Armenian president meets France’s new Karabakh mediator

Mediamax news agency
25 Jan 05

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met the new French co-chairman of
the OSCE Minsk Group for the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement, Bernard
Fassier, in Yerevan today.

“The sides exchanged opinions regarding the current developments in
the peace process and its prospects,” the presidential press service
reported.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian president, EU envoy discuss Karabakh, Armenian-Turkish relations

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
24 Jan 05

President Robert Kocharyan and the EU special representative for the South
Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie, on 24 January discussed the EU’s policy concerning
the South Caucasus countries, in particular, issues pertaining to the programme
Expanded Europe: New Neighbours.

During the meeting, the sides also discussed the current state and prospects
of a peaceful settlement to the Nagornyy Karabakh problem.

The sides also discussed Armenian-Turkish relations. Heikki Talvitie
expressed confidence that the beginning of talks on Turkey’s admission to the EU would
have a positive impact on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

During a meeting with Armenian Security Council Secretary and Defence
Minister Serzh Sarkisyan, Heikki Talvitie noted that one of his tasks was to
establish a good basis for the development of Armenia-EU relations with the aim of
facilitating conflict settlement. Talvitie said that during the preparation of an
individual plan of cooperation, all the South Caucasus countries will be
assessed in accordance with their real possibilities.

Hailing Serzh Sarkisyan’s position on the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, Mr Talvitie expressed the hope that real progress will be achieved
in the peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict in the near
future.

[Video showed the meetings]

Minister links ousting of Armenians from Turkey with Holocaust

Mediamax news agency
25 Jan 05

YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said that “Hitler linked
the Armenians with the Jews forever”.

The Armenian foreign minister said this speaking at a special session
of the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 January devoted to the
60th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi death camps in Oswiecim.

“Hitler linked the Armenians with the Jews forever. ‘Who after all
remembers the extermination of the Armenians?’ Adolph Hitler said a
few days before the invasion of Poland. Hitler’s cynical mentioning of
the Armenians could be noticed in the Holocaust Memorial in Washington
since it stresses the key role of a third party in preventing
genocide,” Vardan Oskanyan said.

“What we are marking today became possible because Soviet troops
entered Oswiecim 60 years ago. I am here today because 90 years ago
Arabs gave asylum to deported Armenians [from Turkey],” the Armenian
foreign minister said.

Azerbaijan wants OSCE mission to inspect seven occupied districts

ANS TV, Baku
24 Jan 05

[Presenter] Will the OSCE fact-finding mission which is to investigate
settlement of Armenians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
visit all the occupied districts? The Azerbaijani deputy foreign
minister has dispelled doubts which emerged in the wake of the latest
statement by Yuriy Merzlyakov, Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk
Group.

[Correspondent over archive footage] The OSCE fact-finding mission
which is to investigate the settlement of Armenians in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan will not monitor the situation in Agdam and
Fuzuli districts. The mission will only inspect Lacin, Kalbacar,
Cabrayil, Qubadli and Zangilan districts. This is what Merzlyakov has
told the Armenian-owned Regnum news agency.

In an interview with ANS, Merzlyakov cited the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry’s statement that it had no information as to whether Armenian
families were settled in Agdam and Fuzuli districts. He said that the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry does not insist on inspecting the two
districts. However, there is so far no change in the plans of the
mission.

[Merzlyakov speaking on telephone in Russian with Azeri voice-over]
Everything depends on the briefing held by the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry for us. We will be given all the information there.
Azerbaijan will say which areas should be inspected first.

[Correspondent] Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Araz
Azimov said that the fact-finding mission should monitor all the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan. This means that the mission should
visit Agdam and Fuzuli districts. As to Merzlyakov’s remarks regarding
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Azimov said that although they did
not possess information on the settlement of Armenian families in
Agdam and Fuzuli districts at the time, they do have it now.

