Author: Varosian Antranik

US ARMY EUROPEAN COMMAND WORKED OUT PLAN TO SOLVE KARABAKH ISSUE

Pan Armenian News
18.06.2005 03:29

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On the instructions of Pentagon the US European
Command has worked out plan for settlement of the conflict in Nagorno
Karabakh. The document provides for inclusion of mobile forces,
which can be situated in the territory of the South Caucasus, in the
solution of the problem. A range of talks between military experts
have been held in the Azeri capital of Baku over the plan.” This was
stated by President of the American Center for Strategic Studies Marco
Pren. In his words, one of the scripts of using US mobile forces in the
South Caucasus is their involvement in the Karabakh settlement. Though
Mr. Pren does not know who have authored the plan, he hopes that “the
initiative belongs to more mature representative of Pentagon.” Thus,
the implementation of the plan is the duty of the US Armed Forces in
Europe. Simultaneously, referring to Pentagon sources, M. Pren noted,
“US desire is not to locate mobile forces in the territory of the
South Caucasus by all means. Pentagon does not advocate dramatization
of the Karabakh issue and does not work for forming a base in the
mentioned region.

The important thing is the determination of the mandate of the
aforementioned forces.” The Press Service of the Foreign Ministry of
Azerbaijan reported it considered participation of US mobile forces
in the conflict settlement impossible. However, Azeri Deputy FM Araz
Azimov noted that, in his opinion, at a certain stage of resolution of
the Karabakh problem participation of foreign troops in the security
process in Karabakh is unavoidable. At the same time Azeri Parliament
Vice-Speaker Ziyafet Askerov said speaking of deployment of NATO
peacekeepers in the conflict zone was premature. In his words, the
issue is not subject to discussion at the talks of the Armenian and
Azeri leaders. “There is a large probability that after the meeting
of Armenian and Azeri FMs in Paris the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan will also have a meeting. It is known that the talks will
be held over the withdrawn of Armenian military units from the 7 seized
Azeri regions around Karabakh. Only after those meetings the matter may
concern the discussion of other issues,” Z. Askerov said. He reported
that the venue and date of the recurrent meeting of the Presidents
will depend on the talks of the FMs, the Caucasian Knot reported.

US Makes Financial Aid to Armenian Occupation

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 18 2005

WASHINGTON – The Appropriations Sub-Committee of the U.S. House
of Representatives approved the levels of spending for Armenia
and Nagorno-Karabakh Occupation Administration proposed in the
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The
bill calls for $67.5 million for Armenia, up to $5 million for the
unrecognized ‘Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’, and $5.75 million each in
military assistance to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenian forces
occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and many other Azerbaijani towns. The US
made pressures on Syria to withdraw from Lebanon while she gives
financial support to Armenian Occupation. Turkish experts finds the
American Armenia policy double-standard.

Although total U.S. financial aid to the countries of the former
Soviet Union continues to decline steadily, the aid earmarked for
Armenia is $12.5 million more than for FY 2005. Armenia, contrary to
the other regional countries, has very close relations with Russia.
Yerevan is considered the only Russian ally in the region.

The bill will be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee
in July.

More than 1 million Azerbaijanis have been refugees for more than
a decade and the US has made no aid to the Azerbaijani refugees. No
Azerbaijanis remained in Armenia after the Armenian discriminative
policies against the Muslims in Armenia. Not only the Muslims but
also the Jews and other ethnic groups have suffered from the Armenian
ultra-nationalism.

The EU and OSCE condemned the Armenian occupation in Nagarno-Karabakh
and no state recognize Karabakh as a separate political entity.

Turkish parties, unions protest against German decision on “Armenian allegations”

TRT 1 television, Ankara
17 Jun 05

[Presenter] Reactions continue to the German parliament’s decision on
the Armenian allegations. Kamu-Sen [Public Sector Employee Unions]
laid a black wreath at the gate of the German embassy in Ankara and
protested against the decision. The CHP [Republican People’s Party],
DYP [True Path Party] and MHP [Nationalist Action Party] also faulted
the German parliament’s decision.

