Author: Torgomian Varazdat

RECURRENT DEPORTATION OF ARMENIAN CITIZENS STAYING IN RUSSIA
ILLEGALLY HELD IN KRASNODAR

PanArmenian News
Feb 8 2005

08.02.2005 19:02

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recurrent deportation of Armenian citizens
being in Russia on illegal basis was held in Krasnodar, reported the
Yerkramas, the newspaper of the Armenians of the south of Russia. 9
Armenian citizens were deported to the fatherland from the Krasnodar
airport. Each of them was in Russia not having an official permission
for that. By a court decision they are denied entry to Russia for the
coming 5 years. There are 3 days for registering after arrival in
Russia. Failing to fulfill this condition threatens a not very big
fine – 500 rubles. However there is another preventive measure – fine
and administrative eviction for a term of 1-5 years. At that when
making decisions Russian courts are guided by a respective federal
law and administrative code.

ASBAREZ Online
TOP STORIES
02/07/2005
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1) French Parliament Head Raises Genocide, Cyprus Issue During Turkey Visit
2) Rice Holds Talks in Turkey, Gives Assurances over Iraq
3) Azeri Officer’s Trial to Begin on February 8
4) Three Men Arrested After Deadly Shootout in Yerevan
5) CBC Radio Provides Platform to Armenian Genocide Deniers, Say Canadian
Armenian Leaders

1) French Parliament Head Raises Genocide, Cyprus Issue During Turkey Visit

ANKARA (Combined Sources)–Heading a French delegation to Turkey last week,
French Parliament Speaker Jean-Louis Debre addressed the Armenian genocide and
Cyprus issues during his meetings with Turkish officials.
With France’s ruling UMP party at odds with its most prominent
member–President Jacques Chirac–on the prospect of Turkey’s full EU
membership, Debre raised the contentious issue of the Armenian genocide during
a meeting with Chairman of the EU Commission in the Turkish Parliament Yasar
Yakis and other parliamentarians.
Debre proposed that an independent international institution conduct
research on the Armenian Genocide, stating it would be the only fair way to
affirm the facts.
An article in Paris’s Le Monde addressed the issue, quoting Debre as
telling
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that “Turkey’s attitude to the Armenian
genocide” of 1915 “poses a real problem for France.”
According to Le Monde, Erdogan’s response was that he was “disappointed” with
“Paris’s position” and “did not know that 400,000 (dead) Armenians could
decide
the referendum” Paris intends to hold on Ankara’s membership bid.
Turkish authorities, the newspaper reported, expressed willingness to
“consider” a proposal which would give an international commission of
historians access to its archives.
Addressing the Cyprus issue, Debre said although it is impossible to stay
indifferent to the request of a country with a population of 71 million to
join
the EU, questions such as Cyprus and Turkey’s human rights record must be
solved.
During a joint news conference with Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc,
Debre assured that both the Armenian genocide and the Cyprus problem were
discussed with Erdogan.
“Everything works more comfortably as long as people are in peace with their
own history,” Debre said.
During his visit, Debre also met with Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Archbishop
Mesrob Mutafyan.
Archbishop Mutafyan expressed, “Together with all the other non-Muslim
minorities in Turkey, our Patriarchal See and the Turkish Armenian community
support the accession of Turkey into the European Union.” He added that
Armenians also support the process in hopes that it might bring the
long-awaited peace not only between Turkey and Armenia, but also among all
countries in the region.

