Author: Nalchajian Markos

Armenian president unruffled about disagreements in ruling coalition

Arminfo
11 Mar 05

Yerevan, 11 March: Disagreements around this and that issue which crop
up in the Armenian ruling coalition are quite natural for a political
union which consists of three parties with different ideologies,
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has told journalists.

“I often think about the disagreements that crop up in the ruling
coalition on this and that issue and even inquire about the activities
of coalition governments in other countries. As a result, I have
drawn the concussion that such disagreements are inevitable for a
political union which consists of parties with different ideologies,”
the president said and advised journalists not to “make a mountain
out of a molehill”.

Kocharyan expressed his confidence that in the current year, there
will be no problems in the coalition government. “A government that
implements the budget should be stable, which has a positive influence
on the country’s economy,” the president pointed out.

MARBEHEAS REPORTER

Fearer: The flavor of the immigrant kitchen

By Myrna Fearer/ Creative Kitchen

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Mention Ellis Island and people immediately think of the place where most of
the immigrants first landed when they came to America, a place that stood in
the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of freedom. Tired, hungry
and confused after their long, exhausting trip in steerage, these folks,
speaking the language of their native land, went through a tedious and
frightening process that included a physical exam to see if they would be
allowed to enter this golden land, a land they dreamed of for so long.

They came from the poor farms of Ireland, escaped the pogroms of Russia
and the massacres in Armenia. They were Italian, English, German, Austrian,
Greek, Danish, French. And though they spoke many different languages, grew
up in countries that bordered the balmy waters of the Mediterranean Sea or
the cold waves of the North Sea, they all had the same dream in common –
coming to America for better opportunities for themselves and their
children.

And with them came their customs, their clothing and their food, the
familiar dishes they would re-create that would make the land of their own
childhood seem less far away. It was the comfort food that would turn a cold
water flat, with a bathroom shared down the hall, into a home – their home.

Tom Bernardin, a graduate of St. John’s Prep, Class of 1966, and The
College of the Holy Cross, is a preservationist and a collector of Statue of
Liberty memorabilia. He was also a National Park Service tour guide at Ellis
Island for three years before it was restored to its original appearance.
His fascination with the immigrant experience whet his appetite to do
something tangible in the way of preserving the flavor of the past. The
result is “The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook.”

Bernardin donated several copies of “The Ellis Island Immigrant
Cookbook” to his alma mater, St. John’s Prep, which were sold at the auction
last Saturday.

“In giving tours of Ellis and talking with the immigrants, I became
aware of how important food was to their experience,” Bernardin wrote in his
introduction. “…(It) was a means of bringing with them and preserving this
part of their earlier lives.”

Through a national recipe search, Bernardin received many original
recipes from immigrants, their children or grandchildren. Often, recipes
were accompanied by anecdotal or biographical information. The result is a
fascinating compendium of recipes and an inkling into a bygone era. Some of
the spelling is phonetic, but Bernardin decided not to change anything in
order to keep the integrity of the recipe.

No cookbook that covers many different ethnic foods would be complete
without a good Irish soda bread recipe right from The Old Sod, especially
with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner.

NELLIE O’LEARY’S IRISH SODABREAD

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick melted butter

1 1/2 cups raisins

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; add melted butter and mix.
Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Combine buttermilk, egg and baking soda.
Make a well in the center of the batter. Pour liquid ingredients and stir
into flour mixture. Place in large iron frying pan, well-buttered. Use a
knife to make a cross on the top. Moisten with melted butter.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for an hour or until golden brown and shrinks
from the side of the pan.

Jeanette Caruso of Bloomington, Ill., talks about her folks who came to
Ellis Island from Italy on the same ship but didn’t meet until long after
their arrival. Caruso sent along her mother’s special artichoke recipe.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES (Italy)

8 to 12 artichokes

2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese

1 1/2 cups chopped parsley

10 cloves garlic, cut up

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 ounce lemon juice

olive oil

Cut tops (of artichokes) off a little and soak in lemon juice, then put
upside down. Pull apart and stuff with mixed ingredients. Cook in pan with
small amount of water and steam; then drain and put your oil on them.

Florence Collatos of Andover was very proud of her father, Harry J.
Kaniares, who left his small Greek village at the age of 14 and came to
America. As a youngster, he had already realized there was no future for him
in his small village. Hard work and perseverance met with several successes
as a candy store proprietor in this country, a shoe shine parlor owner and
restaurateur, with many restaurants to his credit. Egg lemon soup is a
popular restaurant item, but Collatos says that none is as good as her
dad’s.

GREEK EGG LEMON SOUP

1 chicken for broth (3 quarts)

1 cup rice

4 eggs

juice of 3 lemons

Boil a chicken for broth. Cook 1 cup of rice. Add rice to 3 quarts of
chicken broth.

