Armenia president not to attend NATO summit in Istanbul

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 10 2004

YEREVAN, May 10 (Itar-Tass) -President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia
will not take part in the NATO summit in Istanbul late in June,
presidential press secretary Ashot Kocharyan said on Monday.

He said in an interview with Tass this decision “is explained by
the current state of Armenian-Turkish relations.” “No progress in
bilateral relations was seen in 2003,” the press secretary said.
“Armenia reiterates its readiness to improve relations with Turkey
without preliminary conditions,” he said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan will represent the country
at Istanbul’s summit. The press secretary said relations between
Armenia and NATO “are developing on the line of ascent within the
framework of the ‘Partnership for Peace’ programme.”

He reminded that in 2003 the president visited Brussels, where he
met with high-ranking NATO officials as well as took part in NATO
summits in Washington and Prague.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
May 10 2004

GEORGIAN PEOPLE THANKFUL TO HEYDAR ALIYEV AND ALWAYS HONORS HIS
MEMORY
[May 10, 2004, 16:31:48]

Chairman of Azerbaijan Parliament Murtuz Alaskarov received the
parliamentary delegation of Georgia on 9 May, AzerTAj reported.

Noting that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the political,
economic and cultural links with the friendly and neighboring Georgia,
and that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum oil and gas
pipelines have enormous prospects for the region, Chairman of Milli
Majlis said that the fraternal relations between the two countries
founded by national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev have acquired
strategic partnership level.

But the existing regional conflicts, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorny Karabakh conflict seriously impede development of the Caucasus
countries, chairman of Azerbaijan Parliament stressed. “Azerbaijan
adheres peaceful way of settlement of these conflicts and in the
frame of territorial integrity of states”.

Touching upon development of the inter-parliamentary links Murtuz
Alaskarov underlined that the meetings held with the heads of
legislative body of Georgia and mutual visits serve further expansion
of existing cooperation.

Head of the delegation, chairman of the “Majoaritari” group in the
Georgian Parliament Jugeli Beso said that one of the goals of the
visit is to take part at celebration of the 81st jubilee of Heydar
Aliyev who has vast contributions in the development of relations
between our countries. “Heydar Aliyev is highly loved and honored in
Georgia, too. Just this person providing participation of Georgia
in some regional economic projects, has made colossal assistance
to development of Georgia. And therefore, the people of Georgia are
thankful to him and always revere his memory.

Noting that the political line of Heydar Aliyev is being continued
today, and dwelling on the regional conflicts, in particular, the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorny Karabakh conflict, Mr. Jugeli Beso said
that he supports settlement of the conflicts in the frame of principles
of territorial integrity of states. Underlining that the government
of Azerbaijan has achieved great accomplishments in the short period,
the visitor said that he would further make efforts for peace and
stability in the region, fore the fair solution of the conflicts,
as well as for the future development of cooperation between the
two countries.

During the talk, passed in a friendly atmosphere, also was exchanged
view on a number of issues of mutual interest.

Bush cheers “Millennium Challenge” recipients

News 14 Carolina, NC
May 10 2004

(WHITE HOUSE) — President Bush is cheering the 16 poor countries
who’ll be receiving a big new infusion of U.S. aid, saying their
commitment to reform makes them a “bright light” in the developing
world.

The 16 have been chosen to share in a billion dollars from Bush’s
Millennium Challenge program.

The initiative will boost development aid by 50 percent but only
for countries that show they can spend the cash wisely. That means
fighting corruption, observing the rule of law, promoting health and
education and encouraging free markets.

This year’s recipients include eight African nations, plus the former
Soviet republics of Georgia and Armenia, and Central American nations
Nicaragua and Honduras.

In an East Room ceremony, the president said aid to reforming countries
will be “repaid many times over.”

Defectors’ families under pressure of Armenian special services – Azeri TV

ANS TV, Baku
10 May 04

The families of Artur Apresyan and Roman Teryan are being subjected
to pressure from the Armenian special services. The two Armenian
defectors fled from [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan’s regime
and arrived in Azerbaijan and are currently being held at the remand
centre of the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry.

At a meeting with a human rights activist, Arzu Abdullayeva, they
said that their relative in Russia had phoned the National Security
Ministry [presumably of Azerbaijan] and proposed that Apresyan and
Teryan come to Moscow. Their unnamed relative in Moscow also said
that their security would be ensured in Moscow.