[Passage omitted: Mission to visit Baku on 28 January]

RIA Novosti, Russia
Jan 25 2005

SPEECH BY NEWLY ELECTED UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, NAGORNO-KARABAKH, ‘YUKOS
CASE’ ON PACE’S WINTER SESSION’S AGENDA

STRASBOURG, January 25 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian President Victor
Yushchenko is to address the winter session of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

As was stressed in the lobby of the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg,
the new head of the Ukrainian state, who assumed office just last
Sunday and paid his first foreign lightning visit to the Russian
capital, is expected to send a clear and unambiguous signal of
Ukraine’s European aspirations and outline the process of the
nation’s further advance along the path of democratic reform.

In addition to Yushchenko’s address, high on the agenda is discussion
of the report on the handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh situation and
OSCE’s Minsk Group role in it. Nagorno-Karabakh is the Armenian
enclave in Azerbaijan. In the early 1990s, it renounced Azerbaijan’s
jurisdiction.

The draft resolution on the issue denounces the attempts at using
force and highlights the necessity of solely peaceful approaches to
settling the conflict as well as suggests a provisional PACE
commission on Nagorno- Karabakh be set up.

Another high-profile item on the agenda is discussion of the report
on the circumstances in which leaders of Russian oil producer YUKOS
were arrested and subjected to legal proceedings.

Authored by German parliamentarian Sabina Leuthauser-Schnarrenberger
on behalf of the commission on legal affairs and human rights, the
report expresses suspicions of grave violations during the
prejudicial inquiry and questions the impartiality and unbiasedness
of the authorities.

The draft resolution proposes, in particular, that PACE should demand
from the Russian authorities full independence of legal proceedings
against the YUKOS leaders from any attempts at influencing them and
the public’s access to the court hearings.

Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the Russian delegation, told RIA
Novosti that the Russian side regards the repot on YUKOS as biased.

“This is another attempt by a number of European parliamentarians at
pushing the subject into the limelight,” Mr. Kosachyov emphasized.

He also said that the Russian delegation had prepared an individual
opinion as for the report.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Jan 25 2005

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVED FOREIGN MINISTER OF
IRAN KAMAL KHARRAZI
[January 24, 2005, 12:05:30]

On January 24, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received
in his residence in Teheran the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran
Kamal Kharrazi.

Mr. Kamal Harrazi, warmly having welcomed the President of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev and having noted, that is glad to each meeting with him,
has emphasized, that the first official visit of the head o
Azerbaijan state to Iran would promote all-round development of
relations between two countries and create fundamental change in
mutual relations. Having reminded about constant development of the
Azerbaijani-Iranian links, he has told: `There are new opportunities
for the further expansion of cooperation of our countries in all
spheres, in particular, in the field of power, communications,
transport. The Minister has noted that realization of significant
projects, including the important projects connected with automobile
and railways, will represent essential value for Azerbaijan and Iran,
and also other countries of region.

President Ilham Aliyev, with satisfaction having touched on the first
official visit to Iran, having emphasized, that considers very useful
the negotiations in Tehran, also underlining that began a new stage,
ample opportunities for cooperation between two countries in all
areas. Having touched ancient historical, national-moral, religious,
cultural affinity of the two peoples, the head of Azerbaijan state
has emphasized perceptivity of mutually advantageous relations in all
areas, has noted importance of realization of practical steps for the
further expansion of relations.

At the meeting, also were exchanged views on the questions connected
to the North-South transport corridor, on economic projects, as a
whole, position in region, definition of the status of the Caspian,
peace settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh
conflict, and also on a number of the important questions
representing interest for both countries.

IranMania, Iran
Jan 25 2005

Khatami, Aliyev optimistic about enhancing cooperation

LONDON, Jan 25 (IranMania) – Immediately after the formal ceremony to
welcome Azeribaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Iranian and Azeri
presidents expressed their desire for expanding Tehran-Baku
relations.