Separate 4 eggs. Beat egg whites until foamy. Eat egg yolks and add
juice of 3 lemons. Beat again.

Mix yolk-lemon mixture to egg whites by beating. Slowly add broth into
egg mixture, 1 ladle at a time while beating. When half of broth has been
beaten, add all the rest of the broth and rice and stir.

Rena Weinstein of East Northport, N.Y., sent along her grandmother’s
noodle pudding recipe. Grandma Celia passed through Ellis Island at the
beginning of the 20th century and was still a joy to her family at the age
of 94 at the time of this book’s first copyright in 1991.

GRANDMA CELIA’S NOODLE PUDDING (Russia)

1 stick butter

1 pound medium egg noodles, cooked

4 eggs, separated

1/2 pint sour cream

1 pound pot (Farmer’s) cheese

1/2 cup milk

1 pound can crushed pineapple (a recent addition, according to
Weinstein))

3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Melt butter in baking pan. Beat egg yolks.
Add sugar gradually. Add sour cream, pot cheese, milk, pineapple and melted
butter. Pour over cooked noodles and combine.

Beat egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into egg yolk mixture.
Turn into greased rectangular baking dish, about 10 x 13 inches. Set in oven
and bake 1 1/2 hours or until firm and brown on top.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

If you want a copy of the cookbook, contact Tom Bernardin on his Web
site:

GERMAN MAGAZINE TO WRITE OF SUMGAIT EVENTS

Azg/arm
8 March 05

On occasion of Sumgait massacresâ~@~Y anniversary lately, a daily Azg
reader in Berlin, Razmik Galustian, sent us an article from German Die
Zeit magazine written on March 18 of 1988 and entitled “Horrible Days
of Sumgait”. Though most of the article deals with Garbachyovâ~@~Ys
initiative of “glasnost” and “perestroika” in the Soviet Union, the
addresser thinks that the other part is an important material about the
massacres and Armenian refugees from Sumgait and Baku who gathered
at the chapel of Armenian cemetery in Moscow to protest against
masterminds of this horrific bloodshed. The author of the article,
Christian Schmidt-Hauer, links the Armenian Genocide to the Artsakh
war for freedom and Sumgait massacres trying to find the organizers.

“Infringement started on February 26 in Sumgait. Head of a local
political party in Sumgait, Muslim Sarde, excited gathered Azeri
population a day before the pogroms. Half a dozen buses transported
people to the places of rallies. 500-600 people gathered around a
group of â~@~Xleadersâ~@~Y. They were given coordinates of Armenian
citizens in the town. The power in their apartment houses was switched
off and the Lynch law started with â~@~XKill all Armenians. Long live
Chingiz Khanâ~@~Y slogans”, Schmidt-Hauer wrote.

The German text is available in [email protected] in MS-Word format.

–Boundary_(ID_KLkZjRPjgorexmCCWYD0NQ)–

California Courier Online, March 10, 2005

1 – Commentary
Jewish Defense League Demands
Recognition of Armenian Genocide

By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
2 – Glendale Community College Students
Travel to Armenia This Summer
3 – ‘William Saroyan and His World’
Panel Discussion at Fresno State
4 – West SF Valley ANC Supports
Martayan for L.A. City Council
5 – Deadline Nears for Armenian
Insurance Settlement Fund Claims
6 – CSUN Armenian Studies Program to
Celebrate 20th Anniversary Milestone
*************************************************************************
1 – Commentary
Jewish Defense League Demands
Recognition of Armenian Genocide

