Author: Tashjian Arbi

Nationalistic fervor

The Fresno Bee

May 16, 2005
By, Richard Sanikian

A band of Turkish businesses spearheaded by the Ankara Chamber
of Commerce has voiced opposition to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

Ergun Kirlikovali, spokesperson for the American Turkish Association
of Southern California, said the Turkish people are upset with Gov.
Schwarzenegger, whom they believed was “one of our guys,” because of
his Austrian ancestry.

It seems Turkish people believe that an Austrian-born American citizen
would sign legislation based o-n his ethnicity. Even if that were
so, it must be noted that the genocide was condemned at the time by
representatives of the major powers, including Austria. The history
books can’t deny it.

The Turkish nationalistic fervor is not my rhetoric, but a reality.
Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” has become a best seller in Turkey,
selling 100,000 copies last February through March.

This band of Turkish businesses intends to ban Gov. Schwarzenegger’s
movies in Turkey. I would say this is a welcome ban. Turkey should
see less of guns and violence and more tolerance of the human race
by acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Maybe then the European Union
would accept them.

Richard Sanikian Fresno

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Kuwait, Azerbaijan seeks to improve economic ties

Kuwait Times
May 16, 2005

KUWAIT:

“Lets talk about our poor country’s relation economically,” stated
Salah Al-Fahad Al-Marzouk, Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(KCCI) honorary treasurer, as he welcomed trade delegations from
Azerbaijan at their headquarters in Kuwait City yesterday. Al-Marzouk
admitted Kuwait and Azerbaijan’s poor economic relations, but hoping
to improve them especially after the visit of Azerbaijan’s deputy
minister to Kuwait. “This is the right time for the two countries to
sit-down and discuss efforts of strengthening our ties economically.
Your visit is a welcome sign for this chamber and we are hoping to
open doors of opportunity for both us. Forget our government, we are
here to talk as private individuals and members of business
community,” he said. Acknowledging Al-Marzouk statement, Mikayil
Jabbarov, Azerbaijan Deputy Minister said, “We are here to present our
vast economic opportunities available for foreign investors. We are
happy that from today we would be able to share and exchange ideas
with you about our business community and yours as well,” Jabbarov
started his presentation by introducing his country’s geographical
location, the state of economy and what government has done to welcome
foreign investment. Azerbaijan’s economy is largely based on
industry. Jabbanov spoke about industries like machine building, oil
and other mining, petroleum refining, textile production, and chemical
processing. He also discussed diversification of its economy from old
style to allowing direct foreign investments to flow.

The agriculture sector accounts to at least one-third of Azerbaijan’s
economy. Most of the nation’s farms are irrigated. In the lowlands,
farmers grow such crops as cotton, fruit, grain, tea, tobacco, and
many types of vegetables. Silkworms are raised for the production of
natural silk for the clothing industry. Azerbaijan’s herders raise
cattle, sheep and goats near the mountain ranges. Seafood and fish are
caught in the nearby Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan has a highly dynamic
economy, mainly because of oil, and has a GDP growth of up to 11 per
cent a year.

Azerbaijan is a country in the Caucasus, in the crossroads of Europe
and Southwest Asia, with an east coast on the Caspian Sea. It borders
Russia on the north, Georgia and Armenia on the west, and Iran on the
south. The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (an exclave of Azerbaijan)
borders Armenia on the north, Iran on the south, and Turkey on the
west. The country is formally named the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is a secular state, and has been a member of the Council of
Europe since 2001. The majority of their populations are Muslim of
Turkic descent. The country is formally an emerging democracy, however
with strong authoritarian rule.

Pan Amenian News

BAKU CANNOT PUT UP WITH AZERI SOLDIER FLEEING TO ARMENIA

14.05.2005 03:45

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan considers there are `no
reasons’ for saying that the Azeri serviceman, who got lost May 5,
deliberately crossed the border. As Press Secretary of the Armenian Defense
Ministry, colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian stated in a conversation with a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, May 5 soldier Orhan Isa oghlu Jafarov, who was
serving in one of the Nakhichevan military units on a fixed-date basis,
deserted to Armenia, where he asked asylum. Yesterday the soldier was
conveyed to the Azeri party.

