Author: Virabian Jhanna

DIALOGUE THE BEST WAY TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS, PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert
Kochariansaid today that dialogue between conflicting political forces
is the best way to resolve their problems, but denounced the
opposition for “presenting ultimatums.” Meeting today with members of
the ruling board of the United Communist Party, the president recalled
that members of the ruling coalition had a series of meeting in the
last months with opposition leaders in a bid to seek their agreement
for easing the mounting standoff through a dialogue.

Kocharian’s press office said that the president has unveiled his
approaches towards the current domestic situation, putting the blame
for high tension on that segment of the opposition, which has chosen
extremism as modus operandi. The president also defended the security
forces, whose actions hesaid were aimed at restoring order and law and
were within the frames established by relevant laws.

The president argued that the ultimate goal of the opposition
should not differ from that of the authorities, which is to improve
the living standards of people. One of the functions of the
opposition, according to him, is keep under a permanent scrutiny the
government’s performance to warn against deviations from the right
path.

“Today the opposition is fully able to return to normal work, but
if it decides to take another path, the authorities possess enough
resources, setby the law, to protect people and stave off any
manifestation of illegality and extremism,” Kocharian said. The
president also said that the recent days developments have had no
impact on the country’s economy, financial market and investment
environment.

The presidential press service said the conversation encompassed
also a range of other issues, among them the best ways for giving a
new boost to economic developments, improving tax and customs systems,
reinforcement of the climate of responsibility across the country.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
April 8 2004

ACTIONS OF PROTEST HELD UNDER THE INITIATIVE OF THE AZERBAIJAN
JOURNALISTS IN TURKEY
[April 08, 2004, 23:20:32]

As was stated, representatives of independent mass media of
Azerbaijan have carried out in the cities of Igdir and Ankara of
Turkey, actions of protest to express the concern in connection with
probability of opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia. During
the meetings and rallies in Igdir, citizens of Turkey also have
joined our journalists and have supported them. Governor of Igdir
Musa Kiuchukgurd received our journalists. Having reminded words of
our national leader, the outstanding politician of the Turkic world
Heydar Aliyev `we are one nation, two states!’, the Governor has
emphasized that the Turkish people constantly supports fair position
of the Azerbaijan brothers.

On April 8, at the Gizil Ay Square in Ankara, a populous meeting with
participation of the independent journalists who have arrived from
Azerbaijan, our citizens living and working in Ankara, students, and
representatives of the Turkish public was held.

The demonstrators had in their hands national flags of Azerbaijan and
Turkey, posters with slogans `NO!’ to opening of borders! ‘, `The
Turkish-Azerbaijan friendship is eternal and indestructible!»
expressed protest against the aggressive policy of Armenia.

For carrying out of mass action in Ankara all corresponding official
sanctions have been received. During meeting and rally, no
infringements of law and public order were admitted.

PRESS OFFICE
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected] Website;

COMMUNIQUE
ARMENIAN ART EXHIBITION UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE PRIMATE

An art exhibition of artists from Armenia was held last week end
(April 2-4) in the Marie Manoogian Hall of the St-Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Outremont.

The event, which was the first of a series of events on the occasion
of the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Holy
Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese, was under the auspices of the
Primate of the Diocese, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian.

The exhibition was a joint organization of the Parish Council of the
St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Cathedral , “Momik”
Armenian Centre (Armenia) and “Armenian Art” magazine (Armenia). There
were more than 70 paintings exhibited which were works of several
Armenian artists of Armenia and some hand made craft.

The president of the Parish Council Mr Megerduitch Kanondjian opened
the Vernissage, welcoming the hundreds of people who came to
contemplate the works, then he introduced the guests Mr. Karen
Matevossian, President of the “Momik” centre and the chief-editor of
the Armenian Art” magazine, and Mrs. Hasmik Ginoyan, the director of
the Centre. Then Mr. Kanondjian invited Very Rev. Father Ararat
Kaltakjian to deliver the evening’s message to the art loving people
present. The Pastor of the Cathedral Rev. Father Vazgen Boyajyan read
the Primate’s message to the guests. At the end Mr. Matevossian
thanked the Primate, the Parish Council and the organizing committee
members.

The exhibition will be transferred to Vancouver for the next week end
and then will move to Toronto.