By Harut Sassounian,
Publisher, The California Courier

Last month, in a column criticizing the willingness of the American Jewish
Committee to serve the interests of Turkey, I emphasized that there were
countless other Jewish organizations and individuals who sided with the
Armenians.
In response to that column, I received a strong letter from the Jewish
Defense League (JDL) confirming my opinion that it is important for
Armenians to distinguish between Jewish groups serving Turkey’s interests
and those backing the Armenians.
The JDL is a well-known activist organization that champions various Jewish
causes and supports the interests of the State of Israel. The JDL also
defends the truth about the Armenian Genocide.
Here is the full text of the JDL letter, dated Feb. 22, 2005:
“I read with great interest your editorial ‘American Jewish Group to Lobby
for Turkey’s EU Membership.’ I believe you should have mentioned the Jewish
organizations that demand not only Turkey’s but also the world’s
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Additionally, I respectfully ask that
you include the Jewish Defense League on that list.
“My late husband, Irv Rubin, who was the international chairman of the
Jewish Defense League, always observed April 24 in solidarity with the
Armenian people. During our marriage of 22 years that ended with his 2002
untimely death, I heard Irv say countless times, ‘If the world had taken
notice of what the Turks did to the Armenian people, the Holocaust would
not have happened.’
“If I can be so forward as to give advice, I would say to the American
Armenian community: People will not remember the Armenian Genocide unless
Armenians make them remember it. Just as the Jewish community raised great
amounts of money in order to erect buildings and monuments so the world
would never forget, the Armenian community has a responsibility to
commemorate their tragedy in the same way. As the philosopher George
Santayana so beautifully stated, ‘Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.’ ”
The above letter was signed by Shelley Rubin, the Administrative Director
of the Jewish Defense League ().
In a subsequent e-mail exchange, Mrs. Rubin asked that JDL’s name be added
to the long list of organizations co-sponsoring the congressional
resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
Mrs. Rubin was outraged, however, when she found out that John Evans, the
US Ambassador to Armenia, was forced by his Turkophile superiors to issue a
clarification, thus withdrawing his use of the term Armenian Genocide. She
suggested that tens of thousands of Armenian-Americans and others converge
on Washington, D.C., on April 24 to hold a mass demonstration, demanding
that the Bush administration stop playing childish word games with the
Armenian Genocide and call this monstrous Turkish crime by its proper name
– genocide!
Reacting to this offensive clarification, Cong. Frank Pallone, Jr., the
co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, defended Amb.
Evans in his speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. Cong.
Pallone reminded the Bush administration that President Reagan himself used
the term Armenian Genocide in 1981. While the genocide was still in
progress, another ambassador, the U.S. envoy to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau,
described the barbaric Turkish actions as “a campaign of race
extermination.”
Nine major Armenian-American organizations sent a joint letter to Pres.
Bush last week, calling on him to use the term Armenian Genocide as Pres.
Reagan and Amb. Evans had done. A similar letter, signed by a large number
of House members, is being sent to Pres. Bush.
Meanwhile, deepening the crisis between the Bush Administration and
Armenians worldwide, Amb. Evans was forced by his superiors “to correct”
his original statement for a second time. He amended his earlier
clarification: “although I told my audiences that the United States policy
on the Armenian Genocide has not changed…” to read “although I told my
audiences that the United States policy on the Armenian tragedy has not
changed….” The Turkish press quickly claimed a second victory by reporting
that the State Department had made the correction, complying with the
request of Faruk Logoglu, Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington.
It is appalling to see how callous Bush administration officials are in
undermining the credibility of one of their best diplomats, just to cater
to Turkish dictates.
Fortunately, the former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Harry Gilmore, rose to
the defense of his colleague, by telling Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
this week that he concurs with Amb. Evans. “The Armenian events were
genocide…. From my thorough study of the events of that period, I am
persuaded that they do indeed constitute a genocide,” Gilmore said.
Another positive development was a report in the Turkish press this week,
that Turkey’s then president Turgut Ozal, during his official visit to
Washington in 1991, entertained the thought of recognizing the Armenian
Genocide. Nuzhet Kandemir, the former Turkish Ambassador to the United
States, told the Hurriyet newspaper that President Ozal asked him: “This
Armenian Genocide issue is becoming a big headache for us. If, as Turkey,
we recognized this genocide, and ended this thing, wouldn’t that be
better?”
It is noteworthy that Pres. Ozal used the words “Armenian Genocide,”
without any qualifiers. Even though Amb. Kandemir reported that he was able
to convince Pres. Ozal not to make any rash decisions on this issue, it is
clear that Turkish officials are realizing the inevitability of their
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The sooner they do it, the better for
Turkey’s prospects for joining the European Union and its acceptance into
the ranks of civilized nations!

