Author: Zakarian Garnik

Ilham Aliyev Meets Jacques Chirac in France

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2004

08/09/2004 21:56

Meeting of French president Jacques Chirac with Azerbaijan president
Ilham Aliyev was held yesterday evening. The Parties indicated active
development of bilateral political and economical relations.

Turan/BT — Chirac supposes, contacts of both states are in
“excellent level”. As a proof he mentioned France as the third
partner of Azerbaijan in foreign trade.

During the conversation, presidents touched upon issues, connected
with integration of Azerbaijan into European Union. Particularly, the
issue of Azerbaijan participation in the program of new neighborhood
with European Union was discussed.

Regional problems and Karabakh conflict settlement was discussed as
well. Chirac stated, Paris is for continuation of negotiations on
peaceful settlement of conflict. “As co-chairman of the Minsk group
of OSCE, France will do its best towards settlement of this issue,”
Chirac said.

Armenia, Iran sign $30-mln credit agreement for pipeline construction

Interfax
Sept 9 2004

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia and Iran signed a $30-million credit
agreement on Wednesday to finance the construction of the Armenian
section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

Energy is an important sector in cooperation between the two countries,
which have already gained a wealth of experience in cooperation in
this sphere, Armenian President Robert Kocharian said at a press
conference following the signing of the agreement.

“More serious steps will be taken based on this experience on the path
to unite the infrastructure of both states and raise mutual relations
to a qualitatively new level,” Kocharian said, adding that the
construction of the pipeline has an important regional significance.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who was at the press conference,
also said bilateral cooperation was important in the energy sphere.

According to the agreement, Iran is to provide Armenia with a credit
of $30 million to build the Armenian section of the Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline. The credit will be provided for 7.5 years at 5% per year.
The funds will be used to finance the construction of a pipeline from
the border town of Megri to Kajaran.

Construction of the Armenian section of the pipeline should begin at
the end of 2004. Armenia will finance work to reconstruct and change
parts on the Kajaran-Yerevan gas pipeline.

Armenia and Iran signed an agreement on May 13 for the construction
of a pipeline between the two countries. The pipeline is 141 km long,
inducing 41 km in Armenia and 100 km in Iran. The total cost of the
project is estimated at $210-$220 million. The pipeline is expected
to be launched before January 1, 2007.

Gas should start to arrive in Armenia from January 2007 and will
be used at Armenian thermal power plants to produce electricity for
export to Iran. Iran will supply 36 billion cubic meters of natural
gas to Armenia over 20 years according to the document.

A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association Conference to be Held in Beirut

The A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association was founded by Simon
Zavarian in 1904, in Beirut, Lebanon. On the occasion of the
Association’s centenary, the ARF Bureau Youth Office together with
the A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association is organizing a pan-Armenian
student conference entitled “Armenian students facing the challenges
of the 21st century”, which is to be held on September 20-25, 2004
in Beirut.

The goals of the conference are:

– To examine the national challenges at the dawn of the 21st
century and the role of Armenian students in that prospect.

– To gather student association representatives and Armenian
students in general, providing them the opportunity to
strengthen mutual relations and to exchange ideas and
experiences.

– To make the centenary of the A.R.F. Zavarian Student
Association an occasion to reevaluate and reinforce the role
of Armenian students within the context of realities facing
Armenians throughout the world.

– Introduce the participants to the Armenian community in
Lebanon.

During the 5-day conference the topics mentioned below will be raised,
followed by discussion sessions:

– The Armenian Cause in the light of the presence of the
Armenian Republic.

– The integration of the Armenian Republic in the European Union:
advantages and disadvantages.

– Globalization and the problems or the possibilities facing
the Armenian Republic.

– The meaning of the mutual relations between Armenia and the
Diaspora and their role (the role of the Diaspora in promoting
the development of the Armenian Republic and Armenia’s role
in maintaining the liveliness of the Diaspora).

– Students and the Armenian National heritage preservation issue
(emigration, assimilation).

– The current situation and mission of Armenian students living
in Armenia or in the Diaspora.

A 100th anniversary ceremony is also to take place during this event.

