He incited the Turks to “win the
French electorsâ~@~Y sympathy” then promised that there will be no
other issue after the Genocide recognition.

It is interesting that Debret left unanswered a Turkish
journalistâ~@~Ys question that “PACE recognized Armenia as occupant
of Azeri territories. Whatâ~@~Ys your approach?”.

By Hakob Chakrian

–Boundary_(ID_4UlNZe9whdWNqdXBwGiPvA)–

Public incomes to grow in Armenia

The Russia Journal

WORLD/CIS » :: Feb 08, 2005 Posted: 15:10 Moscow time (11:10 GMT)

YEREVAN – Nominal incomes of the public will grow 14 percent in
Armenia in 2005, chairman of the country’s Central Bank Tigran
Sarkisian declared at a press conference. According to him, incomes
of the public have advanced steadily by 12 to 13 percent over the
past years. This trend will continue this year, he believes. Growth
in public incomes will be due to economic growth that is forecasted
at 8 percent. Incomes of the public increased 16.8 percent to $2.5bn
in Armenia in 2004. At the same time, Sarkisian pointed to the fact
that approximately 42 percent of Armenian citizens live below the
poverty line, the ARMINFO news agency reported. /RosBusinessConsulting/

–Boundary_(ID_0r5Xhh81UIm9XJux6Lq4VQ)–

PRESENT AND FUTURE OF AZERBAIJANI POLICY FOR KARABAKH

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
07 Feb 05

The question of withdrawing the peaceful regulation of the Karabakh
conflict from the deadlock disturbs all the interested parties
except for Azerbaijan, perhaps. We entitled us to such a brusque
statement basing on the logic of perception of the negotiation process
by official Baku since the signing of armistice with Yerevan and
Stepanakert in May 1994. This logic derives from the very perception
of the final aim of the settlement by the Azerbaijani authorities,
which supposes keeping Nagorni Karabakh within Azerbaijan as well
as creating political, legal, social and economic conditions and
necessity for changing the demographic balance of NK in favour of the
Azerbaijani population (in the shortest possible period). The present
authorities of Azerbaijan reject any other models of peaceful political
settlement. A more than vivid example of this is the February 24, 2001
meeting of the Azerbaijani parliament which discussed the situation of
the negotiations in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group countries
(Russia, USA, France). It is notable that the meeting took place in
the capital of France with the support of Jacques Chirac on the eve
of the meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia Heidar
Aliev and Robert Kocharian. It might have been expected that the
results of the meeting of Milli Mejlis with the participation of
ambassadors of a number of foreign countries in Baku would create a
favourable atmosphere for the meeting in Paris. However, everything
turned the opposite. In his address Heidar Aliev stated that the
Azerbaijani party refused all the former suggestions of the Minsk
Group, including those which Baku had accepted as basis for talks not
long ago. Thereby Heidar Aliev created a quite new situation in the
peaceful process and violated the arrangement of confidentiality in
the negotiation process. Vafa Guluzadeh, the former state adviser on
foreign policy, who had most probably received a special invitation
from Heidar Aliev to participate in the meeting, fully formulated
the intentions of Baku in the peaceful process during the meeting of
Milli Mejlis. In his address the former state adviser mentioned with
pity that the OSCE Minsk Group and the international community wanted
a settlement which would allow the Armenian population to continue
living in Nagorni Karabakh. â~@~ Nagorni Karabakh must not be given
a status. Granting Azerbaijani citizenship to Armenians would be a
crime,â~@~] stated Vafa Guluzadeh then. He explained his standpoint
in the following way: the Armenians of Karabakh would â~@~flood
Bakuâ~@~], buy real estate, shares, and they would have the same
rights as the Azerbaijanis. It is notable that all the members of
the Azerbaijani parliament, as well as the president of the country,
agreed to the open racist statements of Vafa Guluzadeh who used to
be the adviser to Heidar Aliev, as well the two former presidents
of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibey and Ayaz Mutalibov. It is clear that
with such a standpoint in reference to the talks for the settlement
of the conflict either with Armenia or Nagorni Karabakh Azerbaijan
has nothing to do as the settlement of the Karabakh issue by way
of negotiations presupposes compromise which is denied by official
Baku. Then how are the Baku authorities going to achieve the goal
they have set? The analysis of the political steps of the Azerbaijani
government shows that Baku has decided to act in several directions
at the same time. The main direction is gradual retirement from
the negotiation process which, indeed, supposes coming in touch