President Mohammad Khatami accompanied by President Ilham Aliyev told
reporters at Sadabad Complex that Iran is keen on further development
of relations with Azerbaijan Republic, IRNA reported.

Responding to an Azeri reporter about what Iran will do to help
resolve Karabakh crisis, President Khatami said that Iran is among
the few countries which supports Azerbaijan’s national sovereignty
and territorial integrity.

“Iran believes that the Karabakh crisis would be resolved through
logic and understanding between the two parties without resorting to
force. I believe that Karabakh conflict will be resolved if the two
sides seriously decide to do so,” he said.

Khatami noted that Iran has friendly relations with both Azerbaijan
and Armenia and is ready to mediate between them to help resolve the
crisis at the earliest.

Whether there is similarity between the occupation of Arab lands by
the Zionist Israeli regime and occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, the
Iranian president said Iran condemns occupation and use of force by
any country.

“Of course, there is a difference. I believe Israel has occupied the
entire Palestine and established an illegitimate existence, but
Armenia is a country itself. But at the same time, occupation and
seizure of an inch of the other’s territory is condemned and the
international community should help end the occupation,” Khatami
said.

President Aliyev told reporters that his visit to Iran is aimed at
developing relations in all fields, including the economy.

He pointed to the accords President Khatami signed during his visit
to Baku and said Azerbaijan is keen on the implementation of these
accords.

Aliyev further said Tehran-Baku relations are developing rapidly and
political and economic cooperation is excellent.

“The exchange of visits by presidents of the two countries indicates
the extent of relations enjoyed by the two countries,” he said.

Boston Globe, MA
Jan 25 2005

Never again
By James Carroll | January 25, 2005

THIS WEEK marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
When news eventually came to America of what the Red Army found at
that death camp in January 1945, the report was remarkably detailed.

The headline of a first New York Times story about Auschwitz, filed
from Moscow on May 8, 1945, read, “Oswiecim Killings Placed at
4,000,000.” This number overstated by a factor of two the total of
those murdered at Auschwitz, yet the account seemed closely observed
in most other respects. The remains of the victims were described —
the charnel pits and piles of ashes, the corpses. The mechanized
death process was explained, with a careful description of the gas
chambers, down, even, to the name of the manufacturer of the
crematoria — Topf and Son. The identities of the victims were given
as “more than 4,000,000 citizens” of a list of European nations —
Poland, Hungary, Netherlands, France. But what is most remarkable
about the Times story — apart from the fact that it was buried on
page 12 — is that in defining the identities of those victims, the
story never used the word “Jew.”

Many non-Jewish Poles were murdered at Auschwitz, but the vast
majority of the dead were Jews — killed for being Jewish. Indeed, of
all the death camps, Auschwitz was most expressly commissioned to
murder of Jews. Yet the New York Times reporter apparently saw
nothing untoward in passing along a Soviet report that made no
mention of Jews at Auschwitz. The murdered were Dutch, or French.
They were men, women and children. They were old. They were Italian.
Nothing about their being Jewish, which for the Nazis was the only
thing that counted. The Times reporter was C. L. Sulzberger.

My attention was drawn to this story by a study of Holocaust news
coverage I conducted at the Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center for
Press, Politics and Public Policy. I discovered that after World War
II the broader world was shockingly slow in acknowledging the most
distinctive feature of the Nazi death-camp system — that, whoever
its other victims were, it was created expressly to eliminate the
Jewish people.

Yet in the war’s immediate aftermath, little attention was drawn to
the fate of the millions of Jews who died in those camps. The
desperate people released from those hell holes after liberation,
like those who had already been murdered, were routinely referred to
in governmental and journalistic reports as “resisters,” “prisoners,”
“interned civilians,” “displaced persons,” and so on.

The New York Times index did not cite stories about concentration
camps under the category “Jews” until 1950. It was not until 1975
that the index category “Nazi Policies Toward Jews” appeared.