2) Rice Holds Talks in Turkey, Gives Assurances over Iraq

ANKARA (AFP)–US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who held talks with
Turkish leaders in Ankara, was quick to assure wary ally Ankara that its
concerns over the future of neighboring Iraq are not being ignored.
Rice, on a whirlwind tour of eight European capitals, Israel, and the West
Bank, met with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and was also to hold
talks
with her counterpart Abdullah Gul.
Rice’s visit follows harsh warnings from Ankara that Washington is turning a
blind eye to Kurdish moves in northern Iraq aimed at paving the way for future
Kurdish independence in the region.
The accusations come at a time when the two NATO allies are already
struggling
to repair their ties in the wake of a severe diplomatic crisis prior to Iraq’s
invasion in March 2003, when Ankara stunned Washington by denying US troops
access to Turkish territory to attack Iraq from the north.
“The United States favors a unified Iraq in which the rights of all Iraqis
are
represented and respected,” Rice told NTV television Sunday, with voice-over
translation into Turkish.
While shaping their post-war nation, the Iraqis have the responsibility to
create a country that will live in peace with its neighbors, she said.
The prospect of major Kurdish political gains in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk
following the January 30 elections has irked Ankara, which suspects that the
Kurds want the ethnically mixed city to become the capital of an independent
Kurdish state.
Such a state, Ankara fears, would fuel moves towards independence among the
restive Kurds of adjoining southeast Turkey, sparking regional turmoil.
Rice told NTV that it was up to the Iraqis to decide on the future status of
Kirkuk, but stressed that the ethnically volatile city, which is also home to
Turkish-speaking Turkmens, should be a place where “all Iraqis will live
together without fears.”
She also sought to assure Ankara that Washington was “very determined” to
ensure that Turkish Kurd rebels holed up in the mountains of northern Iraq are
prevented from using the region as a springboard for violence against Turkey.
Ankara has long been frustrated with US reluctance to take military action
against the guerrillas, who found refuge in the enclave prior to the US-led
invasion of Iraq and who last summer ended a five-year unilateral ceasefire
with Turkey.
She said trilateral security meetings between Turkey, Iraq, and the United
States should continue and that the parties should also seek to use
non-military measures, such as cutting off sources of finance for the rebels.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to which the rebels belong, is considered
a terrorist organization by Washington.
Rice stopped short of pledging military action against the PKK, highlighting
the difficult security situation in other parts of Iraq.
Bilateral differences over Iraq are believed to have increased anti-US
sentiment in Turkey, a strictly secular Muslim nation which Washington has
often praised as a model for co-habitation between democracy and Islam.
However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has often led the
criticism towards Washington, insisted that Turkish-US ties remained strong.
“Our ties continue with the same maturity and in a positive spirit…at the
level of strategic partnership. We have confirmed this between ourselves,” he
told reporters after talks with Rice late Saturday.
The toughening US policy towards Iran, another troubled neighbor of Turkey,
and efforts to revive the Middle East peace process were also expected to be
high on Rice’s agenda here.
Rice was to hold a news conference with Gul later on Sunday before flying out
to Israel, her next point of call.

3) Azeri Officer’s Trial to Begin on February 8

BAKU (Combined Sources)–The murder trial of Azeri senior lieutenant Ramil
Safarov will begin on February 8 in Budapest, Hungary. Safarov is being tried
for the February 19, 2004 slaying of Armenian serviceman Gurgen Margarian.
Safarov’s attorney, Adil Ismayilov, said that a Hungarian lawyer will join
the
case during the next two days in order to help fend the charges. Margarian’s
family will be represented by Nazeli Vardanyan and Gabriela Kaspar. The
Armenian serviceman’s lawyers will also represent Hayk Makuchyan–a member of
the Armenian military who Safarov attempted to murder. The Azeri officer is
being charged with Article No. 166.2 of the Hungarian Criminal
Court–first-degree murder and attempted murder–for which he could face 10
years to life imprisonment.
In an attempt to partially curb Safarov’s responsibility, Bilal Mirzalioghli
Asadov, Chief Psychologist of Azerbaijan, has asked that the defendant undergo
a psychological examination. Safarov told the count during his previous trial
that he was in an “unconscious” state during the murder. Medical examinations,
however, indicate that he was fully aware of his acts.