with Armenia and perhaps again with Nagorni Karabakh. The second
direction is taking steps for hindering the negotiations allegedly by
Armeniaâ~@~Ys fault. This direction also supposes the maximum possible
amount of political and legal documents of international organizations
where Armenia will be displayed as â~@~guiltyâ~@~] and Azerbaijan
as â~@~its victimâ~@~], showing that Armenia and even the Armenian
nation is not recognized by Azerbaijan as the direct consequence of
â~@~occupationâ~@~] of Azerbaijani territories, including Nagorni
Karabakh, kindling anti-Armenian hysteria through the mass media of
Azerbaijan, intensifying revenge-seeking rhetoric on the part of the
Azerbaijani authorities as if the consequence of the abstention of
the international community to put military, political and economic
pressure on Armenia in the question of Karabakh, pursuing with the
policy of international isolation of Armenia through conjuring up
the factor of oil and later the factor of gas, organizing different
political provocations aiming to show the world the impossibility of
peaceful co-existence in the region with the presence of the Armenian
factor, and taking a number of steps to discredit Armenia and Nagorni
Karabakh internationally. Thus, the entire foreign political arsenal
of the Azerbaijani government is not directed at the reasonable and
mutually acceptable compromises for the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict but at the unreal aim of recognizing Armenia (and the Armenian
nation) by the international community as a hindering factor for the
realization of the interests of the world and regional powers in South
Caucasus. This kind of policy, according to Bakuâ~@~Y s estimates,
will finally cause general military-political and economic pressure
on Armenia making it cede Nagorni Karabakh. Otherwise, Baku thinks,
the international community may apply sanctions against Armenia,
which will satisfy Azerbaijan even more. This kind of attitude
towards the problem of Nagorni Karabakh supposes that Baku will
torpedo all the positive that may outline the future acceptable
settlement. This very circumstance became the reason for Heidar
Aliev to reject the so-called principles of Paris (Key West),
principles which were discussed in those cities in the first half
of 2001 by the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Jacques Chirac
and George Bush Jr., as well as in the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group. Presently the political line of Heidar Aliev in the problem
of Karabakh is carried on by his son Ilham Aliev. Thus, during the
first meeting in the history of the country of the president with
the heads of the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan abroad took
place at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 27,
2004. During this meeting Ilham Aliev announced that the strategic
direction in the foreign political line of the Azerbaijani state is
to expose the truth about the Karabakh problem and the standpoint of
the country to the international community. â~@~The international law
is on our side,â~@~] mentioned the president of Azerbaijan, â~@~our
lands were occupied, justice is on our side. The economic potential
and other questions also favour us. I do not even doubt that the
problem [i.e. the problem of Karabakh â~@~S A.G.] will have a fair
solution.â~@~] The recent attempts of Baku to provoke the UN to adopt
a resolution on the so-called occupied territories of Azerbaijan were
again targeted at obstructing the negotiation process and later blaming
Armenia for this. The adoption of such a document by the UN would
mean recognizing Armenia as â~@~an aggressor countryâ~@~] with all
the consequences for Yerevan and Stepanakert. It should be mentioned
that the reaction of Yerevan to the discussion of the above mentioned
document in the UN in the period of its undertaking by Azerbaijan
nearly lived up to the expectations of Baku. The foreign minister of
Armenia Vardan Oskanian directly announced that the adoption of the
openly pro-Azerbaijani resolution in the UN would put an end to the
participation of Armenia in the negotiations. However, this time the
plans of the Baku authorities did not come true because of the steady
position of the mediating states which did not allow canceling the
negotiations by the fault of the â~@~ Armenian partyâ~@~]. It must
not be forgot that openly resorting to such provocation Azerbaijan at
the same time officially states its commitment to the ne gotiations
in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. Summing up it should be
supposed that in the future Azerbaijan will not give up its tactical
and strategic line in reference to the Karabakh problem because not
recognizing the right of the people of Karabakh for self-determination,
i.e. the fundamental issue, presupposes such a behaviour on their part.