DIVAN OF THE DIOCESE

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 6, 2004

“MOVEMENT-88” UNIFICATION AROUND STATE BUILDING

On April 2 the founders of the new public-political organization
“Movement-88” member of parliament Edward Aghabekian and candidate of
sciences in physics and mathematics Gagik Baghunts gave a press
conference. At the beginning of the press conference it was mentioned
that in the current political situation Karabakh is facing the problem
of to be or not to be. In order to survive, live and develop we need
to mobilize all our material, mental and spiritual potential to build
a self-sufficient democratic state. Edward Aghabekian mentioned that
the new organization will neither be opposition, nor support the
authorities. “We will raise problems; whether these will coincide with
the opinion of the government, or not, is not our problem,” said
E. Aghabekian. Nevertheless, the organization will be nominated at the
parliamentary elections in 2005. The participants of the movement say,
with our foreign problems we must have a strong civil state. As ways
of achieving this Gagik Baghunts mentioned transparency and balance
between the power branches, adoption of the new Constitution,
reconsideration of the manpower policy, development of the economy
based on investment of high technologies. According to E. Aghabekian,
the Constitution must clearly distinguish the duties of the power
branches. E. Aghabekian characterized the authorities as an elite
specialized in illegal economic activities. According to the
participants of the movement, economic development in Karabakh is
obvious but there is a problem with its even distribution. “Economic
polarization causes loss of human capital. We say everyone should be
equal before the army and before the law,” said E. Aghabekian. During
the press conference the problem of Karabakh was also touched upon.
E. Aghabekian mentioned that it is time for Armenia and Karabakh to
clearly outline their relationships and confirm the independence of
NKR. As to the home political situation in Armenia, the members of the
movement said they do not want to deal with these processes. E.
Aghabekian said, Karabakh must enter dialogue with Azerbaijan on a
horizontal plain. He thinks that we must live, develop and build a
state not overlooking the outer threat. The founding group will soon
publish the program of the organization. Then the founding meeting
will take place and the organization will be registered. During the
press conference the leader of the National-Democratic Party Murad
Petrossian announced that the party is declaring itself member of the
“Movement-88”. He mentioned that the principles declared by the
founders of the movement – correct manpower policy, rule of law and
public control – are close to his heart. The members of “Movement-88”
promised to meet regularly with the mass media.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

The Herald (Glasgow)
April 5, 2004

Briefing: Mount Ararat

Noah’s Ark finally found dry land on the mountain’s summit on this
day in 2348 BC.

Q: Says who?

A: Experts in the field of hermeneutics, the branch of knowledge that
deals with interpreting the Bible and other works of literature.

Q: Where is Mount Ararat?

A: There are actually two: Great Ararat (16,854ft), and Little Ararat
(12,782ft). They’re both products of volcanic eruptions in the
distant past and are to be found in the extreme east of Turkey. It’s
Great Ararat that’s associated with the mountain on which Noah’s Ark
came to rest at the end of the flood.

Q: Where does the name come from?

A: As it appears in the Bible, it’s the Hebrew equivalent of Urartu,
a kingdom that flourished between the ninth and seventh centuries BC.
Ararat is sacred to the Armenians.

Q: Oh?

A: They believe they were the first race of humans to appear in the
world after the Deluge. Persian legend refers to Ararat as the cradle
of the human race. According to local tradition, Noah, the Old
Testament hero of the book of Genesis who introduced winemaking to
the world, planted the first vineyard in a village, since vanished,
on the slopes of Ararat.

Q: What happened to the village?

A: Along with the monastery commemorating St Jacob, who is said to
have tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to reach the summit, it was
destroyed by an avalanche in 1840.

Q: Who first scaled the mountain?

A: Johann Jacob von Parrot, a German, made the first recorded
successful ascent in 1829. Since then, it’s been climbed by several
mountaineers, some of whom claim to have sighted remains of the Ark.
Locals believe the Ark’s still there, but that God decided no-one
should see it.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 5, 2004 Monday

Transport corridor North-South actively operating, developing

By Dmitry Vinitsky

MOSCOW

The transport corridor North-South “is actively developing and
already the operational project,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Viktor Kolyuzhny said on Monday. Russia and Iran initiated the
creation of the corridor.

