Author: Tumanian Talar

European Union: Wider still and wider

The Guardian – United Kingdom; Jun 15, 2005

The vision of a European Union smoothly spreading its blessings and
extending its membership to a larger and larger circle of nations has
been one of the casualties of the French and Dutch referendums. The
prospect of an ultimate union of up to 40 nations, spreading perhaps
as far as the Caucasus, is now clouded, with European governments so
timorous about expansion that they appear to have agreed to excise
all but the vaguest mention of it from the joint statement they will
produce at the end of this week’s summit. Divided though they were
over expansion, they had neverthless agreed on it sufficiently to
alienate a public opinion in most of the older member states which
wanted either to proceed with it more slowly or not to embrace it at
all. Membership for Turkey, in particular, may have been an issue
which tipped the balance for voters in France and the Netherlands.
European leaders are now inevitably going to have to reassess their
plans and timetable for negotations with prospective new members.

There are difficulties in dealing with all of the three very
different categories of potential members, not least because in each
of them a quite different array of interests and prejudices operates.
The easiest in principle is south-eastern Europe, with Romania and
Bulgaria already due to join in 2007, Croatia waiting hopefully, and
the other Yugoslav successor states expected ultimately to follow.
This is more completion than expansion, filling in a gap within
the map of united Europe, in the case of Romania and Bulgaria,
and foreclosing any return to war, in the case of former Yugoslavia.
Romania and Bulgaria, as with earlier candidates, have to meet certain
conditions, and there could be a brief delay. The greater problems,
not helped by prevarication and procrastination by the EU, are in
former Yugoslavia, with Kosovo’s status uncertain, and the legacy of
the war far from overcome elsewhere. But, after the traumas of the
1990s, most Europeans will not need convincing of the sense of using
membership to bring stability to the Balkans.

More difficult, and more distant, is the question of membership for
the Ukraine (and Belarus, if political change comes in that country)
because there is a distinct divergence between most western members
of the union and most eastern ones, with the latter much more drawn
to the idea of taking Russia’s immediate neighbours quickly into the
European orbit. Anxiety about Russia, in other words, is the key to
the motives both of applicants and those most likely to welcome them.
That anxiety weakens as you move west, and public opinion varies
accordingly. Georgia and Armenia are even more far flung and, after
the referendums, truly remote possibilities.

Most difficult of all is Turkey, and not only because anti-Turkish
sentiment was so clearly a factor in the French and Dutch votes. The
deeper problems are the degree of ambivalence on both sides, and
the likelihood that in the long negotiations due to begin in October
there will, over the years, be just too many occasions for friction
and worse. Jacques Chirac has probably committed any future French
government to a referendum on Turkish entry. It is ironic that a
move intended to take the Turkish factor out of the decision on the
constitution failed in that purpose, but has instead laid a landmine
which could go off with disastrous effect in the future. Turkish
support for entry has already dropped somewhat since the referendums,
and nationalist resistance to some of the EU’s demands and standards
has stiffened. The lesson of Turkey is not that Turkish membership is
a bad idea – that is a different argument – but that in a Europe which
is fed up with being told rather than persuaded, you must convince
before you act, and not the other way round.

ASHOT MANUCHARYAN INSISTS THAT HE KNOWS TRUTH ABOUT ACT OF TERRORISM
IN ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT, HOWEVER THERE IS NOBODY TO IMPART WITH IT

YEREVAN, JUNE 14. ARMINFO. Leader of Armenia’s Socialistic Forces Union
Ashot Manucharyan insists as usual that he knows the true situation of
the act of terrorism perpetrated in Armenia’s Parliament on October 27,
1999, when Armenia’s Prime Minister, Speaker and both Vice-Speakers
were perished from terrorists’ bullets.