AZG Armenian Daily #087, 14/05/2005

Anniversary

ARMENIAN RED CROSS CELEBRATES ITS 85TH ANNIVERSARY

The Armenian Red Cross was established on May 19, 1920 in the times of the
first Armenian Republic. This year the organization celebrates it’s 85th
anniversary. On this occasion the organization has announced a decade of
competitions held in Yerevan and the regions. The competition will be held
on May 8-18 and the members of the Red Cross, as well as many volunteers
will represent their activities to the publicity.

The series of the arrangements will include open air performances, photo
exhibitions, a procession and lectures about the activities of the
organization. Competitions of first aid will be held in the Northern and the
Southern regions, exhibitions of paintings, films and a procession. Arzouman
Harutyunian, head of the Press Service of the Armenian Red Cross, said that
they will hold festive arrangements during that decade and award diplomas to
the participants.

He said that these arrangements will allow to represent their activities to
the publicity once again.

The Armenian Red Cross is a member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Federation among other 180 countries. The organization is unfolding
activities in 7 main directions: organization and development of
communities, providing social-medical services, restoring the health of
patients with spinal diseases, management of disasters, rescue works, first
aid, development of youth movement, spreading of the ideas of the
organization.

Mr. Harutyunian said that the Norwegian, German and Finnish Red Cross and
Red Crescent Unions.

The decade is carried out under the slogan “We Help with Your Help.” Mr.
Harutyunian said that it means that their organization also needs to be
assisted. “Before we received investments from abroad, but now the
investments from foreign countries decreased,” he said.

By Gohar Gevorgian

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/12/2005
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1) ARF Lebanon Issues Statement on Elections, Electoral Law
2) Barnier Again Addresses EU Aspirant Turkey’s Past
3) Azeri Agent Confirms Baku’s Terrorist Acts against Armenia
4) Ocalan Verdict Puts Turkey under Pressure
5) ARS Festival’s Youth Forum to Encourage Leadership and Initiative

1) ARF Lebanon Issues Statement on Elections

BEIRUT–Discontent with Lebanon’s electoral law adopted in 2000, the Central
Committee of ARF Lebanon issued a press release on Wednesday, pointing to the
law’s weaknesses, specifically in providing equal representation among
Lebanon’s diverse communities.
Citing basic democratic principals–the participation of people in elections
and their right to representation–they stressed that the upholding of these
principles are especially important in countries that are based on a
confessional system.
In light of the inequality and injustice of 2000 elections, the ARF states
the
party has attempted to right the injustices of that election–by way of
political action, dialogue, and negotiations with those who have the power to
correct the previous wrong.
The ARF expresses hope that Beirut’s Armenian community is properly
represented in the upcoming parliament, and that efforts are undertaken to
draft a just electoral law–which takes into account the dream of the Lebanese
people to have a democratic government, based on the fundamentals of justice,
equality, solidarity, and respect.
Subsequently, the party announced its nomination of Stepan Der Bedrossian
(2nd
district), and former minister Jacques Chookhadarian (3rd district) for
Armenian slots in Beirut’s district elections.
The political system in Lebanon was established on the basis of
“confessionalism,” designed to achieve a balance between the various sectarian
communities in the country–so as to “ensure equitable confessional
representation.” The confessional formula allocated political positions to the
various communities in accordance with an arbitrary population ratio (6 to 5)
based on the 1932 census taken under the French mandate.

2) Barnier Again Addresses EU Aspirant Turkey’s Past

(Combined Sources)–French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier again stressed that
Turkey must recognize the Armenian genocide before it joins the European Union
(EU).
Reminding that Turkey has 15-20 years of negotiations before membership to
the
EU, Barnier said that if Turkey, at the conclusion of those mandatory talks,
still denies the Armenian genocide, then it can not become an EU member.
“We must consider that even after that [negotiations], France’s constitution
requires that Turkey’s entry into the EU must be approved via a national
referendum,” Barnier said. “Turkey must be aware of the fact that it’s not
Europe joining Turkey; rather Turkey aspiring to join the EU.
Barnier has consistently said that Turkey must come to terms with its past,
and the genocide of Armenians by the government of the Ottoman Empire at the
turn of the 20th century.

