Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

ArmenPress
Jan 10 2005

IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO BAKU SAYS SIGNIFICANCE OF TEHRAN’S TIES WITH
YEREVAN OFTEN EXAGGERATED

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS: In an interview with an
Azerbaijani Day.az online newspaper, Iranian ambassador Afshar
Suleiman shrugged off allegations that his country’s cooperation with
Armenia may harm Azeri-Iranian relations.
“There are Armenian-Iranian ties but they are not directed against
Azerbaijan. The significance of these ties are often exaggerated,”
the ambassador said.
“Armenia and Iran have signed an agreement on building a gas
pipeline which is supposed to be completed by 2007. Before the
pipeline is built the region may see extensive changes, particularly,
Armenia and Azerbaijan may resolve their problems,” he was quoted as
saying.
The ambassador said also Iran would not use the Iran-Armenia
pipeline against Azerbaijan. stressing that Iran-Armenia ties may
benefit Azerbaijan, as Iran may help promote the resolution of the
Nagorno Karabagh conflict.

January 2005
THE NEW MEXICO JEWISH LINK

OPINION: Life in Israel by Mati Milstein

ARMENIAN QUARTER, JERUSALEM—As the year drew to a close, a man who
doesn’t officially exist sang and danced for joy within the walls of the Old
City of Jerusalem.
Hrayr Yezegelian, 27, has lived half his life in the murky shadowlands
between war and peace. The Beirut-born Armenian fled the Lebanese civil war
to Israel with his family and has been stuck in bureaucratic limbo ever since.
He has resided in Israel for 15 years, but has no permanent Israeli
identification card—a document every resident is required by law to carry at
all times. He holds no passport. He cannot even return to Lebanon, having
forfeited his citizensip in that country. He said were he to return there, he
would be interrogated by the secret police as a suspected Israeli spy, beaten
and possibly killed.
He lives in fear the Jerusalem police, out searching for suspected
terrorists, will arrest him. He resides in east Jerusalem, is not an Israeli
Jew, and carries irregular documents, if any at all. He is, on all accounts, a
very suspicious character.
The Interior Ministry, for reasons known only to itself, refuses to
grant Yezegelian more than a temporary identity card and a six-month
laissez-passe even though his parents and siblings all hold regular Israeli
documentation.
With no permanent passport, Yezegelian cannot leave Israel; no country
will issue him a visa on a travel document valid for less than a year.
His employer, a security company, subtracts a significant amount from
his monthly salary for national health insurance, but lacking the proper
documents Yezegelian is ineligible to reap the benefits of such deposits.
A musician, Yezegelian met–and sang for–Yossi Sarid when the Knesset
member came to pay his respects at a memorial service for victims of the
Armenian genocide at the hands of theTurks. He has letters of support from MK
Tamar Gozansky and the legendary former Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek.
He speaks fluent Hebrew (as well as Armenian, Arabic, Turkish and a
handful of other languages), has Israeli friends and is integrated into Israeli
society (sometimes going by the Hebrew name “Ariel”). But he desires nothing
more than to be recognized by the State as a normal resident and citizen.
To no avail. Important Israeli personalities seem unable to provide
him with answers, never mind results.
Even the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has thus far been
largely unhelpful.
Yezegelian, originally, sponsored by the Armenian Patriarch, long ago
lost faith in religion and abandoned his seminary studies in the Old City’s
monastery compound. He is tired of the Middle East conflict and living on the
perpetual brink of war, sick of a home in the Old City cauldron amongst
thousands of Palestinian Arabs.
But in late December, Yezegelian the musician kept nearly a hundred
Armenian celebrants dancing, laughing and toasting for hours on end in a club in
the Old City’s ancient Armenian quarter. Disco lights twirled and flashed
and Yezegelian joined partygoers jumping for joy in the smoky, stone-arched
cavern.
What can he possibly be so happy about?
Music and America. Yezegelian dreams of America, of joining the large
Armenian community in southern California and developing a unique variety of
music. Or maybe France or Canada; someplace far from the Middle East.
How is Yezegelian —a trapped stateless man in a land that can’t quite
bring itself to accept him—able to remain so positive?
“I don’t know, ” he shrugged. “Everyone should be happy. You have to
be happy to survive.”

Mati Milstein [from New Mexico] has lived in Israel since 1998. He
began covering stories in Israel and the Palestinian Authority-controlled
territories for Israeli and foreign media outlets.

Armenian parliament increases military spending in 2005

Arminfo
25 Dec 04

YEREVAN

Yesterday’s session of the Armenian National Assembly made a decision
to increase military spending in the Armenian state budget of 2005.