**************************************************************************
2 – Glendale Community College Students
Travel to Armenia This Summer
By Darleene Barrientos
News-Press and Leader
GLENDALE — Glendale Community College students are preparing for a summer
trip to Armenia, the first study abroad program offered at the school.
College trustees are expected to approve the travel arrangements for the
Armenia trip and another study abroad trip to Italy during its meeting
Monday.
“The kind of trip we’re doing is a formal academic program combined with a
lot of excursions and on-site lectures,” trip coordinator Levon Marashlian
said. “A lot of the lectures are not in lecture halls but at museums,
monuments and churches all over the country.”
While several universities throughout the nation have traveled to Armenia
for different programs, Marashlian said this will be the first time it has
been done as part of a formal study abroad program. It will be the first
time a trip to Armenia will be offered to students at a two-year
institution, he said
The college has taken trips to Czech Republic, Spain, Italy and France and
selected Armenia and Italy because they are rich culturally, religiously
and architecturally, Trustee Ara Najarian said.
“[The trip to] Armenia may have a special attraction for students of
Armenian heritage,” Najarian said. “It may be their opportunity to go in an
environment that’s both fun and educational. Many first-generation
[Armenian] students have never had the opportunity to go. “We felt it was
time, and there was enough interest for students to go to Armenia,”
Najarian continued. “We wanted to pick a location where we will
have a good response and good enrollment. Without the proper enrollment, we
would have to drop or cancel or postpone.”
About 21 students are scheduled to go on the trip to Armenia, which will be
from June 21 to July 21. Marashlian hopes the maximum of 30 students will
sign up for the trip.
Student Ani Daniyelian, 20, of Glendale, is excited to visit the country
she left when she was 4, and she plans to visit at least a few relatives
while she is there.
“I want to see what it looks like,” Daniyelian said. “When you’re hearing
about it, you just want to see it for yourself. I want to see Karabakh – I
want to see where so many people lost their lives to liberate the Armenian
territory.”
She would have liked to visit Armenia with her parents, but she feels she
might learn more without them.
“It’s better with students,” she said. “If you go with your parents, its
going to be more of family get-together. As part of a student group, you
are with people your age and you experience it with students who haven’t
seen the country. It’s a better way of learning about it.”
***************************************************************************
3 – ‘William Saroyan and His World’
Panel Discussion at Fresno State
FRESNO – The Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State, in cooperation with
the William Saroyan Society of Fresno, is co-sponsoring a panel discussion,
“William Saroyan and His World” at 7 PM on March 11 in the Industrial
Technology Building, Room 101 (corner of Barstow and Campus Drive) on the
Fresno State campus.
The panel discussion is part of the Armenian Studies Program Spring 2005
Lecture Series and is being held in conjunction with a one-unit course on
William Saroyan being offered the same weekend by Dr. Dickran Kouymjian,
Director of the Armenian Studies Program.
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian will moderate the panel discussion and serve as a
discussant.
John Kallenberg, retired Fresno County Librarian and President of the
William Saroyan Society will give the introduction to the panel.
Fresno author and historian Berge Bulbulian will speak on “Fresno in the
Time of Saroyan.” Bulbulian is the author of The Fresno Armenians.
Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies Program will speak on
“Saroyan the Writer.”
Long-time Saroyan friend and writer Ed Hagopian will speak on
“Reminiscences and Recollections.”
Fresno County California Collection Librarian and book collector William
Secrest, Jr. will present a paper on “Collecting Saroyan.”
The panel discussion is free and open to the public.
Relaxed parking will be available in Lots Q, K, and L after 7:00 PM the
night of the lecture. For more information on the presentation please
contact the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.
**************************************************************************
4 – West SF Valley ANC Supports
Martayan for L.A. City Council
ENCINO, CA – The West San Fernando Valley Armenian National Committee
officially announced its support for candidate Greg Martayan for the
position of Los Angeles City Council, 5th District. West San Fernando
Valley Chairman Ara Papazian made the announcement stating, “Not only is
Greg Martayan bright, energetic and a hard working individual who can best
represent the interests of our community and the 5th District, but he is
one of our own.”
Papazian stressed, “It is important to encourage and support this
generation of American-Armenians to become actively involved and
participate in the political process, as it is the leading avenue in which
the voice of the Armenian community could be heard.” He concluded by urging
all voters in the 5th District to vote for Martayan.
Greg Martayan is a native Angelino and for many years has been active in
Armenian organizations in the San Fernando Valley. In his public life, Greg
Martayan has served on numerous boards, commissions, and councils since the
age of fourteen.
He was the youngest Commissioner appointed in the City of Los Angeles under
Mayor James Hahn, has been an Ambassador for the National Crime Prevention
Council, as well as served on the Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board
Engagement Taskforce. Martayan was appointed for three terms of two years
to the National Youth Advisory Council, and continues to be an active
senior advisor. He has also engaged in meetings with members in the state
and local legislatures of California.
Garnering support from numerous members of President Bush’s Cabinet civil
rights leaders like Congressman John Lewis of Atlanta, Georgia, Martayan
was named a “Leader of Tomorrow” by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie
Wiesel at a conference held at Boston University. He has been a six time
recipient of the President’s Service Award, as well as received
certificates of acknowledgment from Mayor Hahn, Los Angeles City Council
President Alex Padilla, LA Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, and
Former Speaker of the California Assembly Robert M. Hertzberg.
The Los Angeles City fifth council district includes the neighborhoods of
Encino, Sherman Oaks, Valley Village, Palms, Westwood, Century City,
Beverlywood, the Fairfax District, Cheviot Hills and Carthay Circle, as
well as the hillside communities between the 405 Freeway and Laurel Canyon.
**************************************************************************
5 – Deadline Nears for Armenian
Insurance Settlement Fund Claims
BURBANK, CA – Paul Krekorian, a member of the Armenian Insurance Settlement
Fund Board, announced that March 16 is the absolute deadline to submit a
claim for payment under the class action settlement in Marootian v. New
York Life Insurance Co.
Last year, New York Life agreed to settle the class action suit by paying a
total of $20 million, including up to $11 million for the heirs of the
policyholders and at least $3 million for specified Armenian charities.
“The beneficiaries of these policies have waited 90 years for justice,”
said Settlement Fund Board member Krekorian, an attorney who also serves
as Vice President of the Burbank Board of Education. “It would be a great
tragedy if their efforts were frustrated now because they missed a simple
deadline and waived their legitimate legal rights,” Krekorian said.
The heirs of policyholders may be considered for a share of benefits under
this settlement only if they submit a Notice of Claim form by March 16.
The form may be obtained by calling the toll free information line at
1-866-422-0124 or visiting the settlement fund website at