ARMINFO reporter reminded him about his systematically repeated
promises to tell all the truth on the act of terrorism during today’s
press-conference in the National press-club. Manucharyan stated in
response that if he tells Police (forced its way to power of criminal),
Office of Public Prosecutor or restricted mass media about it, he will
become a part of this criminal. “My offer to create an independent
deputy commission I might tell all the truth had been rejected. And,
it was for the better as no independent commission may be in an
illegitimate parliament. However, the time will come and I will tell
the whole”, Manucharyan stated do not specifying when this day comes.

Removal of assets from Georgia to Armenia poses no threat, says
Russian general

Interfax news agency
14 Jun 05

Moscow, 14 June: The withdrawal of some hardware from Russian military
bases in Georgia to Armenia should not arouse concern in Azerbaijan,
the chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, Army Gen
Yuriy Baluyevskiy, has told journalists at a briefing at the Russian
Defence Ministry.

“I have already said that, given the tight schedule for the closure
of Russian military bases in Georgia (by the end of 2008 – Interfax
note), some hardware may have to be redeployed in Armenia, at the
102nd base in Gyumri,” Baluyevskiy said.

He stressed that “this hardware will not change the balance of forces
in the region under the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and it
does not pose a threat to the countries of this region”.

Latest crisis threatens EU talks and Turkish ambitions
By Stephen Castle in Luxembourg

The Independent/UK
14 June 2005

Europe’s political crisis threatens to engulf talks on EU spending,
moves to ratify the European constitution and Turkey’s ambitions to
join the bloc.

Germany’s Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, said negotiations on an
EU budget for 2007-13 were deadlocked and might have to be abandoned
by EU leaders when they meet for a summit on Thursday.

And Turkey’s prospects of starting negotiations on joining the EU
as planned on 3 October remained unclear amid contradictory signals
from Paris.

In comments likely to alarm countries in southern and eastern Europe
which stand to gain from EU subsidies, Mr Fischer said: “It’s up to the
[EU] presidency to decide how realistic an attempt to reach agreement
is at this stage, or whether we stick with an interim result that
the British presidency [which begins in July] can take forward.” The
Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini raised the same idea in
discussions with his French and British counterparts.

The French Foreign Minister Philippe Douze-Blazy renewed the offensive
against the British budget rebate, arguing that the costs of last
year’s enlargement are being shirked by the UK. He said: “The question
is raised: can one country decide not to help pay for this?”

But Peter Mandelson, Britain’s European commissioner, suggested that
the UK could let the new Eastern European countries off their payments
to the rebate.The idea might break up the alliance of 24 states which
are lined up against Britain over the issue.

Glendale News Press
Published June 10, 2005
Schiff secures resolution hearing
By Robert Chacon, News-Press and Leader
Threatened by the attachment of two amendments by Rep. Adam Schiff to a
state department bill, House International Relations Committee Chairman
Henry Hyde committed to a hearing on an Armenian Genocide resolution, Schiff
said.
Hyde agreed to the hearing if Schiff removed amendments requiring extensive
efforts by the U.S. Government to conduct analysis of diplomatic responses
to the Armenian, Cambodian and Rwandan genocides and the Holocaust. The
amendment would have also required the U.S. to call for an end to Turkey’s
ongoing blockade with Armenia.
Hyde guaranteed the hearing out of concern that Schiff’s amendments would
be approved, Schiff said.
“We were able to use the proposed amendment to secure commitment from
Chairman Hyde to hear a dedicated Armenian Genocide resolution, which I will
be introducing in the next couple of weeks,” Schiff said. “This is something
the full committee has not done for half a decade.”
Schiff called the guaranteed debate and vote on his resolution a
breakthrough in light of the 90th anniversary of the genocide, during which
1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire.
Schiff’s bill has been defeated the past two years.
Leaders in Congress and President Bush’s administration have been hesitant
to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide out of fear of offending U.S. ally
Turkey, Schiff said.
“If that is the standard we will use to recognize the genocide, then that is
not a principled position for us to take,” he said. “Turkey will have to
come to grips with its Ottoman past. It is better to do it now, and the U.S.
needs to show some leadership.”