Military spending envisaged by the final version of the 2005 draft
budget amounts to 61bn drams (127m dollars), Armenian Security Council
Secretary and Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan has told journalists.
It has increased by 7.2bn drams (15m dollars) in comparison with the
original amount. Thus, Armenia’s military spending increased by 35 per
cent in comparison with the republic’s military spending this year and
accounts for 16 per cent of the republic’s budget for 2005.

Sarkisyan also pointed out that the main part of the sum by which
military spending has been increased will be used for giving a payrise
to the military.

Armenia to take the so-called genocide to the UN

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Dec 24 2004

The Armenian Foreign Minister said that his country was not an
outpost for Russia or any other country.

December 24 – Armenia is to take its claims that the Ottoman Empire
committed genocide against its Armenian citizens to the United Nations.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan said in a television
interview late Thursday that Yerevan would bring the so-called Armenian
genocide issue before the United Nations in 2005.

Oskanyan said that the issue of the alleged Armenian genocide was an
international matter that extended beyond Armenia and that had been
raised during Turkey’s European Union progress talks.

In the meantime, a number of persons who are claiming compensation
for having allegedly suffered as a result of the actions of the
Ottomans in 1917 to 1918, have lodged applications with the Armenian
authorities. To date, some 450 application have been submitted.

JAPANESE EXPERTS TO CARRY OUT ANTI-LANDSLIDE PROJECT

ArmenPress
Dec 23 2004

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: A new team of land-slide experts
from Japan has arrived in Armenia bringing also a batch of modern
equipment to start the second stage of a project that aims to
eliminate landslide dangers, funded by a Japanese government grant.
Deputy urban minister Sos Kocharian told Armenpress the second
stage of the project is supposed to be over next June. He said
Japanese experts will launch pilot programs in three Armenian
regions, suffering from landslides. The project comprises geological
studies, design work and protection measures.
Based on the studies Japanese will prepare a master plan that will
allow the government to seek the assistance of international donor
organizations to carry out large-scale anti-slide measures.
The third phase of the project is expected to follow. Findings of
the first stage of studies revealed that virtually one third of
settlements is located in areas that could be affected by land
slides.

Armenia is more independent than its neighbours – foreign minister

Mediamax news agency
22 Dec 04

Yerevan, 22 December: “Armenia is the most independent country in
the South Caucasus region,” Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
said in Yerevan today.

Speaking at the National Press Club, Oskanyan said Armenia is pursuing
a more independent policy than its regional neighbours.

As for the Russian State Duma speaker’s recent statement that “Armenia
is Russia’s outpost in the South Caucasus”, Oskanyan said that Gryzlov
“meant good relations between the two countries”.

Armenian president seeks to push through social security reform

Arminfo
21 Dec 04

Yerevan, 21 December: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today held
a working meeting on the reform of the social security sphere.

The Armenian prime minister, the labour and social security minister,
the head of the State Social Security Fund and Central Bank and
representatives of other state bodies participated in the meeting,
the Armenian presidential press service told Arminfo.

The president drew the attention of the participants in the meeting to
the fact that although individual stages of the reform of the social
security system have been debated and definite steps have already
been taken by different departments, for the time being there is no
single and comprehensive programme.

“There is no document, which could in terms of its timetable and
responsibility show what needs to be done and what needs to be asked of
the relevant ministries and departments, but reforms demand coordinated
and consecutive work,” the president said.

Kocharyan said that reforms of the social security system are the
most difficult and drawn-out, but using the work already done it is
possible to elaborate a coordinated programme and from next year to
begin to implement it. “These reforms entail regulated work which
is not the job only of the Labour and Social Security Ministry. It
is necessary to involve in this a range of bodies as well. It is
necessary to understand what stage we are at and what we must do so
that next year is decisive,” Kocharyan said

The president instructed participants in the meeting to form an expert
working group, which, on the basis of the work done, will draw up a
general outline of the reforms within a month.

Armenian Genocide and territorial losses on Russian state TV

20.12.2004  17:26    

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The Russian Cultural Fund and Rossia State TV Channel in
association with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s (ARF) Moscow office,
have produced a documentary called “Who Had Paid Lenin?”

The documentary tells the truth about the 1917 October coup. Based on rich
documentary material, the film shows for the first time that the Bolsheviks
seized the power using Kaiser Germany’s funding under the plan offered by
Parvus.
The fact is that the October coup was the result of the cooperation between
Parvus and Lenin.

As a reward for the assistance to seize the power, the Bolsheviks signed the
Brest-Litovsk Treaty with Germany, getting out of the war and making vast
concessions to Germany and its allies.