“The project is operational, evokes great interest, but additional
efforts to create the fleet of ferry boats and unify the tariff
policy of states concerned will be needed,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile the deputy minister noted that many countries wish to join
the project. “Russia has already considered and put forth a proposal
to include Azerbaijan and Armenia in the project,” the diplomat
pointed out.

EU Business, UK
April 4 2004

New Europe’s leaders want a new enlargement to the east

Only a few weeks away from joining the European Union, the so-called
New Europe’s leaders are already dreaming of expanding the EU even
further to the east, to Ukraine, Belarus and perhaps Georgia.

The former Soviet bloc states set to join the EU on May 1, and
considered the New Europe, want to use their new status to lead a
debate on the Union’s future borders, a debate existing members shy
from.

“If you look at the map, you’ll see that Ukraine and Belarus are part
of Europe and I can’t see why we would refuse to others what was
generously granted to us”, Estonian foreign minister Kriistina
Ojuland told journalists.

Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski has said repeatedly that the
EU must remain open to new members, particularly his country’s
neighbours Belarus and Ukraine.

Former Czech president Vaclav Havel agrees.

Sensitive to the fate of opponents to Belarus President Alexander
Lukashenko’s regime, Havel, himself a former dissident, has demanded
that the EU offer Belarus’s fighters for democracy a chance of
joining Europe, as the Union did for former communist countries in
central Europe.

“I believe that the future of Belarus is firmly linked with the
future of Europe”, Havel said only last week. “The door must remain
open.”

Meanwhile, Bulgaria and Romania, which hope to join the EU in 2007,
want to see the Union push further east, namely to include Turkey, a
candidate for membership since 1999, and the impoverished Moldova.

Bulgaria and Romania are also looking at their neighbors across the
Black Sea.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy has pleaded enthusiastically
on behalf of Georgia and Armenia. In his mind, the Black Sea would
become an internal sea within the European Union.

“From a strategic perspective, the Black Sea region is part of
Europe”, Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase told a conference in
Bratislava in March.

“The EU can make a new success-story of the Black Sea-Caucasus
region,” Nastase said.

These aspirations are strongly supported by US conservatives, such as
the influential Bruce Jackson, who acted in the wings last year to
ensure the support of New Europe for the Iraqi policy of George Bush.

These conservatives are hostile to a European federation which would
rival the United States but would like to have the EU function as an
instrument of economic and political stabilisation for the former
Soviet Bloc countries.

Above all, the new members are worried that remaining the easternmost
countries of the EU would leave them stuck with borders that isolate
them economically from their eastern neighbors.

There is also a real solidarity among the former Soviet republics.

“When I see how these countries are increasingly deprived of the
simple perspective of EU membership … it’s terrifying,” said the
father of Lithuania’s independence Vytautas Landsbergis.

The new countries will however have to be strong to convince others.
More than one year ago Romano Prodi, president of the EU’s executive
arm, the European Commission, drew the future map of the EU —
integrating Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and the Balkan countries but
saying that others would have to remain “friends”.

And to hear the increasingly strong voices rising in western Europe
against Turkey joining, it is not certain the future EU map will be
even as large as that envisioned by Romano Prodi.

The 10 states set to join the EU on May 1 are Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,
Slovakia and Slovenia.

Channel News Asia, Singapore
March 31 2004

Armenia’s opposition announces plans to overthrow president

YEREVAN : Armenian opposition deputies, who had boycotted parliament
since February to protest against the rule of President Robert
Kocharyan, returned there to announce that they intended to
peacefully overthrow the head of state.

“A few days ago, the leaders of the Justice opposition bloc and the
National Unity party, Stepan Demirchyan and Artashes Geramyan,
announced they had started a process to topple Kocharyan’s regime,”
said Viktor Dallakyan, a deputy with the Justice opposition party.

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“To that end, popular meetings will be organized. The opposition is
beginning a democratic revolution,” Dallakyan added as he was
addressing parliament.

The opposition had boycotted sessions of the parliament after it
failed to pass changes that would have allowed for a national vote of
confidence in Kocharyan.

Dallakyan said the opposition wanted to force Kocharyan to resign and
then intended to organize a new presidential election.

Armenia’s ruling coalition accused the opposition of trying to
destabilize the country.

“These calls for disobedience, which may bring about destabilization,
are unacceptable,” the Republican party, which belongs to the ruling
coalition, said in a statement.

In neighboring Georgia, mass rallies organized by US-educated
opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili late last year resulted in the
peaceful overthrow of veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze, following
controversial parliamentary elections.