Apresyan and Teryan are confident that their relative had made this
telephone call under pressure from the Armenian special services. They
also said that if the UN High Commissioner for Refugees did not
consider their case, they would go on a hunger strike today.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pyunik pick up another trophy

UEFA.com
May 10 2004

Reigning champions FC Pyunik have lifted their first silverware of
the 2004 season by defeating FC Banants in the Armenian Cup final.

Bete the hero

After a goalless 120 minutes, including extra time, today’s match went
to penalties where Pyunik goalkeeper Edel Bete proved the hero, saving
two Banants spot-kicks. During the game, both teams missed plenty of
opportunities with Karen Aleksanyan and Mamadou Diawara profligate
for Pyunik and Albert Iskoyants and Artak Oseyan squandering chances
for Banants.

Birthday present

“I’m very happy,” said Pyunik coach Mihai Stoichita, who celebrates
his 50th birthday tomorrow. “My players have given me a great birthday
present. We have completed our first task this season, but there is
no time to rest with important matches looming.”

European consolation

Stoichita’s counterpart Hovannes Zanazyan was much more terse. “I’m
satisfied with our display, however some experienced players let me
down.” Banants will, however, still qualify for the 2004/05 UEFA Cup
as will FC Shirak, while Pyunik will play in the UEFA Champions League.

PRESS RELEASE

National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: 617-489-1610
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web:
Contact: Marc Mamigonian

TURKISH SCHOLAR Taner Akçam TO GIVE LECTURE AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Turkish scholar Dr. Taner Akçam will give a lecture entitled “From
Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide”
on Thursday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the Starr Audito-rium of Harvard
University’s Kennedy School of Government, 79 John F. Kennedy Street,
Cambridge, MA.

The lecture, Akçam’s first in the Boston area, will examine
the relationship between Turkey’s transition from Ottoman Empire
to Turkish Republic in the opening decades of the 20th century,
the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the process of democratization
in Turkey today. It will be co-sponsored by the Zoryan Institute
for Contemporary Armenian Research and Documentation, the National
Association for Armenian Studies and Research, the Mashtots Chair in
Armenian Studies at Harvard, and the Harvard Armenian Society.

Author of Groundbreaking Study

Akçam is the author of the recently published groundbreaking study From
Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide,
as well as Dialogue Across An International Divide: Essays Towards
a Turkish-Armenian Dialogue, and numerous other books and articles.
Through his research, writings, and lectures, he has worked tirelessly
to help the Turkish people come to terms with their history and to
bridge the gap between Turks and Armenians.

He has said of his approach to the issues covered in his new book,
“Any effort towards democ-ratization in the region today must begin
with a dialogue about history and, most importantly, the events that
transpired during the transition from Empire to Republic. Scholarly
activity has been locked into a cycle of verification or denial of
what happened in history, as opposed to analyzing the socio-political
and historical factors that allowed that history to unfold.”

Pioneer Among Turkish Scholars

“[Akçam] is one of the first Turkish academics to acknowledge and
discuss openly the genocide of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish
government in 1915,” commented genocide scholar Vahakn Dadrian.
“This book represents the first scholarly attempt to both document the
Genocide and understand that genocide from a perpetrator, rather than
victim perspective, and to contextualize fully the events of 1915
within Turkey’s political history, and western political policies
towards the region more generally.”

Taner Akçam was born in northeastern Turkey and became interested in
politics at an early age. He was active in Turkish politics until
he fled to Germany as a political refugee. For many years, in the
face of great adversity, he has worked to create a dialogue between
Turks and Armenians. He received a Ph.D. from Hanover University
in Germany. Currently he is Visiting Associate Professor of History
at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Admission to the lecture is free (donations are appreciated).
A question-and-answer period will follow the lecture. Dr. Akçam’s book
>From Empire to Republic will be on sale and available for signing.
It is strongly recommended that audience members arrive early as
seating is limited.

Parking is available at the Harvard Square Parking Garage at the
corner of Eliot and JFK streets or at the Charles Hotel Parking Garage.

More information on Dr. Akçam’s lecture may be obtained from NAASR
by calling 617-489-1610, by fax at 617-484-1759, by e-mail at
[email protected], or by writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA
02478; or by contacting the Zoryan Institute by phone at 617-497-6713
or e-mail at [email protected].