ALEXANDER GRIGORIAN. 07-02-2005

–Boundary_(ID_CaJTmBwnVuurhB5NII5RAg)–

noticias.info (press release), Spain
Feb 7 2005

SECRETARY RICE: Interview With Metehan Demir of Turkey’s Kanal-D TV

/noticias.info/ Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Ankara, Turkey
February 6, 2005
QUESTION: Welcome to Turkey again.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

QUESTION: What do you think about the recent Kurdish statements about
breaking away from Iraq as an independent state? Can you declare
clearly that the US will not tolerate any division of Iraq and will
not allow any unilateral changes by the Kurds in the status of
Kirkuk? And do you believe that Turkey might intervene in Kirkuk if
such a decision is taken by the Kurds?

SECRETARY RICE: The United States has been absolutely clear that we
are committed to a united Iraq. That we are committed to an Iraq in
which all parties and all groups – whether Turkmen or Kurds or
Shiites or Sunnis – are all welcome, And other minorities too, all
welcomed, all represented, all respected within a unified Iraq. The
United States believes strongly in the territorial integrity of Iraq,
and we’ll work with the parties to make certain that is the outcome.

We also believe that Kirkuk needs to be a city in which all Iraqis
are welcome. And we know its history. We know that Saddam Hussein,
through his dictatorship and his methods, contributed to tensions
about Kirkuk. But it is a city that really must represent all Iraqis.

QUESTION: It shouldn’t have a special status?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, it’s going to be up to the Iraqis to decide in
their democratic state how Kirkuk is administered. But it really must
be a place where all Iraqis are welcome and respected.

QUESTION: Turkey has been very critical of Washington that the US is
not keeping its earlier promises in fighting the PKK, which is
already officially declared as terrorist by Washington. Do you plan
to take a concrete step against the PKK presence in northern Iraq or
is there any policy change by the US on the issue?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, the very fact that the PKK is declared as a
terrorist organization in the United States means that there are
certain things that the United States is obligated to do. For
instance, we are obligated to do what we can to deal with their
financing so that they don’t receive moneys in any way that the
United States can stop it from happening.

We of course understand and are thoroughly committed to the fact that
terrorism should not come from the territory of northern Iraq. And we
are in a trilateral arrangement, mechanism, with the Iraqis and with
Turkey to deal with the threat of the PKK. We will do everything that
we can. The security situation is difficult still in the country, and
there are at this point some limits on what we can do. But it is not
because of a lack of commitment to dealing with the PKK, and we will
do so because they are a terrorist organization and ought to be dealt
with as a terrorist organization.

QUESTION: Iran seems to be the number one issue on President’s Bush
agenda in his second term especially. How do you see neighboring
Turkey’s role in connection with developments in Iran?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, Iran will be one of many issues for the
President’s agenda and since the President’s agenda deals with a
broader Middle East and reform in the Middle East, part of the
problem is that Iran is out of step with that effort at reform in the
Middle East.

Turkey, on the other hand, is one of America’s strongest partners in
the broader Middle East reform, a functioning democracy, Islamic
people here who are faithful and devout, but devoted to democracy.
That is the hope for the Middle East more broadly. So Turkey has a
very important role to play in helping to create, helping to support
those in the Middle East who want a different kind of Middle East. In
terms of Iran, we all have to be very firm with Iran – that its
support for terrorism is unacceptable, that its efforts to build a
nuclear weapon under cover of civilian nuclear power is unacceptable.
I think Turkey will be a strong ally in that.

QUESTION: In an interview with Larry King, Secretary of Defense Don
Rumsfeld said recently that Turkey’s decision last year that did not
allow the transfer of American Fourth Infantry Division from Turkey
to Iraq was one source of problems today because, he said, he says,
exceptional number of Sunnis were captured or killed. That’s why he
says this is still fomenting the insurgency in Iraq. Does the U.S.
still have the negative impacts of last year’s Turkey’s decision?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, it was certainly a disappointing decision given
our long alliance and the need to transport American forces, and I
think we made no secret of that. I think whatever the relationship
was to what happened subsequently is really speculative but we are
moving on in our relationship. If we were not moving on, it would not
be the case that the United States has been so strongly supportive of
Turkish accession to the European Union or the support for the
Turkish economic reforms and its IMF program. We are moving on. We’ve
got a lot of work to do together and that’s what I am here to talk
about.