Pan Armenian News

TURKISH TRADE MINISTER PROTESTED AGAINST ACCUSATION OF HISTORIAN OF ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE DENIAL

10.06.2005 05:35

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Minister of Trade Kursat Tuamen refused to visit
Switzerland thus protesting against the criminal investigation launched
against a Turkish historian, RFE/RL reported. Kursat Tuzmen was expected to
take part in the Turkish-Swiss business forum scheduled for June 22-24.
However his visit was postponed for an uncertain period due to the ongoing
investigation against Chairman of the Association of Turkish Historians
Yusuf Halachogly, who is suspected of violating the Swiss anti-racist law.
To remind, last year the historian in his speech failed to recognize the
Armenian Genocide of 1915. Let us also note that after one of Swiss cantons
recognized the Armenian Genocide Turkey refused to receive Swiss Foreign
Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey.

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

JUNE 3-9, 2005

HIGHLIGHTS:

TWENTY-EIGHTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW

JOURNALIST ARRESTED AS A SUSPECT IN CHEATING

TWENTY-EIGHTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW

On June 6 on evening air of the Second Armenian TV Channel twenty-eighth
“Press Club” show was issued. The cycle is organized by Yerevan Press Club
under a homonymous project, supported by the OSI Network Media Program.

The subject for discussion of the representatives of leading media and
journalistic associations of Armenia were the results of the referenda on
European Constitution held in France and the Netherlands. By the forecast of
“Press Club” participants, the main subjects for the week will be the
elections of the heads of administration in three communities in Yerevan and
in Spitak on June 5; the rally of opposition forces in Baku on June 4; the
football game between Armenia and Romania on June 8. In the opinion of
program participants, the Armenian media will continue analyzing amendments
to the RA Constitution in the context of recommendations made by the
representatives of Venice Commission, who visited Yerevan last week, as well
as the response of international community to the referenda on European
Constitution.

JOURNALIST ARRESTED AS A SUSPECT IN CHEATING

On June 4 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan selected arrest as a preventive punishment of Theresa
Asatrian, an employee of press-center of the Union of Armenian Writers,
member of the Journalists Union of Armenia.

According to the June 2 press release of the Public Relations and
Information Department of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office, Theresa
Asatrian was detained on June 1, and on May 30 the Investigative Department
of the General Prosecutor’s Office instituted criminal proceedings against
her on clause 2 part 2 of Article 34-178 (“Attempt of cheating”) and on
clause 1 part 3 of Article 38-312 (“Involvement in bribing”) of the RA
Criminal Code. On May 17, 2005, the press release of the General
Prosecutor’s Office informs, Theresa Asatrian by deception and confidence
abuse extorted $ 3,500 from a notary of Vanadzor notary region Arusiak
Azarian. As noted further, Theresa Asatrian provoked the notary to give a
bribe of the amount noted allegedly to prevent the submission to the court
of the materials against the notary gathered by the RA National Security
Service, and the publication of a revelatory article written by the
journalist herself. “Under this pretext, on May 17, 2005 Theresa Asatrian
received from Arusiak Azarian $ 1,000, and she did not get the remaining $
2,500 for reasons beyond her control”, the General Prosecutor’s Office
reports.

The detainment of the journalist was broadly covered by Armenian media
which, basically, each in its own way, described the details of the meeting
of Theresa Asatrian and Arusiak Azarian.

Armineh Ohanian, in her article “Accused of Cheating” (“Haikakan Zhamanak”
daily, June 3, 2005) writes that on May 30 she received an unexpected
telephone call from Theresa Asatrian, who said she had prepared an article
on Vanadzor notary Arusiak Azarian, which she would like to have published
in the daily. The lengthy article by Theresa Asatrian given to “Haikakan
Zhamanak” told, in particular, about the possible involvement of Arusiak
Azarian in several questionable deals, as well as, to a certain extent, to
the murder in Vanadzor – in summer 2005 – of a major criminal nicknamed Goga
(Gevorg Arakelian, “Aravot” daily specified on June 3, 2005, quoting the
same version). When describing the situation, “Haikakan Zhamanak” notes that
so far it is unclear, whether the law enforcement bodies possess weighty
proofs of the guilt of Theresa Asatrian (apart from the statement and the
testimony of the notary). The publication promised to follow the
developments and to inform the public, since “the defendant is a journalist,
and we know numerous cases when attempts to restrict freedom of expression
were disguised as criminal proceedings, and the time will show whether it is
the same case or we are dealing with a completely different reality”.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