Western culture came very slowly — and reluctantly — to a full
reckoning with what the Nazis set out to do in the heart of Europe.
The work of writers (Elie Wiesel, of course, but also the likes of
Primo Levi and Cynthia Ozick); teaching by educators (for example,
Facing History and Ourselves); the demands of heirs (challenges to
Swiss banks and art museums); the movement to establish Holocaust
museums and memorials; the recognitions tied to anniversaries,
especially as witnessing survivors aged and began to die — all of
this has helped to lay bare what makes the Nazi crime against the
Jews a matter of acute moral concern for the civilization out of
which it grew.

The Master Race ideology depended on contempt for various racial and
ethnic groups, including Slavs to the east of Germany and
Mediterranean peoples to the south. But Hitler’s anti-Jewish agenda
was unlike the impulses behind his other crimes, or other horrors of
history. To insist on this is not to engage in the competition of
victim groups, or the pointless setting of genocides against each
other, as if Polish, Armenian, or Cambodian suffering weighs less
than Jewish suffering.

What gives the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz its special
gravity is that this crime, while committed by Nazis — and the
particular guilt of the perpetrators must always be insisted upon —
could not have occurred but for the religiously and culturally
justified anti-Semitism that both spawned the crime and then enabled
it nearly to succeed. Therefore, the word “Auschwitz” stands now not
merely as a marker of the evil that gripped Germany for a time, but
also as an ongoing challenge to the conscience of the broader culture
whose, yes, complicity was hinted at in the way it at first deflected
the most important thing about the horror that had unfolded there.

James Carroll’s column appears regularly in the Globe.

Persian League, Iran
Jan 25 2005

American Eskandarian makes papa proud
Tue 01-25-2005

FIFAworldcup.com – With only one cap to his name, steadily improving
striker Elecko Eskandarian is primed for a big future with the U.S.
national team. The 23 year-old D.C. United man may not be the biggest
or the fastest, but his understanding, eye for goal and undeniable
pedigree have him in frame for a fine run on the international stage.

After three years at the University of Virginia – a side brought to
prominence by current national team boss Bruce Arena – Eskandarian
went into Major League Soccer as the U.S.’ top collegiate player in
2003.
After coming into the league highly touted, he scored only three
goals for D.C. United in an unremarkable start to his professional
career. The squat forward looked sadly out of his depth. But willing
to pay his dues, the remarkably down-to-earth Alecko learned his
lessons well and 2004 proved another story altogether as he brought
the capital club back to greatness with a championship run.
In the run-up to the 2004 campaign, 14-year-old wunderkind and league
record-signing Freddy Adu was grabbing all the headlines. But it was
his teammate, Eskandarian, who got the job done for United once the
ball got rolling. The player capped off his fine run of form with two
goals in the MLS championship match against Kansas City.
D.C. United coach, former Poland captain and one of the finest-ever
MLS players, Peter Nowak, was amazed with the vast improvements on
display in Alecko’s sophomore season.
`Now when I ask him `how many goals will you score today?’ he has
more confidence and asks `how many do you want?” the coach
commented. Twice Eskandarian was named player of the week and became
the first D.C. United player to score more than ten goals in a season
since 2001. He finished the year as the team’s top scorer, helping
them to earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
`It’s pretty sweet to go to everybody that was doubting me and just
show them the trophy (MLS Cup) and just be like, `Shut up. I did
it,” Eskandarian said of his triumphant 2004.
Family ties, football ties
The Eskandarian saga is a compelling and peculiarly `American’ tale,
screaming of long, arduous journeys and the intermingling of
cultures.