U.S. Newswire (press release), DC
May 10 2004

Transcript of Bush Remarks at Ceremony Celebrating Countries Selected
for the Millennium Challenge Account

To: National Desk
Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2580

WASHINGTON, May 10 /U.S. Newswire/ — Following is a transcript of
remarks by President Bush at a Ceremony Celebrating Countries
Selected for the Millennium Challenge Account:

The East Room

9:35 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Please be seated. Welcome.
Thanks for coming to the White House.

Two years ago, I announced a new and hopeful approach in America’s
aid to developing nations. Under this approach, America has pledged
to increase development assistance by 50 percent over three years. To
make sure that governments make the right choices for their people,
we link new aid to clear standards of economic, political, and social
reform. We invited governments in developing nations to meet those
standards so that they may truly serve their people.

America formed the Millennium Challenge Corporation to oversee this
new program. Last week, the first group of Millennium Challenge
Account nations was selected. I congratulate representatives with
us today from Armenia, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Ghana,
Honduras, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua,
Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Vanuatu. You have chosen the path of reform,
and your people and your nations are better off as a result of the
decisions your governments have made.

I want to thank the Secretary of State for leading this effort. He is
the chairman of the board of the new corporation. I appreciate other
board members who are with us — Secretary John Snow, the Secretary
of the Treasury; Ambassador Bob Zoellick, the United States Trade
Representative; Andrew Natsios, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency
for International Development; and Paul Applegarth, who is the CEO
of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for taking on this important assignment.

I want to welcome the ambassadors and representatives from the
16 Millennium Challenge Account nations. We are glad you’re here.
Congratulations.

I want to thank the members of Congress who are here. Two members have
come today, one from the Senate and one from the House, who have been
very instrumental in making sure the Millennium Challenge Account
passed through both bodies. First, Senator Dick Lugar, who is the
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Mr. Chairman,
Senator Lugar is a clear visionary when it comes to U.S. aid. I
appreciate you being here, Senator. Thank you for coming. As well as
Congressman Tom Lantos, the ranking member. I see you brought Annette
with you. Thank you for doing so. We’re proud you both are here.

Congressman Lantos, do me a favor. When you see Jim Kolbe, who is not
with us today, thank him for working so hard to make sure that the
House appropriations process honored our request for the Millennium
Challenge Account. But at any rate, I’m glad you’re here. You guys
are great leaders for — to help America spread our vision of freedom
and peace and decency for every human being.

In many nations, poverty remains chronic and desperate. Half the
world’s people still live on less than $2 a day. This divide between
wealth and poverty, between opportunity and misery, is far more than
a challenge to our compassion. Persistent poverty and oppression can
spread despair across an entire nation, and they can turn nations
of great potential into the recruiting grounds of terrorists. The
powerful combination of trade and open markets and good government is
history’s proven method to defeat poverty on a large scale, to vastly
improve health and education, to build a modern infrastructure while
safeguarding the environment, and to spread the habits of liberty
and enterprise.

The Millennium Challenge Account encourages all nations to embrace
political and economic reform. The United States has pledged to
increase its core development assistance by half, adding $5 billion
annually by 2006. To be eligible for this new money, nations must
root out corruption, respect human rights, and adhere to the rule of
law. They must invest in their people by improving their health care
systems and their schools. They must unleash the energy and creativity
necessary for economic growth by opening up their markets, removing
barriers to entrepreneurship, and reducing excessive bureaucracy
and regulation.

The 16 nations represented here today have done all this and more.
Each has worked hard to be here today, and their efforts are
already yielding results. For example, Madagascar is aggressively
fighting corruption. The Ministry of Justice has suspended a dozen
magistrates on suspicion of corrupt activity. The government is also
implementing an ambitious program of judicial reform. Senegal, Africa’s
longest-standing democracy, has also enacted new anti-corruption
laws, and is implementing new measures to fight money-laundering.
Honduras has made the improvement of education and health services
a top priority. Its immunization rate of 96 percent is among the
highest of all eligible countries.

The new government of Georgia has doubled its investment in health
care and raised teacher salaries by two-thirds. Mozambique has curbed
government spending and lowered tariffs. These, and other reforms,
have resulted in double-digit growth rates over the last decade.
Since launching its program of economic reform in 2002, Sri Lanka
has reduced its budget deficit by a third, and cut inflation by half.
Other nations represented here can point with pride to similar examples
of progress.