AMBASSADOR VLADIMIR PRYAKHIN: OPENNESS OF STATE STRUCTURES CONTRIBUTES
TO STRENGTHENING OF CONTACTS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND POWER

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, NOYAN TAPAN. “We are convinced that openness of state
structures contributes to strengthening of contacts between the people
and power while estrangement of power from people leads to appearance
of mistrust in the power in the society.” Ambassador Vladimir
Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Yerevan Office, declared this at the June 8
seminar dedicated to provision of transparency of activity of state
bodies and accessibility of information. According to him, one of the
most important directions of activity of OSCE Yerevan Office is
assistance to power bodies and civil society in realization of
strategy of struggle against corruption. Ambassador V.Pryakhin
mentioned the special role of mass media in this issue. Aghvan
Vardanian, RA Minister of Labor and Social Issues, mentioned that
development of civil society is impossible without transparent
activity of state bodies. According to him, this problem is attached
great importance to in the country in recent years: “Unless we can
explain to our society what this or that department is engaged in,
naturally, it’s impossible to expect understanding and trust in the
society,” the Minister declared. A.Vardanian assured that the
department headed by him tries to be open. Tatul Hakobian, RA Deputy
Minister of Health, and Artak Sahradian, RA Deputy Minister of
Education and Science, also participated in the seminar organized by
the National Center for Monitoring of Liberalization Processes.”

Roanoke Times, VA
June 7 2005

Men sentenced, but judge frets over missing cash

Nine men were convicted in a conspiracy to avoid paying cigarette
taxes, but authorities don’t know where the money ended up.

By Jen McCaffery

The case of nine men who were sentenced in federal court Monday went
beyond not paying taxes on more than 108 million cigarettes that were
transported from Virginia to California.

The “really dangerous” aspect of the case was the creation of a large
pool of untraceable assets, federal judge Samuel Wilson said at one
of the sentencing hearings in Advertisement

the case. These days, that can be problematic, he said.

But Wilson also pointed out that there was no evidence in the case
that the defendants had any ties to terrorism or organized crime.

The case began with a purchase of untaxed cigarettes at the Pilot
store in Troutville and grew into a four-year investigation that has
spawned additional prosecutions in California. Defendants drove
trucks to Virginia to buy less expensive cigarettes, then transported
them back to California, where they sold them to wholesalers and
retailers. They neglected to pay taxes on the cigarettes in either
state.

Noting that he thought “there’s a tremendous profit being made here
somewhere,” Wilson repeatedly asked prosecutors where the money had
gone.

“That, your honor, is an excellent question,” said prosecutor Sharon
Burnham.

According to the prosecution’s evidence in the case, the cigarettes
purchased as part of the conspiracy had a retail value of more than
$18.6 million. In the process, the defendants avoided more than $4.7
million in California taxes. The defendants in the case are mostly
Armenian immigrants who live in and around Los Angeles.

Burnham pointed out that the three leaders in the conspiracy – Vicken
Djeredjian, Akop “Jack” Chichyan and Mnatsakan “Mike” Grigoryan – had
agreed to the forfeiture of about $500,000 in assets as part of the
plea agreement in the case.

But she said that because of the “complex and convoluted” way the
defendants conducted their finances – having other defendants open up
separate bank accounts from which they drew funds, for example, and
paying for many things in money orders and cash – it is impossible to
know how much money they actually made.

“We’ll never know where the rest of it is,” Burnham acknowledged.