4) Three Men Arrested After Deadly Shootout in Yerevan

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenian prosecutors announced on Monday the arrest of three
unidentified men suspected of taking part in a late-night gunfight in Yerevan
that left one person dead and two others seriously wounded.
The spokesman for the Prosecutor-General’s Office, Gurgen Ambarian,
refused to
identify the suspects and comment on possible reasons for the shootout.
The deadly incident occurred late on Friday in the city’s southern outskirts
mainly occupied by Soviet-era idle factories. Television pictures from the
scene showed a bullet-holed car and spent cartridges strewn on the ground.
More
than a dozen cars were reportedly parked in the deserted area when the gunfire
erupted.
Police said three young men were rushed to a nearby hospital as a result. One
of them, aged 30, died shortly afterward, while the two others were
reported to
remain in a critical condition on Monday.
A spokesman for the national Police Service, Zarzand Gabrielian said that two
people who participated in the shootout turned themselves in over the weekend.
He said one of the men surrendered a Kalashnikov rifle and a pistol. It was
unclear whether they were among the detainees mentioned by the prosecutors’
spokesman.
Gabrielian revealed that investigators searched the apartment of the murdered
man and found an arsenal of firearms and ammunition, including eight
Kalashnikovs. He added that law-enforcement authorities have already
“established the identity of a number of suspects” and have already begun to
“interrogate their relatives.” But he declined to give further details of the
case.

5) CBC Radio Provides Platform to Armenian Genocide Deniers, Say Canadian
Armenian Leaders

MONTREAL–The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) demonstrated a lack of
judgment when it failed to invite representatives of the Canadian-Armenian
community to its Feb. 6, Sunday Edition radio program during which, following
discussions of a book on the Armenian genocide, only the Turkish Embassy was
allowed to present its side.
“It’s regrettable that deniers of the Armenian Genocide [Turkish Government]
have been provided with a platform while the representatives of the
Canadian-Armenian community have not been offered the opportunity to
respond to
the Turkish Government’s propaganda,” commented Armenian National Committee of
Canada (ANCC) president, Dr. Girair Basmadjian.
In a 25-minute segment, host Michael Enright interviewed Prof. Taner Akçam,
the author of “From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian
Genocide.” Following the interview, Enright read a lengthy statement by the
Turkish Embassy in Ottawa. No such statement, however, was requested from the
Armenian Embassy of Ottawa.
Akçam is one of many Turkish historians to recognize publicly the mass
killings and deportation, in 1915, of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. His
book represents a scholarly attempt to document the Armenian genocide from the
perpetrator’s, rather than victim’s, perspective. In the interview, Akçam
stated that he has been refused posts in Turkish universities because of his
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
“We commend the CBC and thank Michael Enright for their decision to shed
light
on the Forgotten Genocide of the 20th century, and Prof. Akçam’s scholarly
research. At the same time we were surprised and disappointed to hear Enright
read the Turkish Embassy’s statement that was, as usual, full of historical
fabrications and misinformation–the usual official stance of successive
Turkish governments. To us, it is a sheer error of judgment to confront an
honest academician with a baseless political onslaught, without even giving a
chance for the author to respond,” said Dr. Basmadjian.
The Canadian-Armenian community leader said that it was unfortunate the CBC
provided an opportunity for such a statement from the Turkish Embassy while
not
affording Canadian-Armenians the same opportunity. “Moreover, the statement
was an outright insult to the author, Dr. Akçam, who did not lack courage to
express the historical truth. The Canadians of Armenian origin representing
survivors of the said Genocide are commemorating the 90th anniversary this
year, are insulted by such statements on a respectable broadcasting
corporation
such as the CBC,” added Dr. Basmadjian.
The program also omitted the fact that the Armenian genocide has officially
been recognized by the Senate and House of Commons of Canada in 2002 and 2004
respectively, and by the provincial legislatures of Ontario and Quebec dating
back to 1980.
“Genocide denial out of ignorance or a false sense of “balanced
journalism” or
“political correctness” is irresponsible and only serves to promote
revisionist
policies…Do we provide Holocaust deniers with such courtesies or platforms?”
asked Dr. Basmadjian.
The ANCC is seeking an apology from the CBC to its Armenian listeners and a
promise to afford equal time to the Armenian Embassy in Canada.

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United Press International
February 3, 2005 Thursday 3:37 PM EST

Ex-State official indicted for bribery

WASHINGTON

A former official in the U.S. Embassy in Armenia has been indicted
for bribery and visa fraud in Washington, the Justice Department said
Thursday.

Zdzislaw Parlej, a U.S. citizen who served as consular associate in
Yerevan, was named in a 13-count indictment.