For more information, contact: [email protected] or [email protected] .

Eremenko scores again as Finland beat Armenia 2-0

Reuters
Sept 8 2004

YEREVAN, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Alexei Eremenko scored his third
international goal in under a week as Finland beat Armenia 2-0 in a
World Cup Group One qualifier on Wednesday.

The victory lifts Finland into second place in the group on six points,
three behind leaders Romania who have a perfect record in the campaign
after hammering Andorra 5-1 earlier.

In an often choppy game with fouls stopping the flow of play, Finland
went ahead after 24 minutes when striker Mikael Forssell, surrounded
by defenders, found the back of the net from the edge of the box.

Finland made it 2-0 in the 67th minute when Eremenko was put through
just over the halfway line for a clear run on goal before slotting
the ball past Armenian keeper Armen Ambartzumyan.

The 21-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best new talents of
Finnish football, scored twice in Finland’s comfortable 3-0 win over
Andorra on Saturday.

He has scored in all three of Finland’s qualifiers so far and has
now got six goals in his 10 internationals.

There was little for the Armenians to take from the match, whose goal
tally is now 0-5 after two defeats in their opening two qualifiers.

ACTIVITY ON CONSUMER MARKET

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
4 Sept 04

A more or less informed person is aware that retail good circulation
(which represents a part of the consumer market) is the value of
commodities sold to the population for currency for personal or
household use. The rate of the retail circulation is formed from
the circulation of goods in shops, kiosks and stands, restaurants
and markets of goods and food, as well as other similar places of
trade. The consumer market involves also the services offered to the
population the totality of which reflects the volume of consumption
of various services by the population and is statistically measured
according to financial means paid for these services. We would not
be mistaken to say that the activity on the consumer market reflects
certain rise in the paying capacity of the population. The NKR National
Statistics Service informed that in the first semester of the current
year consumer market in the republic totaled 13282.3 million drams
growing by 12.3 per cent in comparable prices against the same period
in 2003. In the mentioned period the total volume of retail circulation
(including public food places) in factual prices totaled 11236 million
drams which has grown by 9.5 per cent against the first semester of
2003. Good circulation per capita totaled 76890.9 drams increasing
by 22 per cent against the same period of 2003. In the mentioned
period, according to the accounts of organizations working in the
spheres of industry and service, and the additional account of the
tax exempt sector, the volume of services offered to the population
totaled 2046.2 million drams, which increased against the same rate
of the months January-June of the previous year by 28.4 per cent. The
share of the state sector in the total volume of services provided to
the population is 865.6 million drams and grew by 2.2 per cent. In
the private sector this rate is 1180.6 million drams and grew by 57
per cent. In the total volume of services the share of housing and
communal services totals 32.4 per cent. Then follow communications
29.5 per cent and transport 19.4 per cent.

AA.
04-09-2004

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09/02/2004
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1. Giant German Banks Accused in Los Angeles Lawsuit
2. Independence Celebrations in Mountainous Karabagh Republic
3. Lebanon ARF Supports Extending Lahoud Term
4. Cyprus FM Calls on Turkey to Recognize Cyprus
5. Saakashvili Determined to Integrate S. Ossetia