Claims may come from anywhere in the world, and it is not necessary that
complete documentation be
included with the Notice of Claim form. After the Settlement Fund Board
receives the Notice of Claim form, the claimant will be informed about
other steps that are required in the process.
The settlement fund website includes a partial list of New York Life
policyholders from the relevant era, and those who believe they may be
heirs can search for their ancestors on this list. However, it is not
necessary that their ancestor appear on the list in order to submit a
claim. A claim might still be approved if the heir has some other
evidence that their ancestor was a policyholder and payment was not made,
even if the ancestor does not appear on the list.
The Settlement Fund Board is an independent panel of three Armenian
community leaders appointed by California State Insurance Commissioner
John Garamendi. The Board is not affiliated in any way with the lawyers
who handled the class action suit, and the Board members were not involved
in negotiating the terms of the settlement. The Board is an entirely
independent panel that will evaluate all of the claims of individual heirs
and award the funds to those who meet the qualifications of the agreement.
The three members of the Board are Paul Krekorian; attorney and law
professor Berj Boyajian; and physician and health care activist Viken
Manjikian.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, $3 million has already been
distributed in equal shares to the AGBU, the Armenian Relief Society, the
Armenian Education Foundation, the Armenian Missionary Association, the
Armenian Catholic Church, both the Eastern and Western Dioceses of the
Armenian Church of North America, and both the Eastern and Western
Prelacies of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
**************************************************************************
6 – CSUN Armenian Studies Program to
Celebrate 20th Anniversary Milestone
NORTHRIDGE, CA- The Armenian Studies Program at the California State
University, Northridge (CSUN) will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a
banquet on April 8 at the Brandview Collection in Glendale.
The Armenian Studies Program at the California State University,
Northridge (CSUN) started making modest strides in 1983. Today the Program
functions within the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and
Literatures in the College of Humanities, offering thirteen undergraduate
courses in Armenian language, literature, culture, contemporary issues, and
related subjects. Interested students may opt for Armenian as a minor or
as a field of concentration. Work is currently in progress to create a
certificate in Armenian Studies.
“This will be a wonderful occation to celebrate this milestone together and
to renew our commitment to the future growth of our program,” said Prof.
Hermine Mahseredjian, Director of the Program.
The Armenian Studies Program has a tremendous potential for further growth.
This optimistic projection is based on the fact that more than 3,000
Armenian students are enrolled at CSUN. This is approximately ten percent
of the University’s total student population. These students enroll in
Armenian classes and are very active in the Armenian Students Association
(ASA). Upon graduation, many of them remain connected through the Armenian
Alumni Association (AAA). The Armenian Studies Program serves as the
center of these activities.
The Program also encourages participation in the “Cultural Immersion”
program in Armenia. Undertaken twice to date, these excursions have left
indelible impressions on the participants. The “Memorandum of
Understanding” signed with Yerevan State University provides the momentum
for future faculty and student exchange programs, and the invitation of
distinguished guest lecturers.
The tremendous potential of Armenian Studies At CSUN cannot, however, be
realized without the support of community partners.
Tickets for the April 8 banquet at $75 per person.
For additional information about the Armenian Studies Program at CSUN and
the 20th Anniversary Banquet, contact Prof. Mahseredjian at (818) 677-7228,
e-mail: [email protected] or Prof. Vahram Shemmassian at (818)
677-3456, e-mail: [email protected], or the Department of Modern
and Classical Languages and Literatures at (818) 677-3467.
***************************************************************************
The California Courier On-Line is a service provided by the California
Courier. Subscriptions or changes of address should not be transmitted
through this service. Information in that regard should be telephoned
to (818) 409-0949; faxed to: (818) 409-9207, or e-mailed to:
[email protected]. Letters to the editor concerning issues
addressed in the Courier may be e-mailed, provided it is signed by
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authorship.

–Boundary_(ID_H/bX8dDrm8Ky4uJENVvwNw)–

Armenia welcomes Europe’s proposal to speed up ties

Arminfo
4 Mar 05

YEREVAN

Armenia welcomes the suggestion of the European Commission to speed up
relations by implementing an action plan and expresses its readiness
to immediately start work on it, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Gamlet Gasparyan said while commenting on the European Commission’s
report on Armenia, which was drawn up within the framework of the New
Neighbourhood policy and published on 2 March.