3) Azeri Agent Confirms Baku’s Terrorist Acts against Armenia

(AZG)–A former employee of Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry (1976-1995),
Aleqper
Heydar oglu Ismailov, confirmed in a letter to an Azeri Russia-language
website– Baku’s authorities organized and partly
carried
out terrorist acts against Armenians during the Karabagh war and the years
that
followed.
Ismailov, who has been working at the Intelligence Service of Azerbaijan’s
Foreign Ministry since 1997, particularly claims in his letter that terrorist
acts were organized and carried out not only in Armenia but Georgia, Russia
and
Iran as well.
On May 20 of 2004, Ismailov was called to the Ministry of National Security
were he was arrested. He was sentenced to several months of imprisonment for
national treason in favor of Russia. Ismailov specifies in his letter what
made
him speak to the public: “I’ve already suffered 2 strokes, little time is left
for me and I think it is vital that my children learn who their father is and
how to love their fatherland. That is the reason why I want you to publish
this
document.”
Ismailov confessed in the letter that while the head of the Department of
Struggle Against Interethnic Conflicts in 1991-1995, he organized and carried
out acts of sabotage: the explosions of bridges in Stepanakert and Imir (an
Azeri village in Georgia), as well as the explosion of Georgia-Armenia gas
pipeline.
He confessed that he managed to place 30 kg of trotyl in Erebuni Hotel in
Yerevan in 1993. He noted that he blew up two Armenian offices in Kuban and
Stavropol acting on behalf of Kazaks; later on, he exploded the publishing
house of anti-Armenian Kuban Harold newspaper on behalf of Armenian ASALA.
The most fascinating claim Ismailov makes is that they organized the
explosion
of the complex of government buildings downtown Yerevan for which they made
provision of 3 tons of trotyl. But the October events in 1994 (the next
attempt
of political upheaval) distracted Baku’s attention from their barbaric plan in
Yerevan. Ismailov insists that the explosion of an Armenian church in
Tebriz in
March of 1995 was being prepared but it also failed due to political
tension in
Azerbaijan.
Ismailov also said that he used more than 80 official sources for terrorist
acts against Armenia, including information from the head of Mkhedrioni
military-political group and the head of the Georgian Department of
Intelligence, major general Avtandil Ioseliani.
“General Ioseliani provided me with information that he got from Armenia
and I
offered him information from Chechen reconnaissance about developments in
Abkhazia,” he said.

4) Ocalan Verdict Puts Turkey under Pressure

ANKARA (Reuters)–Europe’s top human rights court declared the 1999 trial of
Kurdish rebel Abdullah Ocalan unfair on Thursday, pressuring Turkey to defy
nationalist anger and order a retrial in support of its EU ambitions.
Ankara signaled Ocalan could indeed be tried anew. But it moved quickly to
assure Turks who revile him as a terrorist bent on dismembering their nation
that he would not walk free.
“Whether this dossier is reopened or not, the matter (of Ocalan’s guilt) is a
closed one for the nation’s conscience,” Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said
during a trip to Hungary.
The verdict from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) raised fears of
revived political tensions in Turkey at a delicate time as it tries to meet
European Union standards on human rights before the start of EU entry talks in
October.
Ocalan, sole inmate for the past six years of an island prison in the Sea of
Marmara, evokes strong emotions among Turks who blame him for the deaths of
more than 30,000 people during a separatist rebellion in the 1980s and 1990s.
The powerful military, facing a recent increase in clashes with Ocalan
followers, called the ECHR ruling “political, not legal”–echoing a widespread
nationalist sentiment here that Europe is deliberately engineering problems
for
Turkey.
As word of the Strasbourg court verdict came, television aired dramatic 1999
footage of Ocalan blindfolded on a plane after his capture in Kenya by Turkish
commandoes–a scene which triggered euphoria and pride in Turkey at the time.
Hoping to avert nationalist anger over the new legal twist, Justice Minister
Cemil Cicek said: “We must be as cold-blooded as possible…This is not the
end
of the world…Our people must not be concerned (about the possible outcome of
a retrial), they must trust the state and the judiciary.”