Officials said he was arrested Wednesday in Washington.

He faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the
counts, if convicted.

The indictment said from April 2004 through Jan. 13, Parlej and other
unnamed co-conspirators engaged in exchanging U.S. visas for cash.
The indictment singles out six separate incidents in which Parlej
allegedly took cash bribes of up to $10,000 in exchange for issuing
visas, regardless of whether the applicants were qualified.

Ambassador Frank Taylor, speaking for the State Department’s Bureau
of Diplomatic Security, said, “We are committed to investigating and
bringing to justice Department of State officials who use their
positions of trust to break the law.”

TV notes change of tack in PACE rapporteur’s stance on Karabakh

Arminfo, Yerevan
1 Feb 05

STEPANAKERT

The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic NKR Public TV and Radio Broadcasting
Company produced from its archives an interview with a member of the
British House of Commons, the chairman of the commission of the
non-member countries of the Council of Europe CE , David Atkinson,
(currently rapporteur on Nagornyy Karabakh), in the village of Kichan
of Mardakert of the NKR in October 1993.

In his 1993 speech David Atkinson noted, in particular, that he had
heard much about Nagornyy Karabakh, but he was here for the first
time, an Arminfo special correspondent reported from Stepanakert.
“What I have seen, David Atkinson said, is above my imagination. Here
is a real war which is taking away many lives on a daily basis. It is
obvious that Azerbaijan launched this war, Azerbaijan will not be a
member of the Council of Europe unless it is stopped”.

Speaking with admiration about churches in the town of Shushi ,
Atkinson noted that the Azerbaijani vandals desecrated the Christian
church Kazachetsots, turning it into an ammunition depot. “This fact
must be condemned and I shall certainly tell my colleagues about
this,” Atkinson noted.

“I think the people of Karabakh have the right to decide their own
destiny and future. Our organization and I shall personally do
everything so that the Karabakh Armenians live a free and full life on
their land,” David Atkinson noted in 1993. On becoming the PACE
rapporteur on Nagornyy Karabakh in 2004, he announced that the
principle of the right to self-determination is not applied to
Nagornyy Karabakh.

ArmenPress
Jan 28 2005

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS POPE JOHN PAUL II

VATICAN, JANUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Robert
Kocharian who is in Italy on a four-day official visit met today with
UN World Food Program Director Jacques Deuffi. The latter highly
assessed the pace of cooperation with Armenia.
In his turn Armenian President expressed hope that the cooperation
with UN World Food Program will expand more in future. At present
Armenia and this organization implement 5 programs costing 1.7
million USD.
Robert Kocharian also met with the head of the International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD) L. Bogey and the latter highly
assessed the reforms that are being implemented in Armenia in the
agricultural sphere.
L. Bogey assured that the present speed of the cooperation will
continue. After the meeting a credit program costing 20 million USD
was signed – 10 millions will be provided for the development of
agricultural economy and the other 10 million for the development of
village communities’ infrastructures.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian visited today Vatican where he
met with Pope John Paul II.
“Your presence here reminds me of our first meeting in Vatican in
March, 1999, on the opening occasion of Rome-Armenia exhibition and
also of our meeting in Yerevan on the 1700th anniversary of the
adoption of Christianity by the Armenians. I use with pleasure the
opportunity to greet all the people in Armenia and those Armenians
who are in different parts of the world but united by Christian and
cultural ties,” said John Paul II.
The Pope referred to the good relations with Holy See and said “I
know that Catholic community is respected in Armenia and all its
initiatives promote the increase of prosperity of the whole people.
The relations between the Catholic and Armenian Apostolic churches
are based on mutual respect and relationship.”
After the meeting with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Armenian
President visited the Saint Grigor Lusavoritch monument which was
erected in Vatican and blessed by the Pope on January 19. Here the
President was greeted by the Armenian Catholic clergymen. Later the
President met with the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berluskoni.