Saakashvili was then elected president by an overwhelming majority of
voters in January, and his party went on to win parliamentary
elections held last Sunday.

Armenia’s opposition had contested Kocharyan’s April 2002 re-election
to the small Caucasus nation’s Constitutional Court. The court ruled
the election valid but, after mass demonstrations, suggested that a
confidence referendum be held.

Kocharyan’s re-election as president was marred by fraud, according
to international observers, and was followed by near-daily street
protests.

The tiny former Soviet republic of Armenia, in the Caucasus
mountains, was left impoverished after a war with neighboring
Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. It is heavily reliant on aid from the
West, which has taken a skeptical view of Kocharyan’s rule.

Agence France Presse
March 27, 2004 Saturday

US deputy secretary criticises Azerbaijan rights record

BAKU, March 27

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Saturday that
Azerbaijan’s human rights record needed improvement, during a visit
to the oil-rich former Soviet republic.

Speaking to reporters after talks with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev, and with opposition leaders, the senior US diplomat said:
“The situation with human rights could be much better. We hope that
it will improve.”

He added that he had told the Azeri president that the country’s
press and television should be allowed to operate free from
restrictions.

Human rights groups allege that Azerbaijan is illegally detaining
dozens of opposition activists — subjecting some of them to torture
— and that the government is suppressing freedom of expression.

Some critics say that the United States has muted its criticism in
light of Azerbaijan’s formidable Caspian Sea oil reserves, which will
soon be exported to international markets along a US-backed pipeline.

Armitage arrived in Azerbaijan late Friday from the neighbouring
republic of Armenia, where he also met officials. He left the Azeri
capital Saturday to return to Washington.

The Azeri president said he and Armitage had talked about energy
projects, military cooperation and Azerbaijan’s contribution to the
US-led war against international terrorism.

Azerbaijan is the only majority Muslim state to have so far sent
combat troops to Iraq to help the US occupation force there.

Anadolu Agency
March 24 2004

Turkish State Minister Sahin: Bans And Restrictions Are In Fact
Threats Against Regime

ISTANBUL – Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet
Ali Sahin said on Wednesday that bans and restrictions were in fact
threats against the regime.

Speaking in a ceremony held as about 200 people joined the Justice
and Development Party (AK Party), including members of Jewish and
Armenian societies in Istanbul, Sahin noted that the government tried
to comply with the democratic standards of the civilized world.

Therefore, Sahin said, the government made many new arrangements to
meet Copenhagen criteria.

Sahin said, ”we know problems that foundations of societies are
facing for years. Every citizen of Turkish Republic is a first class
citizen. Nobody can make any discrimination among Turkish citizens
whatever their religion, race or culture are.”

They had made some changes related with foundations as a part of
European Union (EU) adjustment laws, Sahin stated.

But, Sahin noted, there were still some problems in implementation of
new laws.

Sahin said, ”why should there be a difference between foundations
formed by citizens who believe in Islam and citizens who believe in
other religions? Why shouldn’t they be subject to the same
regulation? Naturally, they should be subject to the same
regulation.”

Legal works and arrangements on foundations still continued, Sahin
pointed out.

Sahin stressed that Turkish citizens living abroad could freely
perform their religious duties and noted that it should be the same
for Turkish citizens of foreign origin.

”We want full democracy, freedom of belief and worship in Turkey.
And, we are exerting efforts to prevent our citizens from facing any
problems. We don’t think that this will weaken democracy or threaten
the regime. Because, bans and restrictions are in fact threats
against the regime. If citizens of this country say how fair the
state is and how freely they can perform their religious duties,
then, this will strengthen the regime and democracy,” Sahin added.

The law on amendment to several laws which is publicly known as the
seventh EU adjustment package also includes arrangements regarding
foundations.

The bill amends additional third article of the decree with the force
of law on establishment and duties of the Directorate General of
Foundations.

In accordance with this amendment, foundations formed in Turkey can
be a member of foundations and organizations formed outside Turkey
under the permission of the Interior Ministry and positive opinion of
the Foreign Ministry in case cooperation of the foundations are
considered beneficial.

Foundations formed in foreign countries can hold activities, open
branches and cooperate with some other foundations in Turkey with the
consent of the Interior Ministry and opinion of the Foreign Ministry.