Gasparyan said that the European Union will make a decision on drawing
up a joint action programme with Armenia. The report generalizes
relations between Armenia and the European Union, describes the
socioeconomic situation and political picture and is directed at
rendering assistance to the sides in the sphere of outlining the
priorities of the action plan and taking steps in various
spheres. Armenia will take into account the remarks of the European
Commission and compare them with its position, Gasparyan pointed out.

PanArmenian News
March 3 2005

HEAD OF EUROCOMMISSION DELEGATION FOR GEORGIA AND ARMENIA PRESENTED
EC REPORT ON ARMENIA IN YEREVAN

03.03.2005 16:54

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of Delegation of the European Commission for
Georgia and Armenia Jacques Vantomme presented the EC report on
Armenia made public in Yerevan March 2. In his words, the European
Commission has called the EU to start talks with Armenia on beginning
the working out of individual plan of actions within the EU Wider
Europe: New Neighbors program. Jacques Vantomme has confirmed EU
readiness to allocate 100 million euros to Armenia for securing
electrification of the republic by means of alternative electric
power sources after the closing of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant.
As of conflict settlement, Jacques Vantomme said the EU will further
provide the necessary assistance to the OSCE Minsk Group for
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

ARKA News Agency
Feb 28 2005

International third business forum «Bridge-2005» held in Armenia

Nagorno Karabakh remains beyond negotiating process- NKR President

The issue of people missing as a result of the Karabakh conflict
discussed during the meeting of NKR President with the Coordinator of
programs of RCIC in the East European countries

Victor Soghomonyan appointed President’s Press Secretary

Robert Kocharyan: there to be talks about dead end in the process of
the negotiations around Karabakh conflict settlement unless we have
practical solution

RF President Vladimir Putin to arrive in Armenia for an official
visit in spring

Robert Kocharyan: CIS looks not so bad comparing to other states
commonwealths in the world

*********************************************************************

INTERNATIONAL THIRD BUSINESS FORUM «BRIDGE-2005» HELD IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. International business forum
Bridge-2005 was held in Armenia. In words of organizer of the event,
Chairman of Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists of Armenia
Arsen Ghazaryan, similar meetings promote more active international
processes among the countries and enable the businessmen to contact
each other in informal environment.
The business forum was participated by 4 countries ~V Armenia, Russia,
Belgium and Canada. The participants discussed the wide specter of
actual issues as interaction of banking structures and enterprises in
implementation of small and medium business capacities. The special
attention was focused on the development of the agrarian sector ~V
investments, applying of ecologically sound technologies as well as
the problems related to creation of international transport
corridors. T.M. ~V0–

*********************************************************************

NAGORNO KARABAKH REMAINS BEYOND NEGOTIATING PROCESS- NKR PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. Nagorno Karabakh remained beyond the
negotiating process, although the world community understands that
without taking into consideration position of the Karabakh side the
settlement is impossible, as NKr President Arcadia Ghukasyan said
when meeting students and lecturers of Artsakh State University. In
his words, Azerbaijan is guilty in NKR’s non-participation in the
negotiations. “We are interested in prompt settelment of the issue,
although this does not mean that we are ready to settelement at nay
price. It is necessary to make the things in that way that this land
never see a war. And te hinternational community supports us in this
issue”, Ghukasyan said.
The Head of the State called not serious rumors on possible cedeing
of the territories, stating that “NKR authorities position may not
change as they have been guaranted by people’s mandate”. “We are not
planning to go to one-sided concessions and will never give up our
independence”, Ghukasyan stated. T.M. ~V0–

*********************************************************************

THE ISSUE OF PEOPLE MISSING AS A RESULT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT
DISCUSSED DURING THE MEETING OF NKR PRESIDENT WITH THE COORDINATOR OF
PROGRAMS OF RCIC IN THE EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

STEPANAKERT, February 28. /ARKA/. The issue of people missing as a
result of the Karabakh conflict was discussed during the meeting of
NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan with the Coordinator of programs of
the Red Cross International Committee (RCIC) in the East European
countries Isabel Barras in Stepanakert.
As ARKA was told in the main information service adjunct to NKR
President, in the course of the meeting Barras told that the goal of
her visit to NKR was to discuss the memorandum of RCIC on people
missing as a result of military actions with NKR authorities.
According to her, adoption of the memorandum by all parties in the
conflict will enable to take efficient measures for searching missing
people. She also noted that because of the conflict being unsettled,
the mechanisms for interaction between the parties in the conflict
haven’t been launched at the level of the corresponding state
commissions yet. This fact, according to her, negatively affects the
solution of such important humanitarian problems. In this regard,
Barras expressed the readiness of RCIC to render substantial support
to the parties in the conflict to establish cooperation for searching
missing people.
In his turn Ghukasyan expressed his firm belief that the visit of
Barras will positively influence on strengthening the further
cooperation between RCIC and NKR authorities. He approved the
memorandum of RCIC, noting that the Karabakh side was open for
cooperation in that direction. He emphasized that it’s necessary to
solve humanitarian related issues in an operative way by joint
efforts of all parties in conflict. At that, he especially put
emphasis on inadmissibility of politization of the issue of missing
people, since such an attitude towards fates of people doesn’t
contribute to the creation of the atmosphere of trust between the
parties in conflict.
Barras also met the Deputy Minister of NKR Foreign Affairs Masis
Maylyan, NKR Minister of Defense Seiran Hovhannisyan and NKR Chairman
of State Committee on Prisoners of War and Missing People Victor
Kocharyan. A.H. ~V0–