1. Giant German Banks Accused in Los Angeles Lawsuit

LOS ANGELESA class action lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in a Los Angeles
Federal
Court against two German Banks, giant Deutsche Bank and Allianz acquired
Dresdner Bank. Armenian Genocide survivors and their heirs, the Plaintiffs,
charge both banks, the Defendants, of several acts of wrongdoing and demand
recovery of assets. Dresdner Bank was acquired by Allianz in 2001.
Deutsche Bank was Adolf Hitler’s lead banker. Documents released by bank
historian Manfred Pohl, who made them public in February 1999, revealed for
the
first time how Deutsche Bank financed much of the construction of the
Auschwitz
concentration camp. The documents provide evidence of the secret SS-controlled
accounts used to transfer funds stolen from Jews who had been deported or sent
to death camps during World War II. The Armenian Genocide occurred during
World
War I, in 1915when reigning Turks of the Ottoman Empire mass-murdered over 2.1
million Armenians in present day Turkey.
Five families filed as Lead Plaintiffs, and since the case is a class action
lawsuit, it was filed on behalf of Armenians who: 1) made deposits with the
Banks, 2) who were killed in the Armenian Genocide and 3) whose heirs were not
repaid deposits on their accounts.
In addition to the demand of asset recovery, Plaintiffs are seeking
compensation for unpaid wages and other damages stemming from the use of
Plaintiffs’ ancestors and other Armenians as slave and forced laborers during
the time of the Genocide.
Plaintiffs have information supporting wrongdoings by Deutsche Bank and
Dresdner Bank of engaging in the following acts during the Armenian Genocide
and World War I:
a. Knowingly trading with Young Turks in goods made by slave labor
b. Acting as the secret banks of Young Turks, aiding and abating in looting,
and functioning as conduit for looted assets – laundering for profit from
goods
from Armenians
c. Directly owning/controlling the Berlin-Baghdad Railway that used slave
labor
d. Taking 100,000 Armenians by rail to the death camps and charging them for
this trip to death
Attorney for the Plaintiffs, Vartkes Yeghiayan of Los Angeles says,
“Europeans
nick named the Ottomans and reigning Turks as the “Sick Man of Europe” during
World War I. Turks lacked governmental organization; therefore, Deutsche Bank
and Dresdner Bank stepped in to help them organize, aid and abate in
lootingprofiting from the innocent. They haven’t cleared their names in
history
by settling with Jewish Holocaust survivors. The Armenian Diaspora will not
waiver either.”
In June 2004, Armenian survivors and heirs settled with US giant insurer, New
York Life Insurance Company for $20 million dollars, recovering funds for
unpaid life insurance policies.
Demirjian, et al. v. Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank, (Case No. CV04-7248), a
class action law suit in Federal Court was filed on August 31, 2004, seeking
payment for recovery of account deposits, as well as punitive damages for
unpaid wages and other reparations. The attorney representing Plaintiffs is
Los
Angeles attorney: Vartkes Yeghiayan of Yeghiayan and Associates. In June 2004,
Yeghiayan recovered unpaid life insurance benefits for over 2,000 Armenian
policyholders and their heirs in settling Marootian et al. v. New York Life
Insurance Company. He is an expert in Armenian asset recovery and Genocide
losses.

2. Independence Celebrations in Mountainous Karabagh Republic

STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources)The Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR), on
Thursday, celebrated the 13th anniversary of its independence with a series of
festive events in the capital of Stepanakert and around the regions of the
republic.
Celebrations began in the morning with MKR Defense Army servicemen marching
along the streets of Stepanakert.
At noon, MKR President Arkady Ghukasian, Armenia’s defense minister Serge
Sargsian, MKR National Assembly president Oleg Yessayan, and other government
and public officials, joined guests from Armenia and Russia, to honor Arthur
Mkrtchianthe president of MKR’s first National Assembly who was murdered in
April 1992, only three months after assuming his post. The dignitaries placed
flowers at the former president’s grave and observed a moment of silence.
In his address, Serge Sargsian said, “The time will come when the longing of
generationswho began struggling for these noble ideals long before weready to
risk their lives for their nations.” Sargsian added that the time will soon
arrive to celebrate MKR’s unification with Armenia.
In its congratulatory message to the MKR, the Supreme Body of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation pf Armenia stated that declaring independence in one
of the occupied territories of our homeland was not only the right historical
decision, but, as the past 13 years have proven, has made it possible to
organize for self-defense, and advance economically and politically. “MKR
today
is a stably developing sovereign state and attracts the unfading attention of
the political world. We are confident that development of state institutions
and democratic values will finally make the international community comprehend
the right of our MKR compatriots to live independently in the homeland of
their
forefathers.”
MKR declared independence from Azerbaijan on September 2, 1991. The
declaration of independence was confirmed by a nationwide referendum on
December 10, 1991.