ArmenPress
Jan 28 2005

PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN’S MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION OF ARMY DAY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, ARMENPRESS: On the occasion of Army’s Day
President Robert Kocharian sent a congratulatory address, which
states:
“Dear country fellows: I congratulate you on the occasion of
Army’s Day. This a new holiday for the Republic of Armenia. However,
this holiday is great and precious for everyone. It has been
established through the heroic deeds of the sons of the Armenian
people on the borders of Karabagh and Armenia, and through the
collective will of our people. The Armenian Army has been forged in
the flames of the war as a splendid manifestation of national
self-expression and dignity.
The Army of the Republic of Armenia is a reliable safeguard of our
borders, guarantor of peaceful and secure life of our people, and an
important constituent of our advancement.
Dear servicemen: With a special feeling I congratulate you on the
occasion of Army’s Day. Your difficult and devoted service to our
Fatherland, your professional skills and high combat spirit are the
cornerstones of our freedom and independence. I wish you successful
service.
Once again I congratulate all of us on the occasion of this great
holiday, and wish peaceful skies and stable development for the
benefit of our country and our people.

Armenian president meets Italian counterpart in Rome

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
27 Jan 05

[Presenter] The Italian president is ready to help Armenia integrate
into Europe, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said in Rome today
during a meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.

Italy also intends to aid the economic development of Armenia,
increasing bilateral trade and investment in the country.

Ciampi and Kocharyan touched on the Karabakh settlement process. The
Caucasus is a region of strategic importance for Europe and the danger
of instability in the region reduces the development prospects for the
region as a whole, the Italian president said.

President Kocharyan met today in Rome the chairmen of the Italian
senate and parliament and attended the Armenian-Italian business forum
organized by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade.

[Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan from Rome] The official reception for
the Armenian president took place in the afternoon at the Italian
presidential residence. After the ceremony, the two presidents
discussed Italian-Armenian relations. They also discussed regional and
international issues and Armenia’s integration into Europe.

During a short meeting with journalists, the Italian president noted
that Armenia was a country close to Italians’ hearts. The Italians
were the first to render assistance to Armenia in the 1988 earthquake.

President Ciampi said that Italy was ready to assist the economic
development of Armenia, to increase trade and Italian investment in
Armenia.

Ciampi called for the continuation of constructive talks on the
peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

For his part, Kocharyan expressed confidence that the Armenian
president’s first official visit to Italy would promote the
development of bilateral relations and would be a convenient
opportunity to transfer political relations into the business
sphere. The president stressed the importance of the Armenian-Italian
business forum gathering in Rome, during which Italian and Armenian
businessmen were able to assess and discuss cooperation potential. The
Armenian president also noted that the development potential for
Armenian-Italian relations was large as regards integration into
Europe.

Kocharyan outlined to Ciampi Armenia’s relations with the European
Union and the importance of this organization’s “Expanded Europe: New
Neighbours” programme for Armenia.

Ciampi promised his country’s assistance on this issue and stressed
that the Caucasus was of strategic importance to Europe, which wishes
to develop democracy and the economy in this region.

The Armenian president discussed interparliamentary cooperation with
the president of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, Pier Ferdinando Casini.

During a meeting with Italy’s Senate Speaker Marchello Pera, Kocharyan
discussed the two countries’ cooperation in the legislative
sphere. Pera said that Italy was ready to assist in the reform of
Armenian legislation.

Tomorrow [28 January] Kocharyan will meet Italian Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi and Pope John Paul II.

NKR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN 2004

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
26 Jan 05

In 2004 the GDP of the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh totaled 42 183.0
million drams against 33883.7 million drams in 2003. The rate of
growth of the GDP totaled 17.5 per cent. Of this 9.1 per cent was
provided by industry, building, transport and communication provided
2.6 per cent each, 1.8 per cent was provided by trade and public food
places. Production had a positive impact on the economic
development. The actual growth of production totaled 22.2 per cent,
services 6.7 per cent, taxes on products and import 33.6 per cent.