QUESTION: Maybe this could be a follow-up question. Both Turkey and
the US describe the relationship as a strategic partnership. What Dr.
Rice in your view makes this a strategic partnership?

SECRETARY RICE: What makes it a strategic partnership, first of all,
is a long history of having a relationship that is devoted to a more
secure, stable balance in the world. Turkey was an important fighter,
an important ally in the Cold War as we overcame the division of
Europe and brought down imperial communism. Turkey is of course a
member of NATO, the most important and most successful strategic
alliance. And it was NATO’s job in the past to prevent the spread of
Soviet power, to give cover to democratization in Europe. NATO is now
involved in trying to spread stability and democracy to others parts
of the world. So Turkey has been in control of the ISAF in
Afghanistan, for instance, turning Afghanistan – a place that was the
primary territorial source of Al-Qaeda terrorism – into a state that
will be peaceful and fighting terror. That’s really what it means to
be a strategic ally. It means cooperating around the world to make
the world more stable, to fight terrorism, and indeed to spread
liberty and democracy.

QUESTION: How do you see Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s
critical remarks on the United States regarding the ongoing
operations in Iraq?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, we’ve had a discussion of Iraq, and I think
that the Iraqi people and their election last Sunday gives us an
opportunity now to look ahead to how we are all going to support a
democratic Iraq, an Iraq that is unified and an Iraq that is at peace
with its neighbors.

And for all of us, we need to say to our publics, as I’m having an
opportunity, thanks to you, to say today, this is a fundamentally
strong and important relationship. It is critical to the security and
the future of both the United States and Turkey. We have to speak up
for the importance of this relationship. Friends will sometimes
disagree, but when we disagree, we have to do so from a basis that
still understands the vital importance of this relationship, that it
allows us to do things like support each other in places like
Afghanistan, to support Turkish accession to the European Union, to
support Turkish economic reform through the IMF. That’s what friends
do. And so even when we have our disagreements, we need to be very
clear that this relationship is very much worth it.

QUESTION: Does the Pentagon foresee, or does the United States
administration foresee, more of a role for Incirlik airbase, because
there has been a lot of speculation. Maybe from your position it
would be very useful to clarify what is the US idea on Incirlik
airbase?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, first of all since Incirlik is a Turkish
airbase, anything that we do we would, of course, have to do with
Turkey. We will have discussions, broad discussions about how the
changed circumstances change our needs. But some of the things that I
have seen about major basing of American aircraft and so forth, I
think that is really not on the table.

QUESTION: Do you think that further steps should be taken to reward
the Turks in Cyprus who said to yes last year to the referendum in
the name of a solution on the island while the Greek Cypriots said no
to this referendum. Many promised, many heavyweights in the world
promised — including the US and the EU — to take better steps to
make Turks’ position better, but nothing is specifically done so far.
Do you have more plans for the Turkish Cypriots?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, we are looking at what we can do to ease the
isolation of the Turkish Cypriots because we, like everyone else,
were disappointed that the Annan plan was not adopted. We have taken
some steps, direct aid for instance to the Turkish Cypriots, but
there are probably other things that we should look at doing. We
should get back to trying to find a way to unify the island.

QUESTION: One short question and the last one. What should be done
for solving the dispute between Turkey and Armenia? Does the U.S.
plan any special initiative this year to solve this problem?

SECRETARY STATE: Well, we would certainly hope that Turkey and
Armenia would find a way to bridge the differences. We know the very
difficult history here. And we recognize the difficult history. But
we are a long time now into the future. And on the basis of
democratic development and the economic development and the need for
stability, we would hope and encourage the parties to find ways to
bridge their differences.

QUESTION: How long will it take for Turkey to become a full member of
the European Union? In your opinion.

SECRETARY RICE: Well, unfortunately we are not members of the
European Union So we can’t say. We’ve been supporters of Turkey’s
accession and of that happening as quickly as possible. Obviously,
there are standards that Turkey needs to meet. And the European Union
is well within its rights to say that there are certain things that
need to be done in order to bring about Turkey’s accession. But I
think we’ve been a supportive as anyone for that accession to take
place. And given that we are not a member, it really is up to Turkey
and the European Union to find a way for it — with Turkey doing what
it needs to do and with Europe being welcoming of a Turkey that
really does have a rightful place in the world.