3. Lebanon ARF Supports Extending Lahoud Term

BEIRUT (Aztag Daily)The Central Committee of ARF Lebanon extended support for
the decision of the country’s council of ministers to extend President Emile
Lahoud’s term for an additional three years, and stressed that the council’s
decision was made in light of local and regional realities and based on
overcoming challenges and decisions, while expressing the will of the
people of
Lebanon.
The ARF CC also emphasized the importance of preserving national principles,
to which President Lahoud adheresespecially during these times when local,
regional, and international developments and forces require that the people of
Lebanon remain unified and prudent.

4. Cyprus FM Calls on Turkey to Recognize Cyprus

(EUBusiness.com)Turkey would find it very difficult to secure European Union
(EU) accession without having any formal ties with fellow member Cyprus,
Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou warned on Wednesday.
“Everyone in Europe says it would be extremely difficult for Turkey to
proceed
with its [EU] application without having any ties whatsoever [with Nicosia]
and
also maintain a hostile stance against Cyprus,” said Iacovou.
He was responding to comments made by his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul,
who said Tuesday Ankara is considering steps to include Cyprus in a customs
union between Turkey and the European Union, but that such a move would not
amount to a recognition of the Greek Cypriot government.
“There is work under way on this issue, but this would never mean a political
recognition,” Gul told the NTV news channel.
Iacovou argued there were not just legal obligations but sound practical
reasons for Turkey to create diplomatic ties with the Cypriot government.
“How can we take a position on issues raised when we don’t have an embassy in
Ankara to be informed first hand as every other country does,” queried the
minister after meeting Dutch European Affairs Minister Atzo Nicolai here.
“An EU-member country can’t be denied the same possibilities afforded the
rest,” he added.
Iacovou said the Dutch EU presidency was “concerned” about Turkey’s approach
towards Cyprus, such as not accepting Cyprus-flagged ships at its ports,
opening of air corridors and the customs union.
Turkey entered into a customs union with the pan-European bloc in 1995.
The divided island of Cyprus, represented by its internationally recognized
Greek Cypriot side, joined the EU on May 1. So far, however, it has been
excluded from participation in the overall EU customs union with Turkey
because
it has no formal diplomatic ties with Ankara.
Brussels has put pressure on Ankara to resolve the issue.
A last-ditch effort to reunify Cyprus’ Greek and Turkish communities
before EU
accession failed in April when Greek Cypriots rejected a UN peace plan that
Turkish Cypriots endorsed.
Cyprus has been split since 1974 when Turkey occupied the north in
response to
a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia aimed at uniting the island with Greece.
EU officials have said the customs union problem will not have a bearing on
Turkey’s prospects of opening membership talks.
The Greek Cypriots, however, will have a say in the decision, to be taken in
December, in their capacity as a member of the 25-nation bloc.

5. Saakashvili Determined to Integrate S. Ossetia

TBILISI (Civil Georgia/Reuters)At a news briefing in the southern Georgian
resort town of Likani, President Mikhail Saakashvili assured that Georgia will
continue its “peaceful efforts to reintegrate South Ossetia and will not allow
the conflict to be frozen.”
“No shots are fired in the conflict zone and the Georgian villages there are
very well protected. This once again proves that our decision to pull back
troops was right,” Saakashvili said.
The Georgian side pulled out non-peacekeeping troops from the South Ossetian
conflict zone on August 20 and replaced its 500 internal troops, which were
the
part of the joint Russian-Georgian-Ossetian peacekeeping forces, with the
elite
troops of the Defense Ministry.
South Ossetia’s separatist leadership dismissed the Georgian pullback as a
“theatrical gesture by the government and the Georgian president which are
trying to maintain a democratic face.”
Georgia Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said on August 31 that he is ready to
hold talks with separatist leader Eduard Kokoev, but added, “this kind of
meeting should be accurately prepared.” “Only the status of the region will be
put on the agenda of the talks,” Zhvania stated.

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The Modesto Bee

State grass, yes; Redskin mascot, no

By ERIC STERN
BEE CAPITOL BUREAU

Last Updated: August 31, 2004, 06:08:38 AM PDT

SACRAMENTO — Worried about a dry lawn under the new water-meter mandate?
Try planting some drought-resistant purple needlegrass — named the official
state grass last week as lawmakers finished up their work for the year early
Saturday.