AA.
26-01-2005

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
01/25/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) PACE Adopts Controversial Resolution Mountainous Karabagh Presented by
Atkinson
2) $100,000 Raised in Support of Youth Centers in Armenia
3) Tension between Turkey and Vatican on Inclusion of Armenian Genocide
4) Khatami, Aliyev Optimistic about Enhancing Cooperation
5) PACE Sets Firm Deadline for Georgian Reforms of Minority Rights

1) PACE Adopts Controversial Resolution Mountainous Karabagh Presented by
Atkinson

BRUSSELS (EAFJD/RFE-RL)–The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE) approved on Tuesday a controversial resolution on Mountainous Karabagh,
amid protests from the Armenian delegation, which described the draft
resolution and its appending report biased in Azerbaijan’s favor.
Prepared by David Atkinson (Democrat) from the United Kingdom, the resolution
notes that “considerable parts of the territory of Azerbaijan are still
occupied by Armenian forces” and that “separatist forces are still in control
of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.” The resolution also describes Mountainous
Karabagh Republic as a mono-ethnic area “which resemble the terrible
concept of
ethnic cleansing.”
“The Atkinson report is the report of Azerbaijan. This country believes that
shifting the institutional framework will turn its crimes into virtues.
Attempts of ethnic cleansing actually occurred but, contrary to Mr. Atkinson
insinuations, it was the policy led by Baku,” the executive director of the
European Armenian Federation (EAFJD) Laurent Leylekian explained prior to the
vote. “Without the fight for self-determination led by the people of Karabagh,
theses historically Armenian territories would no longer house Armenians,
as is
the case today in the region of Nakhichevan or throughout the areas of Eastern
Turkey,” he added.
The majority of PACE delegates on Tuesday supported a demand made by
Bulgarian
parliamentarian Evgeni Kirilov that Azerbaijan be free of any occupying
troops.
“There cannot be territories occupied by force, or there cannot be any
prospect
of joining any territories by force to [any] country,” he said.
The resolution calls on Azeri authorities to establish contacts with
Karabagh’s leaders–which they have persistently refused to do–and to refrain
from any attempts to retake lost territory by force.
Pointing to the biased nature of the report, the deputy chair of the Armenian
delegation to PACE, and a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Armen
Rustamian, said he believes Atkinson’s resolution will not only hinder the
peace process, but will also serve as an incentive for Azerbaijan to
forcefully
restore its territorial integrity.
“Azerbaijan is expecting to use this document as a justification to issue an
ultimatum it has been preparing for a long time. Azerbaijan wants to solve the
[Karabagh] issue according to its own scenario–that is, through war,” he
said,
addressing the Assembly in French.
French parliamentarian Francois Rochebloine publicly questioned the
impartiality of Atkinson’s report: “It seems to me that, for the sake of
objectivity, this report should have given a more balanced view of the
position
of the Armenian side and its readiness to negotiate.”
The Armenian government has so far not reacted to the Atkinson report.

2) $100,000 Raised in Support of Youth Centers in Armenia

LOS ANGELES–Over $100,000 was raised in support of ARF youth centers in
Armenia during a banquet held at the Alcazar restaurant on Thursday,
January 20
in the San Fernando Valley. Organized by the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Western Region, the banquet featured guest speaker Hrant Margarian
of the ARF Bureau, who was on an official visit to the region.
Following the opening remarks of ARF Western-Region Central Committee
representative Hovig Saliba, Margarian spoke to the group of ARF supporters
and
representatives present at the event about the importance of properly
educating
youth in Armenia and the significance of youth centers within the endeavor.
On the night of the event, a notable contribution of $10,000 was made by Mr.
and Mrs. Khachig and Elo Mouradian, who only a few days before had already
donated $10,000. The couple added another $10,000 on Saturday night during the
ARF anniversary celebration in Glendale, California, raising the total amount
to $30,000.

3) Tension between Turkey and Vatican on Inclusion of Armenian Genocide

ANKARA (Sabah)–Turkey’s Sabah daily newspaper reports that the inclusion of
the Armenian genocide in the book, “The Church’s Guidelines on Social
Education,” distributed by the Vatican, has caused friction between the
Turkish
government and the papal authority.
Sabah reports that Turkey’s foreign ministry has approached and warned the
Vatican on the issue, insisting that the section on the Armenian genocide be
removed.
The Genocide is included in the book’s “Seeking Worldwide Peace and Justice”
section, along with the genocides of Ukrainians, Cambodians, and the African
people.