Originally of Armenian origins, the Eskandarian clan was forced to
flee Europe for Iran to escape the horror of early 20th century
genocide. Alecko’s father Andarik went on to make his name playing
football in the mid-east. The hard-nosed, no nonsense defender lined
up for Iran at the 1978 FIFA World Cup Argentina, and his
performances were so impressive he was named to a Cup all-star team.
And after playing an exhibition match at the Meadowlands in New
Jersey, USA, his ample talents were noticed by the then managers of
the New York Cosmos. Almost at once, the player relocated to the East
Coast of the U.S. where he lined up alongside such icons as Pele and
Franz Beckenbauer for the legendary Cosmos of the North American
Soccer League (NASL) – the ill-fated precursor to MLS.
Andarik’s son Alecko was born in the ethnic hotbed of Montvale, New
Jersey in July of 1982 and almost at once showed an aptitude for
football. His father – who now owns a sporting goods store – did all
he could to nurture that talent.
`I have been playing soccer ever since I can remember,’ Alecko
recalls fondly. `And my first soccer memory is kicking the ball
around with my brother and my dad in our backyard and going nuts when
I scored a goal.’
It did not take long for the stocky poacher to climb the ladder of
the American game, scoring goals with a predatory instinct. What he
lacked in size and speed, he more than made up for with creativity
and a predatory nose for goal.
He was only 16 when the powers that be in U.S. Soccer noticed the
clever, cocksure Alecko. In 1999 he was called in to play with the
under-17 national team, went on to play four games with the under-20s
at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina in 2001, and led
the U-23 (Olympic) side in scoring in 2002 with seven goals.
It was only a matter of time before he got his chance with the big
boys in the senior squad. And it came on 26 May 2003, when he came
off the bench in a friendly against Wales.
Though he failed to score, it is surely just the beginning for the
young, stout striker. With Bruce Arena alerted to Eskandarian’s
substantial ability, he has been called into the training camp for
the final six-team `Hexagonal’ of North, Central American and
Caribbean Zone FIFA World Cup qualifying.
The U.S. will take on Trinidad & Tobago on 9 February in their first
match of the final round.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 24 2005

President starts official visit to Iran

Baku, January 24, AssA-Irada

President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Tehran on Monday on the invitation
of his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Khatami.
In his meeting with Aliyev, Khatami said Iranian media and public are
closely following the visit. The Azerbaijani President, in turn, gave
a high assessment to the Azerbaijan-Iran relations and voiced
confidence that the documents to be signed will be beneficial.
President Aliyev told a press conference following the meeting that
Azerbaijan continues cooperating with Iran in all areas, including
politics, economics and the humanitarian field. He said that
bilateral relations are rapidly developing and the current level of
ties meets the two countries’ interests. Aliyev also pointed out that
there is a potential to further strengthen the ties in an efficient
manner.Touching upon the Garabagh conflict, Khatami said Iran
supports Azerbaijan’s stance.
`Our position is clear and Iran is one of the very few countries that
support Azerbaijan’s position on the issue. We support a conflict
resolution not by force but through talks and diplomacy.’
Khatami said Iran is ready to cooperate with the conflicting sides in
resolving the Garabagh problem.
Asked why Iran has expressed a firm position on the Palestine issue
but not on the Garabagh problem, Khatami said he condemns all steps
aimed at occupation.
`Israel has completely occupied the Palestine territory. However,
unlike Israel, Armenia has not occupied such a large portion of
Azerbaijan’ land.’
Following the press conference, Aliyev had a broad meeting with
Khatami, and then met with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.
On Tuesday, President Aliyev is expected to meet with the chairmen of
the Iranian Islamic Council Assembly Haddad Adil and of the state
advisory council Alakbar Hashimi Rafsanjani, as well as Iran’s
spiritual leader Seyid Ali Khamnei. Aliyev will also visit the
`Khodro’ mechanical engineering plant, the Mausoleum of Imam Khomeyni
and the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran.
On Wednesday, the President will hold another meeting with Khatami to
be followed by signing of about 10 documents.
A $1 million grant, to be allocated by Iran under these documents,
will be spent on building the Shahtakhti-Poldashti bridge over the
Araz River in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Iran also plans to allot $4 million in loans for the construction of
the Astara-Baku highway.
President Aliyev will wrap up his visit to Iran after visiting
Azerbaijan’s Chief Consulate in Tabriz.*