In the closing hours of the legislative session, dozens of bills that affect
San Joaquin Valley residents made their way to the governor’s desk, from tax
breaks for survivors of the Armenian genocide in 1915 to tax breaks for
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta farmers who were flooded when a levee broke in
June.

Gov. Schwarzenegger has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bills.

Here’s a look at how some local proposals fared:

Schools

Area lawmakers brought home $20 million to open the doors of the University
of California at Merced by fall 2005.

Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, carried a bill on behalf of Ceres school
officials to untangle a technicality in the school-funding formula that
restores their in-school suspension program.

Students at Gustine High and Calaveras High will have to choose a new mascot
other than Redskins, while a bill by Assemblyman Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, to
enforce dress-code policies never got out of committee, despite a push by
Stanislaus County school and law enforcement officials.

Jobs and business growth

The search for a Wal-Mart Supercenter in the valley might get tougher if
Schwarzenegger signs a bill that requires a detailed economic impact study
on how a proposed big-box retail development would affect traffic and other
businesses.

Meanwhile, a bill by Assemblywoman Barbara Matthews

D-Tracy, that would have let Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties counter
problems with Bay Area growth by creating “jobs-housing opportunity zones”
with tax incentives, has failed.

Crime

Legislators took aim at sex offenders, passing a bill to block Cary Verse
from moving to Merced. They also agreed to pay for increased police patrols
and lighting when a sexually violent predator such as Verse is released from
a state treatment facility into a community.

Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton, saw legislation go to the governor
that would give law enforcement officials notice when a teenage sex offender
moves into a neighborhood group home.

But two big funding measures died on the last day of session — for the
Scott Peterson case and for the 17-day manhunt in Merced for a suspected
cop-killer.

Transportation

Money for road projects to relieve traffic congestion on Bay Area routes
such as Interstates 205 and 580 and on Highway 99 was restored in the
budget, while a statewide vote on a high-speed rail line from San Francisco
to Los Angeles that cuts through the valley was delayed until 2006.

Legislators also revived a proposal to issue driver’s licenses to illegal
immigrants, which is all-but-certain to be vetoed by Schwarzenegger.

A Westley rest stop off I-5 will be renamed for Larry Combs, a state
Department of Transportation worker, under a resolution by Denham.

Agriculture

The mad cow disease scare got lawmakers talking, and they passed a law
requiring state health officials to notify the public which retailers have
received contaminated meat that has been subject to a recall.

But a bill by Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, to create a broader testing
program for bad meat died in committee.

Two pesticide-related measures went to the governor. One prohibits grape
pickers from taste-testing grapes in the field; the other holds pesticide
sprayers liable for medical damages if people get sick from drifting
chemical clouds.

Legislators also agreed to raise vehicle license fees by $2 and tire
disposal fees to $1.50 to pay for more air pollution programs, including
state grants to upgrade farm and school bus engines.

Water

Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, helped get state aid for repair work on the
Middle River levee breach and tax relief to flooded farmers in the delta.

The end of flat rates for unlimited water use is coming. A
water-conservation bill on Schwarzenegger’s desk would require metered water
bills in all homes and businesses by 2025.

Machado’s bill about purple needlegrass — a tall wispy grass found in
coastal grassland and in the Sierra foothills — was signed into law Aug.
23.

Bee Capitol Bureau reporter Eric Stern can be reached at 916-326-5544 or
[email protected].

Azerbaijan, Belarus keen to boost military ties

Azartac news agency, Baku
29 Aug 04

Azartac reports that Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister Col-Gen Safar
Abiyev paid a business visit to the Belarusian capital of Minsk on
27-28 August at the invitation of his Belarusian counterpart Col-Gen
Leanid Maltsaw.

According to the [Azerbaijani] Defence Ministry’s press office,
Maltsaw received Abiyev and his delegation at the Belarusian Defence
Ministry on 27 August. The ministers first met privately and then
in a larger format.

Col-Gen Maltsaw said that it was the first time that the two defence
ministers met to establish cooperation. We are very interested in
cooperation with the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry. The Belarusian
political leadership also supports this, Maltsaw said.