She pulled out a binder with plastic sheets filled with credit cards
that she said Chichyan used, along with cash and a check, to put a
down payment on a Mercedes worth almost $75,000.

But attorneys for Djeredjian, 31; Chichyan, 33; and Grigoryan, 39;
argued that their clients put most of the money they earned back into
buying more cigarettes and that they were now experiencing financial
hardship.

“There is not a treasure trove of hidden money out there,” argued
attorney John Russell of Midlothian.

Wilson sentenced Djeredjian, Chichyan and Grigoryan to two years in
prison and three years of supervised release, and fined them $20,000
each.

He also sentenced six other defendants who he said were less culpable
in the case. Many were truck drivers and cooperated early on with
federal prosecutors.

Wilson sentenced Azat Stepanyan, 23, to six months in prison and two
years supervised release and fined him $250. He also faces an
outstanding warrant from the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, according to federal prosecutor Craig Jacobsen.
Djeredjian is also facing deportation to Iraq, according to his
attorney.

Wilson also sentenced Serob Boyadzhyan, 36, and Manvel Iskandaryan,
47, to one year of probation and a $250 fine. Albert Asatryan, 47;
Masis Mirakyan, 57; and Armen Grigoryan, 28, were each fined $250. A
final defendant is still a fugitive.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives; the Internal Revenue Service; the Virginia state
police; and other agencies.

–Boundary_(ID_VKc7AUvcLcPG70kFJsuKUg)
Content-typ e: message/rfc822

From: Sebouh Z Tashjian <[email protected]>
Subject: Refugees will have houses
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed
Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT

A1plus

| 18:46:06 | 06-06-2005 | Social |

REFUGEES WILL HAVE HOUSES

The Tufenkian Foundation today announced a generous gift by Dr. Alber
Karamanoukian toward its ongoing efforts to promote Karabagh’s resettlement.
Dr. Karamanoukian’s gift of $20,000 will underwrite the construction of one
house and associated facilities in Arajamough, a new village the Foundation
is building in Karabagh’s border regions.

Begun in 2004, Arajamough currently houses 25 resettlers, consisting of 6
families, most of them refugees from Azerbaijan. The village will welcome
another 6 families this fall. The Tufenkian Foundation is committed to
building and resettling at least 6 houses per year until the Arajamough
project is completed.

`We are grateful to Dr. Karamanoukian for his generous support of this
project,’ stated Antranig Kasbarian, a Program Director with the Foundation.
`Indeed, his support for resettlement extends beyond this project and toward
the larger vision of fortifying Artsakh – particularly its vulnerable border
regions – as a crucial component of our national security.’

In turn, Dr. Karamanoukian praised the Foundation for its efforts.
`Resettling Karabagh is of vital importance, particularly when many people
still lack decent housing, facilities, and especially jobs. I commend the
Foundation’s commitment to raising the bar in each of these fields, and urge
others to join the effort to consolidate our victories on the ground. ‘

The Arajamough project features newly built houses with modern amenities.
Alongside these, the Tufenkian Foundation is providing water, power lines,
gravel roads, as well as administrative support in bolstering the village.
Future plans include animal husbandry and land cultivation, in order to
provide sustainable livelihoods and to spur economic growth in surrounding
areas.

`Our view of resettlement is an integrated one, and moves beyond the usual
humanitarian-subsistence approaches,’ stated Kasbarian. `The Karabagh war
created many thousands of refugees and homeless persons; some of these have
left the area entirely, while many others continue to eke out an existence
in ruined areas amidst primitive conditions. Under such circumstances, our
very existence on these lands remains tenuous. If we are to attract
Armenians back and solidify our presence, then clearly having a roof over
one’s head is not enough. Rather, people must gain hope that there is a
future living on these lands, which is why modern facilities,
infrastructure, and the promise of economic activity are essential as well.”

Dr. Karamanoukian is a prominent physician and businessman based in
Glendale, California. He has a long record of philanthropy toward Armenian
causes.