[CHP’s Kemal Anadol] This decision is a very ugly one. It is also a
great fiasco in terms of Turkey’s foreign policy. Certain circles want
to link events that occurred 90 to 100 years ago to current politics
and to use them against Turkey. It is difficult to understand that
but it is impossible to understand it because it is Germany.

[Presenter] DYP leader Mehmet Agar said the decision is unacceptable.

[Agar] It is impossible for the Republic of Turkey to accept the
use of this issue as a tool for pressure in connection with current
political affairs.

[Presenter] MHP Deputy Oktay Vural called on the government to hold
a special parliamentary session to discuss this issue. He said,
addressing the government: You must shout to the world that those who
attack us with a guilty conscience are those who committed a genocide
against the Jews.

Kamu-Sen protested against the decision by laying a black wreath
at the German embassy in Ankara. Kamu-Sen leader Bircan Akyildiz
said that through this decision, Germany was trying to cover up its
shameful history.

The group dispersed after the demonstration but it returned when a
policeman tried to remove the wreath. There was a skirmish between
Kamu-Sen members and the security forces.

Assembly Speaker [Bulent] Arinc is going to send a letter to his German
counterpart in connection with the decision on Armenian allegations.

Investment Opportunities in Armenia

BISNIS Search for Partners
16 June 2005

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Opel and other brands.

The company owns a showroom in Yerevan’s main automobile spare parts
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LeadLink,

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Food Processing and Packaging

Country: Armenia

Industry: Food Processing and Packaging (canned fruits and vegetables,
fruit juice)

Company: Vayots Dzor LLC

Vayots Dzor is a private company established in 1997 in Yeghegnadzor,
Armenia that bottles mineral water and produces goat cheese for export
to the United States.

The company also owns 20 hectares of orchards and produces high quality
fruits and vegetables, including apricots, peaches, pears, and apples.

The company seeks a U.S. partner to establish joint production of canned
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It also wishes to set up natural juice production.

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can be mailed upon request.

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These opportunities are provided solely as an informational service and
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ARF bureau representative: There is misrepresentation that Armenia is
losing in Karabakh talks

16.06.2005 16:32

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Commenting on the current stage of the Karabakh
conflict negotiations process, Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) Bureau representative Hrant Margarian told a news conference on
Thursday that it is wrong to create a defeatist environment in Armenia.

Margarian Margarian said his impression is that on the one hand the
international forces pressure Azerbaijan to accept that Karabakh (and
probably Lachin, too) should be joined to Armenia, and on the other
hand they pressure Armenia to accept that the liberated territories
should be returned to Azerbaijan.

“I don’t believe there is an Armenian who wants the liberated
territories to be reutnred,” Margarian mentioned. “But I admit that
the issue can be touched upon during the talks process for tactical
reasons, but when Azerbaijan refuses at all to consider the issue
of ceding Karabakh to Armenia de jure — on the contrary, militant
rhetoric prevails in Azerbaijan — then I don’t understand why are
we creating a seemingly defeatist mood among our people?

This is unwise, to say the least. Our people have paid a big price
for the liberation of Karabakh and will not let anyone surrender
territories.” He added that concessions should not include such
issues as Karabakh’s sovereignty, national identity and today’s
factual borders.

A1plus

| 18:39:21 | 13-06-2005 | Social |

JAVAKHQ WITHOUT ELECTRIC POWER

The residents of Samtskhe-Javakh express their concern over the
decision of the Georgian United Power Company to take the payment for
the used electric power in a new way. The information is provided by
the agency “A-Info”.

If before now every family paid for the power used by them, from now
on they will pay according to the indices of the special calculators
installed in villages and cities (the sum of the index is divided by
the quality of the families).

The Georgian United Power Company explains the fact by the desire to
avoid losses. But on the other hand the population suffers as the
families who have not used much energy will have to pay more than
they have used.