4) Khatami, Aliyev Optimistic about Enhancing Cooperation

LONDON (IranMania)–Immediately after the formal welcoming ceremony for Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev to Iran, the presidents of both countries expressed
their desire to expand Tehran-Baku relations. President Mohammad Khatami,
accompanied by Aliyev, told reporters at Sadabad Complex that Iran is keen on
furthering relations with Azerbaijan.
Responding to an Azeri reporter’s inquiry about what Iran will do to help
resolve the Karabagh crisis, President Khatami said that his country is among
the few which support Azerbaijan’s national sovereignty and territorial
integrity. “Iran believes that the Karabagh crisis could be resolved through
logic and understanding between the two parties without resorting to force. I
believe that the Karabagh conflict will be resolved if the two sides seriously
decide to do so,” he said.
Khatami noted that Iran has friendly relations with both Azerbaijan and
Armenia and is ready to serve as a mediator between the two countries.
Asked whether he sees a similarity between the occupation of Arab lands by
Israel and the situation in Karabagh, Khatami said Iran condemns occupation
and
use of force by any country. “Of course, there is a difference. I believe
Israel has occupied all of Palestine and established an illegitimate
existence,
but Armenia is a country itself. But at the same time, occupation and seizure
of an inch of territory is condemned and the international community should
help end the occupation,” Khatami said.
President Aliyev told reporters that his visit to Iran is aimed at developing
relations in all fields, including the economy.
He pointed to the accords President Khatami signed during his visit to Baku
and said Azerbaijan looks forward to implementation of the agreements.
Aliyev further said Tehran-Baku relations are developing rapidly and
political
and economic cooperation is excellent.
“The exchange of visits by presidents of the two countries indicates the
extent of relations enjoyed between the two,” he said.

5) PACE Sets Firm Deadline for Georgian Reforms of Minority Rights

BRUSSELS (Combined Sources)–The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) adopted a report on Tuesday, setting the final deadlines for
Georgia to honor its obligations and commitments as a member state of the
Council of Europe.
While acknowledging that Georgian authorities “continue to demonstrate an
unyielding resolve to carry out far-reaching political, legal, social, and
economic reforms,” the adopted text of that report seeks full compliance with
membership obligations, including challenges Georgia faces in protecting human
rights and rights of minorities.
While not mentioning Georgia’s mostly Armenian population of Javakhk, these
requirements are expected to directly impact Javakhk’s Armenians whose social
and human rights are effectively neglected by the Government of Georgia.
The report stipulates that, prior to September 2005, Georgia must sign and
ratify the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and the
European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation, and must ratify the
Revised European Social Charter and the Framework Convention for the
Protection
of National Minorities.
In October 2004, the Council of Armenian Non-governmental Organization of
Javakhk appealed to the OSCE, seeking adoption and implementation of the these
points, saying they would “contribute greatly to the improvement of the grave
situation” in Javakhk.
The report also stipulates that no subsequent negotiations will take place,
and deadlines to fulfill obligations will not be extended. “The Assembly
expects the Georgian Government to honor their promises fully and in time,” it
stresses.

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GOVERNMENT APPROVES CONCEPT OF INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, January 21 (Noyan Tapan). At the January 20 session, the RA
government approved the concept of innovative activities in
Armenia. The principles and approaches of the innovative policy
implemented by the government are stipulated in the concept. The
adoption of the concept and the Law on State Assistance for Innovative
Activities in Armenia developed on its basis will promote the
formation of a knowledge-based economy, the stable and secure
development of the country, the process of integrating into the global
economic system and rationalizing the use of natural and intellectual
resources, it will increase the competitiveness of the Armenian
economy and, as a result of all this, become one of the stable
guarantees of reducing poverty in the country and ensuring an
appropriate standard of living for the people. According to the RA
government’s Information and PR Department, the RA Minister of Trade
and Economic Development was assigned to develop and submit to the
government for approval, within 6 months, the 2005-2010 Program on
Creation and Development of the Innovative System in the RA.