Col-Gen Abiyev thanked Maltsaw for the warm reception and said that
until now the two defence ministers had met only within the framework
of the Council of the CIS Defence Ministers. The time has come to
turn to cooperation between the two countries. I believe that the
armed forces of both countries will benefit from such cooperation,
Abiyev said.

Col-Gen Abiyev spoke about the current military and political
situation in the South Caucasus region, Armenia’s aggressive policy
against Azerbaijan and the ramifications of [the Nagornyy Karabakh]
conflict. He said that Azerbaijan does not want war, but is being
provoked into it.

The Belarusian minister expressed regret at seeing that the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is still unresolved. He said that the
conflict should be resolved in line with the UN principles and norms
of international law.

The defence ministers broadly discussed Azerbaijani-Belarusian
military cooperation and defined its main directions. They decided
to cooperate in the fields of military technology, joint military
scientific studies and training of officers, among others.

Col-Gen Abiyev said: “Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev supports
military cooperation with the Republic of Belarus. I invite you to pay
an official visit to Azerbaijan. The text of an agreement on military
cooperation between the two defence ministries will be ready before
your visit to Baku and we will sign it.”

Col-Gen Maltsaw accepted the invitation.

During the meeting, Abiyev familiarized himself with the military
academy of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian National Technical
University and several defence plants and their products.

The defence ministers met for the second time on 28 August and decided
to turn from talks to practicalities of Azerbaijani-Belarussian
military cooperation.

The Azerbaijani delegation returned home on 28 August.

La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest
25 août 2004

La foule en liesse acclama la 2e DB

Après quatre années d’occupation, et une semaine de grèves,
barricades et combats de rue, le peuple parisien a retrouvé, en
s’insurgeant contre l’occupant allemand, la ferveur des grandes
heures révolutionnaires…

Paris s’est libéré tout seul. Enfin, presque. Quand le vendredi 25
août 1944, sous un soleil radieux, les chars de la 2e DB martèlent le
pavé parisien, la capitale s’est déjà soulevée depuis une semaine.
Qui tiendra Paris tiendra la France, disait-on. D’où des divergences,
non sans arrière-pensées politiques, sur les modalités de sa
libération, entre les Alliés, la résistance extérieure et les
résistants parisiens. Eisenhower préfère encercler la capitale. A la
tête du gouvernement provisoire, installé à Alger, de Gaulle plaide
pour une action rapide en direction de Paris. D’autant que
Rol-Tanguy, chef communiste des FFI, ardent partisan d’un soulèvement
immédiat, proclame le 18 août la mobilisation générale : « Français,
tous au combat ! » La grève est générale : ni transports, ni gaz, ni
électricité, ni courrier. Les journaux de la collaboration sont
remplacés par ceux de la clandestinité. Le chef des SS fuit la
capitale, Pierre Laval s’enfuit sous escorte allemande, il n’y a plus
de gouvernement. Les Allemands – 16.000 hommes, 80 chars et une
soixantaine de canons – sont depuis le 9 août sous le commandement du
général von Choltitz, installé à l’hôtel Meurice, rue de Rivoli.
Désorganisés, ils sont vite confinés par les FFI à quelques points
d’appui : École militaire, Luxembourg, Concorde, Opéra, République…
Aux ordres successifs d’Hitler de transformer Paris en un « champ de
ruines », von Choltitz n’obéira pas, jugeant ce projet insensé et
irréalisable.

Mairies, commissariats, bureaux de poste sont investis par les
résistants qui s’arment progressivement. De son PC souterrain de la
place Denfert-Rochereau, le colonel Rol coordonne les actions. Le
dimanche 20, des haut-parleurs annoncent un cessez-le-feu. Les
Parisiens achètent à la sauvette cocardes et drapeaux tricolores. Les
Allemands plient bagage et la Gestapo brûle ses dossiers sur les
pavés de la rue des Saussaies. Obtenue la veille au soir par le
consul général de Suède, Raoul Nordling, la trêve, rejetée avec force
par les mouvements de la Résistance intérieure, est rompue au bout de
24 heures. Les combats reprennent. Des barricades surgissent partout.
Les résistants étendent leur contrôle sur des quartiers entiers et
tiennent l’Hôtel de Ville. Le 23 août, les affrontements se
poursuivent.

Depuis l’aube, la 2e DB de Leclerc est en route vers Chartres et
Rambouillet. Le lendemain soir, une colonne blindée, composée de
pionniers espagnols et commandée par le capitaine Raymond Dronne, est
la première à pénétrer dans Paris : la nuit tombe, la foule en liesse
acclame les libérateurs et monte à l’assaut des véhicules. La radio
annonce la nouvelle, les cloches des églises sonnent à toute volée.
Le détachement parvient à l’Hôtel de Ville, guidé par un motocycliste
d’origine arménienne. Il est 21 h 20 à la grande horloge.

Au matin du vendredi 25, les chars Sherman de la division Leclerc
entrent dans Paris en trois colonnes par le sud et l’ouest qui se
rejoignent place de la Concorde. A midi, le drapeau français flotte
sur la tour Eiffel. L’unité du colonel Billotte prend d’assaut
l’hôtel Meurice et obtient la reddition de von Choltitz. Celui-ci
signe son acte de capitulation vers 15 h 30 à la préfecture de
police, en présence de Leclerc. Quelques instants plus tard, au PC de
Leclerc, gare Montparnasse, le général allemand rédige ses ordres de
cessez-le-feu.

Une marée humaine sur les Champs-Élysées

C’est là que Leclerc consent à faire signer au colonel Rol-Tanguy,
chef des insurgés parisiens, l’acte de reddition, avant que ne les
rejoigne le général de Gaulle, arrivé de Rambouillet. Le chef de la
France libre reprochera à Leclerc d’avoir laissé le résistant
communiste signer un exemplaire de l’acte de capitulation… Puis il
se rend à l’Hôtel de Ville où l’attend le Conseil national de la
Résistance rassemblé autour de son chef, Georges Bidault. De Gaulle
refuse de proclamer une République qui, pour lui, « n’a jamais cessé
d’exister ». Il rend hommage à la capitale, et, bras ouverts, salue
depuis un balcon les Parisiens qui l’acclament.

Pendant ce temps, dans le centre de Paris, de mystérieux coups de feu
partent des toits et des fenêtres. Les FFI poursuivent les tireurs.
Certains sont lynchés par la foule… tandis que de nombreuses
femmes, accusées de collaboration, sont tondues. La Libération de
Paris connaîtra aussi sa face noire. Mais le samedi 26 août au matin,
c’est la joie qui est de mise : de Gaulle descend les Champs-Élysées
escorté par une marée humaine. Jusqu’au 30 des combats sporadiques se
poursuivront dans la capitale. Au total, la « bataille de Paris »
aura coûté la vie à près de 1.000 FFI, 130 soldats de la 2e DB, près
de 600 civils, et à plus de 3.000 soldats allemands.

GRAPHIQUE: Image: Le lendemain, de Gaulle passe devant l’Arc de
triomphe avant de descendre les Champs-Élysées.

SOON CONDITIONS AND TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL TENDER ON “ALAVERDI-2”
SUBSTATION RELAUNCHING TO BE DECIDED

YEREVAN, August 23 (Noyan Tapan). The conditions and terms of the
international tender to carry out the relaunching of the high-voltage
“Alaverdi-2” substation will be decided during this week. Sahak
Abrahamian, Director of the “High-Voltage Electric Networks” company,
told NT correspondent the delay of the tender, which was initially
scheduled for May, will not affect the terms of the program
implementation. It should be noted that the KfW Bank (Germany)
provided Armenia with the loan of 4.7 mln euros with the purpose of
implementing “Regional System of Electrical Energy Transference
between Armenia and Georgia” (Alaverdi-2) program. 4.2 mln euros saved
from the loan provided by the same bank in 2001 for the reconstruction
of “Vanadzor” and “Kamo-2” high-voltage substations will also be
allocated to repair the “Alaverdi-2” substation.