Yet funding is not guaranteed for any selected country. To be awarded a
grant, nations must develop proposals explaining how they will further
address the needs of their people, and increase economic growth —
proposals that set clear goals and measurable benchmarks.

The countries selected today represent a small fraction of those
struggling to emerge from poverty and establish reform. I urge all
nations of the world to follow the progressive standards of governing
justly, investing in people and encouraging economic freedom.

Reform can bring more aid from America, and it will also bring more
investment and more trade, lessening the need for aid over time.
Reform will be repaid many times over in the relief of poverty,
and rising national wealth and stability for their countries.

The 16 chosen in this round are showing the way, are showing what is
possible, are serving as a bright light in the developing world. You
have taken the first courageous steps toward greater independence
and greater wealth, and greater hopes for the people you serve.

I want to thank you all for being here. I congratulate you on
your work. And may God bless your countries and the people in the
countries. Thank you for coming. (Applause.)

WHERE A CITIZEN IS UNPROTECTED, STATEHOOD IS ENDANGERED

A1 Plus | 19:13:02 | 10-05-2004 | Social |

“Civil Will For and Against” initiative group on forum of social
organizations has today made a statement, which particularly says
irrespective of results of a possible dialogue between Opposition and
Authorities violence and breaches of human rights and basic freedoms in
Armenia are beyond political bargaining: {BR}

“We, the representatives of Armenia’s civil society not being for political
struggle and not laying claims to power, demand the Authorities:

1. to promptly release all the political prisoners;
2. to punish the persons having applied violence to journalists;
3. to punish the state officials having broken the Constitutional rights and
to condemn the phenomenon;
4. not to use the state and social institutions as tools for home political
struggle;
5. to make changes to the Law on “Meetings, Rallies and Marches”, bringing
it in correspondence with spirit and letter of human basic freedoms;
6. to provide the basic right of a citizen to get free information,
particularly to grant frequency to “A1+” TV Company”, the statement says.

Russian Daily Examines Georgian Leader’s “Peace Offensive” Against Abashidze

Kommersant, Moscow
7 May 04

>From the very start of the clash between Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili and the now ex-Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze few people
doubted that ultimately victory would rest with the leader of the “Rose
Revolution”. A scion of the old Soviet elite and a proponent of the old
mentality, Aslan Abashidze was in every respect a man of the past, and
a politician of that kind even at the level of an autonomous republic,
not to mention state level, has no historical future. However, the
Abashidze ruling clan seemed to be a nut that could not be cracked
straightaway or a rhizome that would be extremely hard to uproot.
Many people, including the writer of this article, thought just a few
days ago that a protracted standoff that could develop into bloodshed
might be a quite realistic scenario for Ajaria. Because people like
Aslan Abashidze do not go voluntarily.

But a miracle has all but happened. The fact that the denouement came
quickly and, importantly, painlessly came as a complete surprise. When
Eduard Shevardnadze was swept away in the same manner in November
last year, it was not so surprising. By then it was clear that Mr
Shevardnadze held little control within the Georgian state and he
only had to be given a slight nudge for his regime to collapse. But
“strong Abashidze”, who has maintained a grip on his state within a
state for so many years, seemed in some respects the exact opposite
of the “weak Shevardnadze”. Yet now he has suffered the same end. Why?

“Abashidze’s strength” proved toothless in the face of the peace
offensive from Mikheil Saakashvili, who refused to use force. And
was reluctant to have a punch-up, relying on his loyal personnel and
his best devoted soldiers. Abashidze probably also had troops of
that kind, and plenty of them. But the whole trick is that they were
not allowed to show their worth. There was no military offensive,
which would have allowed Aslan Abashidze to don a flak jacket,
come out onto the square, and say for all to hear “Ajaria is in
danger!” rallying a people’s militia around him. The Ajarian leader
concluded simply that “Tbilisi had scheduled a meeting” for him and,
thus, made a fatal error.

Why did a seemingly experienced politician allow himself to be outdone
by a novice? Possibly because for the past decade rebellious regions
have been dealt with in this way, by force, not only in Georgia but
also in other republics of the former USSR. Let us recall Abkhazia,
South Ossetia, Nagornyy Karabakh, and the Dniester region. Lastly, let
us recall Chechnya. The “Ajarian lion” decided that his republic had
the same fate in store. He blew up the bridges and prepared for all-out
defence. However, all these actions turned against him. He lost
the battle for the Ajarian people. As a result we have witnessed
the first experience in the post-Soviet area of a peaceful solution
to the problem of separatism. The Ajarian “sovereignty bandwagon”
has turned out to be not a military parade but a peaceful May Day
demonstration, whose participants were marching not with submachine
guns but with balloons.

AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY MANOEUVRE ADVERSELY AFFECTS CASPIAN ISSUE, IRANIAN DAILY SAYS

Shargh web site, Tehran,
2 May 04

The Republic of Azerbaijan is planning to perform a military manoeuvre
in the Caspian Sea in the coming days. Contrary to the remarks by
the commander of Azerbaijan’s Border Guards regarding the aims of
the manoeuvre in terms of evaluating the readiness of the border
forces of the Azerbaijan Republic in order to confront a possible
violation of its maritime borders, it seems that this military
action is commensurate with the deployment of NATO equipment in the
areas close to the northern borders of Iran and that the aims of the
manoeuvres are something else.

Holding military manoeuvres so soon after the recent Moscow conference,
during which the littoral states of the Caspian Sea declared their
verbal commitment to keep the Caspian Sea far from militarization
and help the establishment of a durable peace, is a matter that can
be studied from several points of view.

A long time ago, Aran and Shirvan were annexed forcefully by Tsarist
Russia and the name was changed to the Republic of Azerbaijan. The
policies of that republic in the later course of history were always
accompanied with the negation of the historical identities and always
affected the security of the northern borders of Iran. The leaders of
the Republic of Azerbaijan, which has fewer than 8 million population,
under the guidance of the late president of the Azerbaijan, Haydar
Aliyev, used the old doctrines of the former USSR to insist on the
common language of Azeris with Iranian Azerbaijan, as an element for
trying to separate this part of Iran from the rest of the country.

The Republic of Azerbaijan, since its independence from the 15
republics of the former USSR, has tried to regain old aims and has
tilted towards extraterritorial powers for financial and other
assistance. They have attracted 12.5m dollars from the White
House and Washington’s special budget to consolidate and equip
the Azeri Navy and bring it up to NATO standards, in line with the
militarization of the Caspian Sea. The military influence of the USA
on the regional countries around the Caspian Sea has been increasing
under many pretexts, like the training of military forces or holding
manoeuvres. For instance, every year we see the common manoeuvres by
the USA with regard to Kazakhstan. In order to increase the support
from the Republic of Azerbaijan, the USA has used its experience
of military and economic assistance programmes. The Americans
have presented warships and patrol boats to Azerbaijan. They are
consolidating their own presence in the region through a partner like
Azerbaijan to protect their oil interests. On the other side, the
Russian Federation, which had the reputation of a powerful military
presence in the Caspian Sea, has tried to enhance its military muscle
through holding naval manoeuvres. The great manoeuvre of the Russians
in the Port of Astrakhan, immediately after the summit of the littoral
states in Asgabat, was in the same line. The Russian Federation has
recently declared that it has to equip its forces in the Caspian Sea
with the latest military equipment.

Undoubtedly, Iran’s northern neighbours are taking advantage its
passive position. Relying on the great powers, they are trying to
enhance their military power in the Caspian Sea in order to gain more
advantages in there. They will be able to protect the security of
the pipelines under constructions, especially Baku-Ceyhan, which are
uneconomical routes designed to bypass Iran, as well as to pressure
Iran to go deeper into the passive mood and ignore its rights to
oil and gas in the Caspian Sea. This point gains importance when we
notice that four of the 14 main oil and gas fields in Azerbaijan are
within the 20 per cent limits that some Iranian politicians have set as
the acceptable share for Iran. Of course, Azerbaijan’s other allies,
like Turkey, which has 15 km of common border with Azerbaijan, and
Israel, are planning to expand the political, economic, and cultural
influence in the region, and they are supporting Azerbaijan from a
military point of view.

The reality is that, despite the failure of the repeated sessions and
conferences of the littoral states for devising a proper exploitation
plan in the Caspian Sea and the codification of joint military plans
in order to preserve the balance of naval power in the Caspian Sea,
can be followed by our authorities in order to protect the national
interests and facilitate the implementation of other plans. On the
other side, Iran’s power to affect the Karabakh and Talesh issues
are among Iran’s capacities that have not been used, and they can
be important in the preservation of stability along the maritime and
land borders and help Iran to play its natural and historical role.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress