Armenia / EU news

[Gavur]

Negotiations With The Eu

12:25 pm 06 March, 2006

Yesterday the Armenian delegation with the deputy Foreign Minister Armen Bayburdyan left for Brussels to participate in the second phase of the negotiations between Armenia and EU about the Action Plan. The first phase took place on November 28 in 2005 in Yerevan during which the draft Action Plan represented by the European side was discussion. The draft included the majority of the offers from the Armenian side.

The EU adopted the “European Neighborhood Policy Strategic Document» on May 12, 2004. The program includes 16 countries: Armenia was included into it by the 2004 June 17-18 decision of the EU Summit.

In case of the positive outcome of the negotiations the Action Plan will be represented to the EU Council for ratification.

http://www.a1plus.am/en/?page=issue&id=36449

[Gavur]

Prior To Admission To Eu Turkey Must Open Its Borders

PRIOR TO ADMISSION TO EU TURKEY MUST OPEN ITS BORDERS WITH ARMENIA AND RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915

YEREVAN, April 19. /ARKA/. Prior to the admission to the EU Turkey must open its borders with Armenia and recognized the Armenian genocide of 1915, Chairman of the commission for the EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation Marie-Anne-Isler-Beguin told a press conference in Yerevan.
“I cannot imagine that the EU will admit a country having closed borders with a neighbor country, and denying the crime committed before,” she said.
According to her, the issue of opening the borders by Turkey and recognition of the Armenian genocide was long discussed in the EU. And now, a relevant resolution, imposing this requirement on Turkey as a candidate for the admission to the EU, has been approved.
“We work on these issues every day, and our stand has not changed over this time. Turkey must recognize the Armenian genocide,” she said.
The Armenian genocide of 1915-1923 is considered the first genocide of the 20th century that was organized and systematically executed by the Young Turkish government. Over 1.5mln of Armenians were massacred in various regions of Western Armenia, which was part of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
The fact of this genocide was recognized by many countries. Among them are Uruguay, Russia, France, Argentine, Greece, the lower house of Italy’s parliament, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentine, Belgium, Wales, the National Council of Switzerland, the House of Commons of Canada’s parliament and Poland’s Seym. R.O. --0--

[Gavur]

Kroner: Ankara Will Finally Have to Recognize Armenian Genocide

16.05.2006 17:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ May 16 Secretary General of the International European Movement (IEM) Henrik H. Kroner visited Armenian Genocide Memorial to pay homage to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Mr. Kroner was accompanied by Victor Yengibarian, head of the organization’s mission to Armenia, and Kiro Manoyan, director of ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office. In the book of the Genocide Museum Kroner inscribed: “Let’s hope no such genocide will take place again in Europe and world. And the European values are the guarantees of our unification.”

Speaking to journalists Kroner said it is a shame this crime has not been recognized thus far. “The European Union has been established to avoid such tragedies in the future. I think Turkey will never become an EU member unless it admits its past. The process has just begun and will take many years. Ankara will have to yield in the end,” Kroner said.

Kiro Manoyan, director of the ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office, said Turkey deserves a thank-you to an extent because it was due to its denialist policy that the Armenian Genocide issue was raised and Turkey came under criticism, reports the Yerkir newspaper.

[Gavur]

Joint Azeri-Turkish resolutions turned down


10.07.2006 14:35

YEREVAN (YERKIR) - At the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) summer session, the Armenian delegation has succeeded to ensure the support of big powers in turning down proposals put forward by the Azerbaijani and Turkish delegations, Vahan Hovhannisian, head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE and National Assembly vice speaker, told a news conference Monday.
Meanwhile, Hovhannisian said, resolutions favorable for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have been passed.

“This time our cooperation with big powers was successful, I mean, the US, Canada, France and Russia,” Hovhannisian said. “Most importantly, we succeeded in including a provision of self-determination right in the PACE resolutions based on the results of the Montenegro referendum.”

He noted that the adoption of those resolutions demonstrated a precise balance between the rights to self-determination and territorial integrity.
Hovhannisian said the resolutions caused a fury of the Azeri delegation.
Azeri and Georgian delegations have tried to counter those resolutions by two others that would put disputed territories under the control of states they formerly belonged but both resolutions, backed by Turkey, were turned down, Hovhannisian added.

In conclusion, Hovhannisian mentioned that most Council of Europe countries have a vague understanding how the Nagorno Karbakh conflict is to be settled but they realize which side is ready for compromises and which one is not.

[Gavur]

Consequences of Montenegro referendum


Armen Rustamian, chairman of the Armenian National Assembly’s Foreign Relations Committee and Armenian Revolutionary Federation Armenia Supreme Body representative, delivered a speech at the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly summer session.

Below is the text of the speech.

First, I would like to congratulate the peoples of Serbia and Montenegro for their ability to settle their issue in a civilized and peaceful manner.
It is not hard to imagine what could have happened if the will of people was ignored, if people were denied the right to determine their fate on their own, if conducting a referendum was obstructed or its results were not recognized.

Fortunately, it didn’t happen in Montenegro, it is worthy example to follow. But sadly, there are many other negative examples. One of them is the Karabakh conflict. The history of that conflict demonstrates that efforts to silence a people’s voice and imposing others’ will from outside result in large-scale humanitarian catastrophe and bloodshed.

This is exactly how, 15 years ago, Azerbaijan responded to the Nagorno Karabakh people’s legitimate independence referendum conducted in line with the USSR laws. It was then that an opportunity to settle the conflict in civilized and peaceful manner was missed.

In those terms, the key conclusion stemming from the Montenegro referendum is as follows:
On the one hand, it is more than apparent that in the modern world it is impossible to apply the obsolete mechanisms to complex conflicts and settle them by means of arbitrary methods.

On the other hand, the necessity to establish situations that would allow a people to apply its right of self-determination under international law and through democratic means is becoming more apparent.

This is the exact key to the Karabakh conflict settlement — to respect the natural right of the Nagorno Karabakh people to self-determination. There are no legal, political or historic alternatives to such settlement.

I would also advise my Azeri colleagues to refrain from abusing the Karabakh conflict unnecessarily just to justify domestic problems.
I realize that it is necessary for propaganda reasons but it becomes absurd sometimes.

For example, Azerbaijan’s stance could not be considered constructive when it declares no cooperation with Armenia in regional projects is possible until the Karabakh conflict has been settled.

It is absurd when Azerbaijan says no fundamental democratic reforms are possible in that country unless the conflict has been resolved.
This is either self-deception or an effort to render an ultimatum to the Council of Europe in order to either force it help settle the conflict in its favor or stop criticizing Azerbaijan for democracy-related issues.

But the European experience -- and particularly the Serbia and Montenegro case -- proves the contrary: the more democratic the countries engaged in conflict are the more their people are tolerant and the more efficient the negotiations.

The Montenegro referendum proved once again the known truth: there are no democracy, common security and stability without the respect for a people’s right to express its will freely.

Only when conflicts are resolved without victors and losers there is a common victory of democracy as is the case with Montenegro.

[Tongue]

European Parliament Demands Admission Of Armenian Genocide From Turkey

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DEMANDS ADMISSION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FROM TURKEY


YEREVAN, July 11. /ARKA/. Representatives of the principal political groups of the European Parliament are for the issue of the Armenian Genocide to be put on the agenda of negotiations with Turkey for its admission to the EU.
The parliamentarians are for the admission of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey and the lifting of Armenia's blockade to be negotiated with Brussels as a condition for Turkey's admission to the European Union.
Finland, which took over the EU chairmanship from July 1, 2006, threatened to stop negotiations with Turkey.
Finnish Premier Matti Vanhanen stated that the dialogue can be stopped at any time if Ankara fails to execute its commitments to the European Union. Turkey still refuses to recognize the sovereignty of Cyprus, which was admitted to the EU in May 2004, and to receive planes and ships of that country.
On July 12, the Foreign Affairs Committee, European Parliament, is to consider Turkey's progress on its way to the EU.
The European Parliament also demands the resolution of the Kurdish problem. Turkey must ensure the right to free expression to the national minorities.
The Foreign Ministers of 25 EU member-countries "gave a go-ahead" to Turkey's admission to the EU in October 2005 with a reservation that the process would not be a mechanical one and might be stopped.
The European Parliament demands that Turkey admit the Armenian Genocide as a condition for its admission to the EU. P.T. -0--

http://www.arka.am/en/archive/n07/n1007/100704.html

[Gavur]

AEFJD Urges EU to Advance Strong Demands on Armenian Genocide Recognition to Turkey



11.07.2006 06:31 GMT-08:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) hails the initiative of these Members of the European Parliament whose amendments are going to embed acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide as "a prerequisite to accession" within the current negotiation process," stated Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the European Armenian Federation. "We invite their colleagues from the Foreign Affairs committee to follow this path in adopting these amendments." "Twenty years ago, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on 'a political solution to the Armenian question' the findings of which were considered 'insurmountable obstacles' to Turkey's accession. Twenty years later, none of these issues has been resolved. Given these circumstances, the continuation of the negotiations, without dealing with the root concerns, is a political anomaly which must stop," commented Hilda Tchoboian. "We urge the executive bodies of the European Union to regain their credibility on these critical issues, by listening to public opinion and advancing strong, non-negotiable demands with regard to Turkey, most notably the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. Otherwise, each step forward in the accession process of this denialist State will mean a retreat for Europe, until its fundamental values completely vanish," concluded the chairperson of the European Armenian Federation.

Yesterday members of basic political groups of the European Parliament favored inclusion of an item on recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey as a precondition to that country’s accession to the EU. The MEPs specifically come for Genocide recognition and lifting the blockade against Armenia to be fixed as a precondition for Turkey’s accession by negotiation framework with Brussels.

[Gavur]

European Parliament Postponed Vote on Turkey’s Accession till September
12.07.2006 02:11 GMT-08:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Vote on the draft resolution on "Turkey's progress toward accession" which should have been voted on Wednesday, July 12th by the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament was postponed due to practical reasons, reported the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD). The major reason for delay was the late translation of the numerous amendments. These amendments were submitted only on Monday afternoon to the various political groups, which did not leave time to them to prepare for the vote. The European Parliament resolution will finally be voted on the first week of September (4-7/09) by the Foreign Affairs Committee and eventually on the last week of September in the plenary session.

To remind, the other day members of the leading European Parliament factions offered to introduce the Armenian Genocide issue and opening of borders with Armenia without any preconditions as the items of the agenda of the EU-Turkey talks.

[Hovik]

European Party Of Greens Demands Unblocking Turkish-armenian Border

EUROPEAN PARTY OF GREENS DEMANDS UNBLOCKING TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDER

Armenian Genocide Issue

Marie Anne Isler Beguin, Chairwoman of the EU
Parliament's delegation to Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan, recently published the materials she
accumulated during her visit of the Armenian Turkish
border. The Armenian Federation of Europe informed
that according to her, "the European Parliament in its
resolutions never missed the opportunity to emphasize
the importance of unblocking Turkey's borders with
Armenia, as in the terms of the blocked borders, not
only the Armenian and Turkish borderline dwelling
places suffer, but also the region does." Isler
emphasized that the issue of unblocking the borders
should become a criteria for Turkey's admission to EU.

She reminded that 10 years ago, when blocking the
borders with Armenia, Turkey intended to exert
pressure on the process of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict development. In its turn, the Committee for
Foreign Affairs at the European Parliament postponed
the discussion of the draft resolution "On Turkey's
Progress for Admission to EU." The voting for the
draft resolution was postponed till September. This
was conditioned by several drawbacks in the
translation of some amendments for Turkey to apply.

[Hovik]

Armenia’s priorities within Neighborhood Policy to be submitted to EC in March

Armenia’s priorities within Neighborhood Policy to be submitted to European Commission in March

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is completing the process of determination of priorities of the 2007-2008 Action Plan in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told a news conference today. The document will be submitted to the European Commission’s consideration in mid March, he said adding that elaboration of priority directions is the initial stage of Armenia’s integration into European structures. The second stage will include the search for common fields of cooperation with the EU member states. Minister Oskanian said that the elements of the Action Plan meant for implementation in a bilateral format are also being discussed with the EU member states.