LONG PROCESS

The ECHR verdict must still be approved by the Council of Europe, the
continent’s top human rights watchdog.
“This is a long process and we still have a great deal of time,” Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul said during a trip to Kiev.
A panel of ECHR judges, reaching their verdict by 11 to 6, said in a
statement
that Ocalan had not had proper access to legal counsel or the facilities
needed
for his defense.
“The applicant was not tried by an independent and impartial tribunal,” they
said.
Ocalan was tried by a State Security Court–a body set up to deal with crimes
against the state which has now been disbanded in line with EU-inspired
reforms.
Dozens of Kurds cheered and chanted outside the ECHR under a banner declaring
“Free Ocalan–Peace in Kurdistan”.
In Turkey too, Kurdish reaction was favorable.
“I hope (this decision) will contribute to Turkey’s democratization,” said
Osman Baydemir, mayor of Diyarbakir, the biggest city in Turkey’s mainly
Kurdish southeast region.
The European Commission, which will lead Turkey’s EU entry talks, welcomed
the
government’s calm response to the verdict.
“The European Commission expects that Turkey will respect this decision of
the
Court of Human Rights. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe so it is
due
to implement all the decisions of the court,” said spokesman Amadeu Altafaj
Tardi.
Asked whether it could have any influence on the start of the accession
talks,
he said the Commission would wait to see how the decision was implemented in
practice.

MILITARY IRKED

Financial markets also shrugged off the verdict, suggesting that the
government’s reaction had struck the right balance in placating nationalists
and Brussels officials. The centre-right government must show continued skill
to stop the issue hampering EU entry talks and the foreign investment that
could follow.
Turkey’s powerful military denounced the court verdict.
“Nobody can expect an institution which gave thousands of martyrs (in the
fight against separatism) to stay impartial (over this ruling),” said General
Ilker Basbug, deputy head of the General Staff.
Liberal political analyst Dogu Ergil of Ankara University said he expected
both Kurdish radicals and Turkish nationalists to try to exploit the ECHR
verdict for their own ends.
“The feeling in Turkey of being under siege by hostile international forces
will increase a little bit more,” he said.
Ocalan was found guilty in June 1999 of “treason through separatism”. An
original death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after Turkey
scrapped
the death penalty in 2002, in line with EU requirements.

5) ARS Festival’s Youth Forum to Encourage Leadership and Initiative

GLENDALE–The Armenian Relief Society of Western US (ARS-WR) will be hosting a
Youth Forum during its annual Armenian Festival, being held at the Glendale
Civic Auditorium on May 14-15. The forum, “You Can Make a Difference,” is
scheduled from 5 pm-7:30 pm, on Saturday, May 14, at the lower level
conference
room at the Glendale Civic Auditorium.
The forum strives to appeal to today’s young generation to use their
creativity and energy to foster effective change in their own communitiesas
leaders, advisors, and program coordinators. Holding true to its theme,
various
youth leaders will present their own experiences and show that every
individual
can make a difference. Another topic of discussion will be the ability to
foster change while working within existing decision making structures.
“One of the special goals of the ARS has always been to engage the young
people to bring out the best in themselves,” said Angela Savoian, Chair of the
ARS-WR Regional Executive. She added, “Throughout our 95 year history, the ARS
has helped the youth with scholarships and internships, helping them reach
their potential through educational and work experiences. This is a new
program
and we hope to expand it year after year.”
The festival entrance fee ($4) will be waived to forum participants, who need
to RSVP by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling the ARS-WR at
(818) 500-1343.
In April, ARS-WR took on the remarkable responsibility of being a major
sponsor of the “March for Humanity,” a youth-organized 215-mile 19-day march
>From Fresno to Sacramento. Continuing an annual tradition, the Regional
Executive will be holding an Award Night on June 6, where Southern California
chapters provide awards to bright high school graduates.
The Glendale Civic Auditorium is located at 1401 North Verdugo Road in
Glendale (the cross street is East Mountain Street). For more information
about
the festival, click on the rolling photos on the ARS-WR home page at

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Iran switches economy to gas; saves oil for exports

Gulf Times
Thursday, 12 May, 2005, 11:56 AM Doha Time

By Marc Wolfensberger

Tehran: Iran, the site of the world’s second-largest natural-gas
reserves, will double gas production over the next five years, shift
its domestic economy to gas, and save oil for exports, a gas official
said.