QUESTION: Secretary Rice, thank you very much for being with us. It
was a nice opportunity. Many thanks and enjoy your trip.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

–Boundary_(ID_hKl6D1V6pyJgnMy0r9xKKg)–

OSCE mission visiting Azerbaijan’s occupied Lacin District

ANS TV, Baku
5 Feb 05

[Presenter] The OSCE factfinding mission to investigate the settlement
of Armenians in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories is visiting Lacin
today. They will return to Xankandi [Stepanakert] tomorrow and the
mission will complete its work.

[Aleksandr Grigoryan, head of the information department of the
separatist Nagornyy Karabakh regime, speaking in Russian by phone with
Azeri voice-over] They went to Lacin today. They will be in Stepanakert
tomorrow and leave Karabakh on Monday [7 February]. They are being
accompanied by two [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairmen, [Russian
co-chairman Yuriy] Merzlyakov and [French co-chairman Bernard]
Fassier.

The mission is avoiding contacts with those who accompany them. They
are working very surreptitiously and do not want to contact anyone.

[Presenter] The mission visited Zangilan District yesterday. The head
of the information department of the separatist Nagornyy Karabakh
regime, Aleksandr Grigoryan, said that the factfinding mission is
being accompanied by a deputy foreign minister of Armenia,
interpreters and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs from France and
Russia, Bernard Fassier and Yuriy Merzlyakov.

[Passage omitted: quotes from the Armenian newspaper Azg]

On the whole, the monitoring will be completed in about a week. The
mission will spend one day in each of the seven districts. A report
will be drawn up in about 10 days and submitted to the permanent
council and OSCE members in Vienna.

Georgian Prime Minister Found Dead

Associated Press
February 4, 2005

By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI, Associated Press Writer

TBILISI, Georgia – Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, who helped lead
Georgia’s revolution that toppled the corruption-tainted regime of
Eduard Shevardnadze, died early Thursday in a friend’s apartment from
what officials claimed was an accidental gas leak from a heater.

Georgia’s interior minister said there was no reason to suspect foul
play, but a lawmaker reportedly pointed the finger at “outside
forces.” His remark appeared to be aimed at Russia, which has ties
with Georgia’s separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and
prompted a terse response from Moscow.

The lawmaker, Amiran Shalamberidze, noted that the death of Zhvania,
41, came days after a car bombing that killed three policemen in Gori,
the city nearest to South Ossetia. Zhvania, considered a moderate
influence in the government of this former Soviet republic, had been
trying to negotiate settlements with the separatist regions.

“There is the impression that that these tragic facts didn’t occur by
chance but were the results of interference from the side of certain
outside forces,” Shalamberidze was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass
news agency.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, asked about the lawmaker’s
allegation, said in Moscow that “the statements of those who rush to
make judgments … will remain on their consciences.”

Georgia has a history of political intrigue that sometimes turns
violent. An autopsy was under way and the prosecutor-general’s office
said an investigation had been opened.

In addition to the talks with the separatists, Zhvania was trying to
crack down on corruption and crime.

The prime minister was visiting the Tbilisi apartment of his friend,
Zurab Usupov, deputy governor of the Kvemo-Kartli region, who also
died, Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said on Rustavi-2
television.

Security guards broke through a window when they heard no signs of
life from inside several hours after the prime minister arrived,
Merabishvili said. Zhvania had entered the apartment about midnight
Wednesday, and the guards came in between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.

“It is an accident,” Merabishvili said. “We can say that poisoning by
gas took place.”

A gas-fired heating stove was in the main room of the mezzanine-floor
apartment, where a table was set up with a backgammon set lying open
upon it. Zhvania was in a chair; Usupov’s body was found in the
kitchen. Police declined to give further details.

Zhvania was a key ally of President Mikhail Saakashvili in leading the
November 2003 protests against election fraud that came to be known as
the “Rose Revolution.” The demonstrations drove Shevardnadze to
resign.