Several towns have already been deprived of electric power because
of refusing to accept this way of paying.

POLITICAL DIALOGUE WITH THAILAND

A1plus

| 21:07:44 | 13-06-2005 | Official |

RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan who is in Thailand on an official
visit met today with the President of the Thailand National Assembly
Chamber of Representatives Bhokin Balakula.

During the meting the head of the RA Government mentioned that Armenia
gives much importance to the cooperation with Thailand. The sides
mentioned that the relations between Armenia and Thailand are important
not only from the economic, but also from the political point of view.

The head of the Armenian Government voiced hope that in close future
many agreements will be signed between the countries. Bhokin Balakula
in his turn assured that as representative of the Parliamentary
majority he will do everything to ratify the agreements to be signed
as soon as possible.

The sides have represented the courses of constitutional reforms
in their countries. Also, Andranik Margaryan and Bhokin Balakula
underlined the role of the Armenians living in Thailand in the
enhancing of the bonds between the two countries. It was mentioned that
also the Armenians in Thailand are not many but are very influential
and have a good reputation.

The RA Prime Minister and the President of the Thailand National
Assembly Chamber of Representatives voiced confidence that the
improvement of the joint legislation will create new possibilities
of two-party economic cooperation.

Tonight the delegation with RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
returned to Yerevan

Schweizerische Depeschenagentur AG (SDA)
SDA – Service de base français
13 juin 2005

Visite de députés turcs en Suisse Question arménienne en toile de
fond

Berne (ats) Une délégation de la commission de politique extérieure
du Parlement turc a entamé lundi une visite en Suisse. Les députés
rencontreront notamment Micheline Calmy-Rey et Joseph Deiss, alors
que les relations bilatérales ont souffert de la question arménienne.

La demi-douzaine de parlementaires devaient rencontrer lundi leurs
homologues de la Commission de politique extérieure du Conseil des
Etats, dont une délégation s’était rendue en Turquie en septembre
dernier.

La visite dure cinq jours. Selon le secrétariat de la Commission du
Conseil des Etats, les hôtes turcs doivent s’entretenir mardi avec la
cheffe de la diplomatie Micheline Calmy-Rey ainsi qu’avec le patron
du Département fédéral de l’économie (DFE) Joseph Deiss. Des
discussions sont aussi prévues ce jour-là avec les présidents du
Conseil national Thérèse Meyer et du Conseil des Etats Bruno Frick.

Mme Meyer préside la Chambre qui a reconnu en 2003 le génocide
arménien, suscitant les vives protestations d’Ankara. Au niveau
cantonal, le génocide a été reconnu par les autorités genevoises
(Conseil d’Etat et parlement) et par le Grand Conseil vaudois.

Suite à ces décisions, une visite de Micheline Calmy-Rey prévue en
septembre 2003 avait été annulée par la Turquie. Il aura fallu
attendre mars dernier pour que ce déplacement puisse avoir lieu.

Ministre fâché

Mais l’embellie aura été de courte durée. Le ministre turc du
commerce extérieur Kürsad Tüzmen vient en effet d’annuler une visite
qu’il devait effectuer fin juin en Suisse. Une rencontre avec M.
Deiss était notamment au menu.

Selon la presse turque, le ministre a voulu manifester sa mauvaise
humeur après l’ouverture par la justice suisse d’une enquête pour
violation de la norme anti-raciste visant l’historien turc Yusuf
Halacoglu. Ce dernier se serait rendu coupable de négation du
génocide arménien lors d’un discours tenu en mai 2004 à Winterthour.

Le président de l’Institut d’histoire turque est l’un des principaux
défenseurs des thèses turques sur les massacres commis entre 1915 et
1917 par le pouvoir ottoman contre les Arméniens.

D’après Ankara, il s’agissait d’une répression dans un contexte de
guerre civile. Selon les Arméniens, 1,5 million des leurs ont été
tués au cours des massacres, qui ont été officiellement reconnus
comme “génocide” par plusieurs pays.