Gas will provide 72% of the nation’s energy, up from 55% now,
Azizollah Ramezani, the planning director at the National Iranian Gas
Company (NIGC),said in an interview.

Iran’s gas output should reach 700mn cu m a day in 2010, compared with
375mn cu m today, he said.

`We’ve got plans to cover all the country’s energy needs with natural
gas,” Ramezani said in an interview on the 15th floor of NIGC’s
headquarters in central Tehran. Out of these 700mn cu m of gas, 50mn
will be for exports and ` all the rest” for domestic use, he said.

Switching to gas could help Iran export more crude oil, as it
struggles to meet quotas set by the Organisation of Petroleum
Exporting Countries.

Gas is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, with
consumption projected to double to 176tn cu ft by 2025, according to
the US Department of Energy.

For the past four months, Iran, Opec’s second-largest producer,
hasfailed to reach its Opec quota. The country’s crude oil production
has declined since January, reaching 3.88mn bpd in April, according to
Bloomberg estimates. Its Opec quota stands at 4.04mn bpd.

Iran’s revenue from oil exports will rise $4.5bn to $36bn in 2005, Oil
Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said last month. It will get about
$900mn from exports of natural gas and gas condensates in 2005,
Ramezani said yesterday.

To increase gas output, Iran is relying mainly on South Pars, the
world’s largest gas reservoir, which it shares with Qatar. Gas output
from the deposit will reach 600mn cu m a day when the project’s 20
phases are completed, Khatami told reporters last month, calling it
the `beating heart of Iran’s flourishing economy.” Production from
the Iranian field, about 100km (62 miles) off Iran’s southern coast,
already accounts for more than a third of Iran’s gas output.

The South Pars deposit was discovered in 1966 by the Royal Dutch/Shell
Group.

Little was done to develop the field until the 1990s. It contains
600tn cu ft of gas, or about a tenth of the world’s gas reserves.

Iran imports about 26mn cu m of gas a day from neighboring
Turkmenistan and exports `up to 25mn cu m” a day to Turkey, Ramezani
said. `We’ll become a net exporter next year,” the planning director
said, counting on an increase in gas exports to Turkey to 30mn cu
m. In addition, Iran has plans to sell gas to Armenia and Kuwait.

Gazprom’s Armenian venture is about to start building a
natural-gaspipeline >From Iran, which will be finished by 2007, Vremya
Novostei reported in March.

A $4.2bn, 2,775-km pipeline to India from Iran through Pakistan is
also on the agenda to meet growing demand for gas in Asia’s
fourth-largest economy.

The pipeline, which the US opposes because of Iran’s alleged support
of terrorist groups as well as pursuit of nuclear weapons, would allow
Iran toexport an additional 70mn cu m a day, Ramezani said.

In addition, Iran plans to acquire six liquefied natural gas carriers
by 2010 to deliver gas to Asia. It agreed last year to sell China
250mn metric tonnes of LNG over a 30-year period. At least four phases
of the 20-phase South Pars development will be devoted to LNG,
producing the equivalent of some 100mn cu m of gas, Ramenzani said.

LNG is natural gas that is cooled to a liquid so it can be carried by
tankers rather than pipelines.

Iran’s state-owned gas company will spend $15bn – or $3bn ayear –
through 2010 to lay new pipes and build gas compressor plants,
Ramezani said. The length of the gas pipeline grid will grow 50% to
30,000km, he said.

`Some $7.5bn will be financed internally, and the rest through loans,
mainly >From Naftiran Intertrade Company,” a Switzerland-based
subsidiary of state-owned National Iranian Oil Co, the manager said.

It will also increase the number of service stations providing cars
with natural gas to make the fuel more attractive, he said.

Both oil and gas is heavily subsidised in Iran, contributing to waste
and pollution. A liter of gasoline costs Iranian drivers about 800
Iranian riyals (9 US cents). The parliament earlier this year rejected
a plan to gradually remove subsidies.

`This is a parliament decision, and we follow it,”Ramezani said.

“Personally, I believe price is a good tool to reduce consumption. We
should make use of it.” – Bloomberg

ARKA News Agency
May 10 2005

PACE Monitoring Commission reporters arrive in Armenia

Positive changes obvious in Armenia: Lise Grande

A concert devoted to the Day of the First Republic of Armenia to take
place in Krasnodar

Army of NKR is an army of peace and freedom that will never be a
security threat for neighboring countries and peoples – Arkady
Ghukasyan

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

PACE MONITORING COMMISSION REPORTERS ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, May 10. /ARKA/. The reporters of the PACE Monitoring
Commission, Jersey Jaskernya, George Columbie, as well as Commission
Secretary Bony Theofilova, have arrived in Yerevan. The public
relation department, RA National Assembly, reports that on May 10-13
the reporters are to hold meetings with the Ambassadors of the EU
member countries to Armenia, Head of the OSCE Yerevan office,
representatives of international organizations, human rights NGOs,
journalists, religious communities and national minorities. On May
11, the reporters are to hold a meeting with Speaker of the RA
National Assembly Artur Baghdasaryan, as well as with Chief of the RA
Police Hayk Harutyunyan. On May 12, the three are to hold meetings
with RA Minister of Defense Serge Sargsyan, Minister of Justice David
Harutyunyan, RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsipyan, RA Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan, RA Minister of Territorial Administration
Hovik Abramyan, Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharyan, Chairman of the RA
Central Electoral Commission Gagik Azaryan, members of the RA
National TV and Radio Commission.
On May 13, the reporters are to hold meetings with RA President
Robert Kocharyan, RA Premier Andranik Margaryan, RA ombudsman Larisa
Alaverdyan. The delegation is also to visit the mental hospital where
conscientious objectors do their alternative service. P.T. -0–
********************************************************************

POSITIVE CHANGES OBVIOUS IN ARMENIA: LISE GRANDE

YEREVAN, May 10. /ARKA/. Positive changes are obvious in Armenia,
UNDP Resident Representative to Armenia lise Grande stated at a
meeting with Speaker of the RA Parliament Artur Baghdasaryan on the
occasion of completion of her mission in Armenia. She said that the
Parliament’s role in resolving social problems has been enhanced in
Armenia. Grande said that she is to go on mission to Congo and
regrets leaving Armenia. P.T. -0–

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

A CONCERT DEVOTED TO THE DAY OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA TO TAKE
PLACE IN KRASNODAR

YEREVAN, May 10. /ARKA/. On May 25, a concert devoted to the Day of
the First Republic of Armenia will take place in Krasnodar concert
hall. According to the Press Service of Yerkir Youth Union, the
concert program includes performance of young singers, dance
collective “Araks”, vocal -instrumental ensemble and “KVN” team
“Kuban Armenians”. Also, youth collectives from some Armenian
communities of Krasnodar region will perform.
The concert is organized by Yerkir Krasnodar Youth Union under the
chairmanship of Diana Hunanyan. A.H.–0–

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

ARMY OF NKR IS AN ARMY OF PEACE AND FREEDOM THAT WILL NEVER BE A
SECURITY THREAT FOR NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES – ARKADY
GHUKASYAN

YEREVAN, May 10. /ARKA/. Army of NKR is an army of peace and freedom
that will never be a security threat for neighboring countries and
peoples, says the address of Arkady Ghukasyan, NKR President on the
occasion of 13th anniversary of Shushi city liberation, Day of NKR
Defense Army and 60th Anniversary of Great Patriotic War Victory,
according to the Press Service of NKR President. “Glorious Victory
was won on this day sixty years ago, which saved the humankind from
Nazi enslavement. Our land is proud of its heroes by right, proud of
renowned military leaders – Marshall Hovhannes Baghramyan, Admiral of
the Fleet Ivan Isakov, Marshall of Aviation Armenak Hamferyants,
other valiant sons and daughters who had immense contribution to rout
of Fascist Germany and its allies “, says the message. According to
Ghukasyan, the coincidence of celebrating NKR Army Day and Shushi
liberation on May 9 is very symbolic. According to him, it symbolizes
the continuity of glorious traditions, determination of today’s NKR
generation to vindicate the freedom and independence of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, won at the cost of irreplaceable losses.
“Today, we clearly understand that without the liberation of Shushi,
carried out by most elaborated battlecraft, followed by the opening
of Lachin humanitarian corridor, which connects Nagorno-Karabakh with
Armenia, the people op Artsakh would have suffered the fate of our
people in Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the century. The feat of
warriors-liberators of Shushi will never fade!”, says the message.
The President noted that the Day of NKR Liberation is the Day of NKR
Defense Army by chance. “Our national Army, born from the hearth of
liberation battles is the most effective guarantor of NKR security,
therefore our state will constantly be focused on the strengthening
of our Army and increasing of its military efficiency”, states NKR
President. He also noted that the Armed Forces of NKR are able to
adequately repulse the enemy at any moment, if it makes an attempt to
disturb the peace of Karabakh people. L.V.–0–

CIS collective security chief upbeat on cooperation with OSCE

Interfax news agency
10 May 05

MOSCOW

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is ready to
cooperate closely with all interested international organizations and
countries in the interests of ensuring security and stability in the
region and the world, CSTO Secretary-General Nikolay Bordyuzha told
Interfax-AVN on Tuesday [10 May] before leaving for Vienna to attend
an OSCE forum on security cooperation due on 11-14 May.

“We proceed from the fact that the OSCE as a wide-scale pan-European
mechanism allows all member-countries to be equally involved in
forming the architecture of European security,” Bordyuzha said.

“Because of its universal nature, the OSCE is the only organization
that can undertake the task of removing dividing lines on the European
continent and preventing new ones,” Bordyuzha believes.

“A whole gamut of measures worked out by the OSCE to enhance
confidence, security and arms control is seen by the CSTO as a special
security net for harmonizing security interests and ensuring stability
and predictability in Europe and neighbouring regions,” Bordyuzha
stressed.

According to Bordyuzha, it is already possible to speak about stable
contacts between the OSCE and the CSTO, whose representatives are
regular active participants in events held within the OSCE format.

“In particular, the CSTO took a very active part in preparing the OSCE
forum’s main document on recent security cooperation: the strategy of
reacting to threats to security and stability in the 21st century,”
Bordyuzha said.

The CSTO secretary-general will be taking part in an OSCE forum on
security cooperation for the first time ever.

The forum on security cooperation was set up in accordance with the
resolutions of the OSCE Helsinki summit in July 1992. The forum was
endorsed as an integral part of the OSCE and is an autonomous body
which comprises delegations of all the 55 OSCE member states.

The main objectives of the forum are to conduct negotiations on arms
control, disarmament and building confidence and security; to hold
regular consultations and closely cooperate on the issues of security
and to continue to reduce the danger of possible new conflicts.

A package of decisions in the military-political sphere has been
passed within the framework of the forum, in particular, documents on
scrapping excessive conventional arms and on increasing control over
the proliferation of portable air defence missile systems.

The forum’s decisions are politically binding.

Currently the CSTO has six members, Russia, Belarus, Armenia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Its main supreme body is the
Collective Security Council (CSC) which consists of the
member-countries’ heads of state.

Zaman Online, Turkey
May 10 2005

What Kretschmer Said

SELCUK GULTASLI
05.10.2005 Tuesday – ISTANBUL 15:22

No matter how we criticize the December 17 results, there is a
European group that considers this decision as a great concession to
Turkey.

Even if the December 17 decisions reflect the most discriminating
dispositions taken for a candidate country so far, even if they do
not guarantee membership and have the potential to pull a privileged
partnership formula out of the hat at any moment, even if when Turkey
becomes a member, they may say “Sorry, we have no money left, we
cannot allocate a budget for you from the agriculture policy and
regional funds,” even if they have guaranteed visa requirements for
Turkish citizens after membership, “former Ratzinger, new Pope” and
other like-minded Europeans still consider the decisions that give a
membership perspective to Turkey as steps that have gone too far.

While the voices of those who say, “great concession given” to Turkey
after December 17 were hoarse, these comments have been brought to
the agenda more powerfully nowadays. As if the discriminating
qualities of the summit results are not enough, when any development
goes wrong in Europe, the cries of “great concessions given” to
Turkey echo even more.

Let’s take a quick look at three concrete events: First of all, it
was revealed at the Partnership Council meeting on April 26 that the
European Union (EU) had forgotten who said “yes” and who said “no” to
the Annan Plan, who banned the Union’s activities in favor of the
plan, and who former commissioner for enlargement Gunter Verheugen
was blaming when he said, “I was misled.”. As if calling on Turkey to
normalize relations with the Greek Cyprus at the Council was not
enough, had Britain and Italy not intervened, the recognition of
Greek Cyprus would have been demanded.

The second incident is the seriousness of the speech by European
Union (EU) Commission representative to Ankara, Hans Jörg Kretschmer,
that echoed on NTV. Since Kretschmer has not disclaimed his remarks,
we can therefore comment on this speech.

In fact, the EU representative was saying how direct trade
regulations with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) are
tied to the condition of the diplomatic recognition of Greek Cyprus.
Whereas the EU had made decisions that would end the isolation of
TRNC after the referendum held in 2004. The reason they made these
decisions was because of the “yes” of the Turks and the “no” of the
Greeks, to the Annan Plan. Among the April 26 decisions, there is no
item like “Isolation will end if Turkey recognizes Greek Cyprus.”

The third and a far more serious one is Kretschmer’s implication that
the so-called Armenian “genocide” may become a condition. The
representative says that this issue “will cause a great problem” for
Turkey during the negotiations. As a person who has closely followed
how the Cyprus issue has now become a condition, even though it is
not, I got the impression that hscmer had said the Armenian issue
would become a condition.

The EU has got such a poor recollection to forget who said “no” to
last year’s Annan Plan but by no means forgets events that happened
90 years ago. Inevitably, a picture emerges as follows: The EU is
extremely forgetful about issues concerning Turkey and Turks or its
memory is too selective. On the other hand, it never allows issues in
which pressure may be put on Turkey to be forgotten. As Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul says, it is as if they want Turkey to slam the
door and go away. It is impossible to interpret what Kretschmer said
in any other way.

Graduation ceremonies

The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, IN)
May 8, 2005

More than 55,000 students from Indiana’s universities and colleges
earned their diplomas this year.

The state’s 31 private colleges graduated about 18,000 students. The
rest got their degrees on the campuses of the seven public
universities.

On Saturday, thousands of students graduated during commencements at
Indiana University at Bloomington, Ball State, Indiana State, the
University of Indianapolis and Anderson University. In the next few
weeks, many more will do so before tackling their first jobs, trying
new careers or heading to graduate schools.

Upcoming commencements include:

– Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: Today, RCA Dome;
speakers, President Adam W. Herbert and Chancellor Charles R. Bantz.

– University of Southern Indiana: Today, Roberts Stadium, Evansville;
speaker, Charles C. Huppert, Evansville businessman and World War II
pilot and prisoner of war. The efforts of Huppert and other prisoners
to tunnel out of Stalag Luft III inspired the 1963 movie, “The Great
Escape.”

– Purdue University, West Lafayette: May 14-15, Elliott Hall of Music;
speakers, President Martin C. Jischke and Tamara Morse, president of
the Purdue Alumni Association.

– Butler University: May 14, Hinkle Fieldhouse; speaker, Robert Funk,
religion teacher, writer, publisher and Butler alumnus.

– University of Notre Dame: May 15, Joyce Center; speaker, Vartan
Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corp.

– DePauw University: May 22, East College lawn; speaker, Eric
Schlosser, author of national best-seller “Fast Food Nation.”

– Valparaiso University: May 21, Chapel of the Resurrection; speaker,
Gov. Mitch E. Daniels.