Saakashvili created the post of prime minister shortly after his
election in January 2004, and he nominated Zhvania for the job.

Some critics said at the time that creating the post was essentially a
move to satisfy the ambitions of Zhvania, whose joining with
Saakashvili in the protests was seen as partly a marriage of
convenience.

In Georgia, the president wields most of the power. The prime
minister is approved by parliament and names a government, but the
president has the power to name the ministers of defense, security and
the interior.

On the day before his death, Zhvania had urged Georgians to hold back
from suspecting South Ossetian involvement in the car-bombing in Gori.

Zhvania’s government also was working to overcome Georgia’s endemic
corruption, which had enriched some Shevardnadze-era officials while
the country’s economy deteriorated.

Levan Chichua, a top official in Georgia’s National Bureau of Forensic
Medicine, said there were no signs of violence and that preliminary
examination showed both died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Deputy
Prosecutor-General Georgy Dzhanashia told journalists the heater was
installed “with serious technical violations … there was no
ventilation in the apartment.”

Central heating is scarce in Georgia. Many people rely on gas or wood
stoves in their homes and fatal malfunctions are often reported.

Saakashvili convened an emergency Cabinet meeting, which began with a
moment of silence.

“Georgia has lost a great patriot, who devoted his entire life to
serving the motherland. Zurab’s death is a great blow to Georgia and
to me personally,” Saakashvili said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (news – web sites ) sent a telegram
of condolence to Saakashvili, which said that Zhvania “was well known
in Russia as a supporter of the development of friendly,
good-neighborly relations between the Russian and Georgian peoples.”

A minister in South Ossetia’s separatist government, Boris Chochiyev,
expressed shock.

Zhvania was “among the Georgian politicians who favored a peaceful
settlement of the conflict. I can say that he represented the party of
peace,” Chochiyev told The Associated Press.

Zhvania is survived by his wife and three children.

;cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20050203/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_prime_minister

Turkish, French Speakers hold joint news conference in Ankara

Anatolia news agency
3 Feb 05

ANKARA

Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said: “I believe a positive
result will emerge in referendum which will be held in France
regarding Turkey’s EU membership.”

Arinc and President of the French National Assembly Jean Louis Debre
held a joint news conference on Thursday [3 February]. When asked, “do
you think that a negative result will emerge in the referendum which
will be held in France about Turkey’s EU membership and how do you
interpret such a result?” Arinc said: “Turkey is not after a privilege
about EU membership. However, we oppose to any discrimination to be
made against Turkey. EU should apply the same procedure it applied on
other candidates.” “Referendum for Turkey will be held in the future,
not today. Throughout this period, I believe there will be positive
developments in Turkey and France. I think a positive result will
emerge from the referendum,” Arinc added. Replying the same question,
Debre said: “It is a tradition to hold a referendum (in France) when a
situation is in question regarding borders and structure of the
EU. When time has come, French people will make its decision.”

Meanwhile, Arinc said that they have taken up Turkey-EU relations
during meetings between Turkish and French delegations. He noted: “We
informed French delegation about the details of the reforms Turkey
implemented.” On the other hand, Debre said: “It is impossible to stay
indifferent to the request of a coun try with a population of 71
million habitants to join the EU. We should listen each other. Of
course, some questions emerge in French public opinion. Because, we
want to build a Europe we have questions to ask. Is Turkish society
ready to adopt the reforms which will change the structure of their
society? There are also other questions like Cyprus, human rights and
Armenian issue, to be solved.” Regarding Cyprus and Armenian issues,
Debre said: “We have discussed these issues with Turkish Premier Recep
Tayyip Erdogan. I told him that Cyprus and Armenian issues are
considered as problems in France. Everything works more comfortably as
long as people are in peace with their own histories.”

4.2 POINT QUAKE REGISTERED IN TURKEY LAST NIGHT

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3. ARMINFO. A 4.2 point earthquake was registered in
Turkey last night.

The National Seismic Protection Service of Armenia reports that the
quake took place 18 km east of Akkyari. In the epicenter the shock was
5-6 point strong on 12 point MSK-64 scale. No casualties reported. To
remind, 3 quakes in a row shook Akkyari Jan 25 claiming human lives
and causing heavy destructions.