In the film, ARF Bureau member and Armenian National Assembly vice speaker
Vahan Hovhannisian speaks of the October coup impact on the fate of the Armenian
people. He speaks of the devastating consequences the Bolshevik coup for the
Armenians.

By the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, not only the Russian troops — so close to a
victory — were withdrawn from Western Armenia, but also the Kars and Ardahan
regions of Eastern Armenia were surrendered to Turkey. Once again, the Armenian
people, who had been subjected to a genocide, faced a threat of being
massacred.

Later on, the concessions made by the Bolshevik government to Turkey, were
sustained in the 1921 Moscow and Kars treaties.
Also, the film contains documentary footage of the Genocide.

“Who Had Paid Lenin?” will debut on the Rossia Channel no December 22 at
11:35 p.m. Moscow time.

–Boundary_(ID_qqtgd+tIULa5AVFIUNPPTQ)–

Russia-Armenia ties won’t aid Karabakh settlement – Aliyev

Interfax
Dec 20 2004

Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said
that close cooperation between Russia and Armenia will not help end
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The Russian State Duma speaker [Boris Gryzlov] said during his visit
to Armenia a few days ago that Armenia is Russia’s outpost in the
South Caucasus. We have always believed that Armenia is a state. But
it appears to be an outpost,” Aliyev told journalists on Friday.

“Who do we have to hold talks with – the outpost or the owner of the
outpost? If Armenia sorts out this issue, a more favorable environment
for successful negotiations on [Nagorno-Karabakh] will be created,”
the president said.

The so-called “Paris talks” between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
foreign ministers envision a step-by-step settlement process in
Nagorno- Karabakh, which meets the interests of Baku, Aliyev said.

“The position of Azerbaijan on this issue is clear, and I am very glad
that all the forces in charge of the [Nagorno-Karabakh settlement]
issue are moving closer to this position. A step-by-step settlement
is key to resolving this issue, and the future talks should be guided
by these principles,” the president said.

“My opinion is that if these negotiations are constructive, Armenia
will not abandon its agreements, as it did previously, and we will
be able to reach a certain agreement,” he said.

Roj TV, Denmark
Dec 18 2004

French President Chirac interprets the summit and Kurdish Problem

French President Jacques Chirac stating he expected the candidacy of
Turkey to the European Union (EU) would bring the principles of
peace, dialog and especially respect with, interpreted the given date
for negotiations as “If we remain engage for 15 years, this will
result in a happy marriage.”

In a press conference held in Brussels, Jacques Chirac , the
president of France where was on the focus of the most intensive
debates before the Oct. 17 summit of the EU, made crucial statements
on the given date for starting talks, Cyprus and Kurdish problems. He
emphasized that the date to be handed to Turkey does not mean
candidateship and, gave the message Turkey should make great attempts
to access to the European community. If Turkey does not make the
required efforts and the unity decrees Turkey not to have done or not
to want to do so, the EU will stand on a strong formula of
relationship out of candidacy.” President Chirac said and stated the
way of parley was ”long and hard”.

‘Turkey has many steps to take”

To question ”Will you make a call on Turkey, which has been fighting
with Kurdish guerillas for 30 years, to start a dialog with the
Kurdish side”, Mr.Chirac said the problem would be solved within the
framework of Copenhagen Criteria. Taking attention to the existence
of the Criteria which point out respect for human rights, the French
President said: ”This should be implemented into practice for the
Kurds, as should for the others. These criteria to be imbibed by
Turkey will bring forth effects especially for the Kurds, too. One of
the important problems is deliberation. If we believe the conditions
of respect for human rights not to be fulfilled, this should be
imposed upon ”He expressed that Turkey had many steps to take on
that way, and warned the Turkish state that the debate will be
stopped in case of Turkey violated human right.” To enter this
culture is needed. I hope the negotiations and the candidateship of
Turkey bring the principles of peace, dialog and particularly respect
with it. We call this Copenhagen Criteria, which will open the way of
peace and dialog.” he added.

If Cyprius is not recognized, the talks end’

By stating that Turkey was ready for signing the protocol related
with the Ankara Agreement on the Cyprus Issue, Chirac emphasized the
negotiations would end in case Cyprus was not recognized. He
expressed a wish of marriage between the Turkish state and the EU by
saying :” If we stay engaged for 15 years, I believe, this will lead
up to a marriage.”

‘France is very sensitive about Armenians subject’

The president answering a question stated France was very sensitive
especially about the Armenian problem and said that France opened its
gates to Armenians in 1915 and there is an Armenian society
well-integrated with the state. He also recorded that Turkey should
have made a memorial examination on Armenian issue, otherwise Turkey
would incur an intervention of the French people in the referendum to
be held for the candidacy of Turkey to the EU.