Visite incertaine

Une visite de M. Deiss prévue en septembre en Turquie pourrait
également tomber à l’eau. La rencontre est toujours à l’agenda mais
les autorités turques n’ont toujours pas confirmé les dates, faisant
état de problèmes de calendrier, a expliqué lundi à l’ats Manuel
Sager, porte-parole du DFE.

–Boundary_(ID_6ihuCYs6t9cU8S5eUU/kvA)–

Pan Armenian News

TURKEY HAS TO HAVE COURAGE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

11.06.2005 03:56

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chairman of the Armenian Parliament Artur Baghdassaryan
met with a Turkish delegation headed by Deputy of the Grand National
Assembly of Turkey Turhan Comez, reported the Press Service of the National
Assembly of Armenia. Thereupon, A. Baghdassaryan noted that Armenia
advocates normal relations with all neighboring states. He also emphasized
that the problem issues of Armenian-Turkish relations have to be decided via
common discussions. «It is necessary to solve the problems available, not to
fight against them,» Baghdassaryan said. The Chairman of the Armenian
Parliament called to build relations facing the future and having at that
the courage to recognize the Armenian Genocide and go forward basing on the
joint way of Euro-integration. As noted by A. Baghdassaryan, Armenia hopes
for establishment of diplomatic relations as a basis for further discussion
of diverse issues. The Armenian party also noted that Armenia does not
object to having an EU member neighbor having provided that double standards
are ruled out. `There is no question for us whether there was a Genocide or
not and we consider one has to move forward and think of the future without
forgetting the past,’ Baghdassaryan said. He also noted that the Armenian
Constitution includes no slightest mentioning of land claims to Turkey.

FACTBOX-Electoral facts about central and eastern Lebanon

BEIRUT, June 10 (Reuters) – Lebanon’s parliamentary election, phased over
four weekends by region, moves on Sunday to the centre and the east for its
third and penultimate stage.

Two of the 35 seats up for grabs in central Lebanon have already gone
uncontested to Druze opposition leader Walid Jumblatt and a top aide.

In the first voting round on May 29, all Beirut’s 19 seats went to a slate
led by anti-Syrian Sunni Muslim Saad al-Hariri, son of slain former premier
Rafik al-Hariri.

All the south’s 23 seats went in a June 5 round to a list headed by the
pro-Syrian Shi’ite Muslim groups Hizbollah and Amal.

Following are electoral facts about central Mount Lebanon:

– Constituencies: Four

– Seats: 35, 25 for Christians and 10 for Muslims.

– Sectarian breakdown of seats:

– Christians: 19 Maronites, two Catholics, three Orthodox and one Armenian
Orthodox

– Muslims: Five Druze, three Shi’ites and two Sunnis.

– Candidates: 142

– Eligible voters: 745,000 — 66 percent Christian, 34 percent Muslim

– Sectarian breakdown of voters:

– Christians: Maronites 46 percent, Orthodox 7 percent, Catholics 6 percent,
Armenian Orthodox 4 percent, others 3 percent

– Muslims: Druze 18 percent, Shi’ites 8 percent, Sunnis 8 percent

Following are electoral facts about eastern Bekaa Valley:

– Constituencies: three

– Seats: 23, 14 for Muslims and nine for Christians

– Sectarian breakdown of seats:

– Muslims: eight Shi’ites, five Sunnis and one Druze

– Christians: three Maronites, three Roman Catholics, two Orthodox, one
Armenian Orthodox

– Candidates: 119

– Eligible voters: 490,000 — 69 percent Muslim, 31 percent Christian

– Sectarian breakdown of voters:

– Muslims: Shi’ites 41 percent, Sunnis 24 percent, Druze 4 percent

– Christians: Maronites 11 percent, Catholics 11 percent, Orthodox 5
percent, others 4 percent.

06/10/05 08:43 ET