*********************************************************************

VICTOR SOGHOMONYAN APPOINTED PRESIDENT’S PRESS SECRETARY

Yerevan, February 28. /ARKA/. Victor Soghomonyan appointed
President’s Press Secretary by decree of Armenian President, as
Armenian President Press Service told ARKA.
Victor Soghomonyan was born in 17 March, 1979. In 2001 he graduated
from Russian Language and Literature Faculty of Yerevan State
University after Abeghyan with distinction diploma. Since 1997 he is
engaged in TV journalism. From 2000 thru 2003 he was political
commentator for Lraber informational program of Prometheus TV
company. Since 2000 thru 2002 we was teaching in Russian-Armenia
(Slavic) State University. Since June 2003 thru January 2004 he was
holding the position of Head of Apparatus of Chairman of the National
Assembly of Armenia. He is holding Ph.D. degree. T.M. ~V0–

*********************************************************************

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: THERE TO BE TALKS ABOUT DEAD END IN THE PROCESS OF
THE NEGOTIATIONS AROUND KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT UNLESS WE HAVE
PRACTICAL SOLUTION

YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. There will be talks about dead end in
the process of the negotiations around Karabakh conflict settlement
unless we have practical solution, as stated RA President Robert
Kocharyan answering the hot line questions of Golos Armenii.
According to him, the world experience shows that such conflicts are
not solves quickly. “Hard and consistent work in this direction is
necessary, and we do it”, he noted. Kocharyan stated that currently
the negotiations process has activated and “there is light hope for
some results”. A.H. ~V0~W

*********************************************************************

RF PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA FOR AN OFFICIAL
VISIT IN SPRING

YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. RF President Vladimir Putin will arrive
in Armenia for an official visit in spring, as stated RA President
Robert Kocharyan answering the hot line questions of Golos Armenii.
According to him, it’s a good chance for joint estimation of the
results achieved and determining tasks for further cooperation.
Kocharyan noted that Armenian-Russian cooperation develops
consistently, covering all the aspects, “and it makes me happy”. A.H.
~V0–

*********************************************************************

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: CIS LOOKS NOT SO BAD COMPARING TO OTHER STATES
COMMONWEALTHS IN THE WORLD

YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. CIS looks not so bad comparing to other
countries commonwealths in the world, Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said answering the hot line questions of Golos Armenii
newspaper. He noted that estimation of any phenomenon depends on the
expectations. “If we try to compare it with integration in the
European Union the result will be sad. But, in comparison with other
world states commonwealths, the CIS looks not so bad”, he said. In
his words, prospects of the CIS member countries’ cooperation are
obvious in various areas, such as economy, security, struggle against
crime, humanitarian sphere and so on. M.V. -0–

*********************************************************************

–Boundary_(ID_p0RbsNYLJdiNyid70CeNAw)–

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

Today is Tuesday, March 1 2005 12:45 pm GMT+2 updated at 12:00 P.M.

Famous Rebetika musician Ketencoðlu to perform in Ankara

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

Internationally renowned Rebetika musician Muammer Ketencoðlu will be
performing at Laterna, a Greek cafe-restaurant in Ankara, on March 2 and 3.

His accordion and vocal repertoire during the two concerts will include old and
new tunes from across the Aegean Sea.

Ketencoðlu received his initial musical training in a school for the blind.
During his university education at the Bosporus Department of Psychology, he was
attracted to the folk music of different countries. Although he first focused on
contemporary Greek music (Laika) and Rebetika, his affinity for other peoples’
folk music ultimately led him to find alternative courses in Balkan music.

His first album, Latremmena Akroyalia (Passionate Coasts), featuring old and
new Greek songs, was released in 1993. He prepared two collections of Rebetika
songs, Rebetiko I and II, which were produced in 1994 and 1995 respectively.
Another anthology compiled by Ketencoðlu and produced in 1995 was titled
Pioneers of Klezmer Music. The album brought together examples of Klezmer music
based mainly on traditional Eastern European Jewish music.

In the same year he prepared an anthology, Halklardan Ezgiler (Popular Tunes),
comprising four albums, each containing folk songs that best represent the
traditional music of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Central Asian Turkic
Republics.

From 1993 to 1997 he organized yearly concerts known as the Seven Colors of
Earth, each with a new repertoire of folk songs performed by a number of
musicians.

Taking part in various groups and individual musicians’ works, Muammer
Ketencoðlu also gave many solo concerts both in Turkey and abroad. Together with
the native Anatolian Greek singer Ývi Dermancý, he shared the stage with the
great Greek musician Mikis Theodorakis in 1996, first in Livadia and then in
Athens. He has performed twice, in 1997 and 2000, in the “Peace Concert”
organized in southern Cyprus.

Kompania Ketencoðlu, his group performing Rebetiko has given concerts in
Istanbul, Athens, Saloniki, Tricala, Xanthi, Lesbos and Crete. Ketencoðlu also
took part in various festivals in Germany, several times in Berlin, Bilefeld,
Frankfurt and in France, both Paris and Metz. For further information on
Ketencoðlu’s Ankara concerts, contact Laterna Café-Bar, Tunus Cad No. 50
Kavaklidere.

–Boundary_(ID_/rokNO8pHqupGhqRIXp5Xg)–

LADWP Science Bowl XIII Results: Venice High School Captures Title; Team Wins
Fifth Regional Trophy, First Since 1997; North Hollywood ”A” Team Places
Second and ”B” Team Third

Business Wire
Feb 27, 2005

Granada Hills Charter High School “B” Team Places Fourth

Venice High School won first place today in the annual LADWP Science Bowl
Regional Competition.

The Venice High School “A” Team will receive an all-expense paid trip to
Washington, D.C. to represent the city of Los Angeles at the U.S. Department of
Energy’s National Science Bowl April 28 to May 2, 2005.

“The Venice High School Science Bowl Team will represent Los Angeles very
well. The team demonstrated great skill and determination. We are proud of them
and all participating teams,” said Melinda Rho, chair of the LADWP Science Bowl
Volunteer Steering Committee.

“Science Bowl not only recognizes academic excellence, but provides
outstanding platforms to encourage students to pursue studies and careers in technical
fields while also helping them develop teamwork skills and to ‘think on their
feet.’ These skills are invaluable to future employers, such as LADWP, in
maintaining a technologically current and motivated workforce,” said Robert K.
Rozanski, LADWP Chief Administrative Officer.

The winning team members are Captain Jonah Rosenthal, Nicole O’Keefe, Seth
Rotkin, D’Amico Lorenzo and Andrew Bernstein. Their coach is Richard Erdman.

The competition at the National Science Bowl is expected to be tough. A total
of 66 regional finalists are expected from 40 states, the District of
Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This year, 11,000 students will participate in
regional competitions.

Each Venice High School “A” Team Member receives the Hitachi Scholarship of
$1,000. The school will receive the LADWP prize of $2000 for science
instructional materials or equipment and a trophy. As runner-up, the North Hollywood
High School “A” Team members will each receive the LADWP $1000 U.S. Savings Bonds
Scholarship. The school will also receive a trophy and $1750 for the purchase
of science materials.

North Hollywood High School’s “B” Team placed third. The school will also
receive $1500 in science materials or equipment from LADWP and a trophy. Team
members will receive a $300 IEEE Scholarship. Fourth place team, Granada Hills
Charter High School’s “B” Team earned $1250 for science materials and a trophy
for the school with students receiving an Office Depot purchasing card of $200
from LADWP.

Members of the runner-up North Hollywood High School “A” Team include Captain
Jensen Law, Jennifer Yeh, Clifford Shin, Timothy Hsieh and Alex Yen. The
coach is Len Soloff. North Hollywood High School “B” Team Members are Melisa Lin,
Denise Ye, John Chen, Matthew Kim and Joseph Chang. Coach is Rishita Shah.

Granada Hills Charter High School “B” Team Members are Marena Lin, Angela
Liu, Alan Nam, Jared Needle and Steven He. Coach is Bob Demetrion.

In addition to the regular buzzer competition, the special Franklin Lu
Hands-On Competition was held. The competition is named for Franklin Lu, an
electrical engineer and devoted Science Bowl Volunteer, who passed away suddenly in
Nov. 2001. This year the competition involved a series of brain twisting
puzzles.

In this competition Downtown Business Magnet High School placed first. The
school was awarded the Franklin Lu Hands-On Trophy. Each team member received an
Office Depot purchasing card for $250 from LADWP.

Second place was presented to TCA Arshag Dickranian Armenian School. Team
members received purchasing cards to Office Depot for $200 from LADWP. Third
place was won by Hamilton High School. Each team member received a purchasing card
to Office Depot from LADWP for $150. And fourth place was won by Gardena High
School. Each team member was awarded a purchasing card to Office Depot for
$100.

The LADWP Science Bowl follows a fast-paced game show format in the style of
the vintage “General Electric College Bowl” academic quiz show. Team members
answer toss-up questions worth four points in order to earn the right to answer
10 point bonus questions. The team with the most points wins the match.

During today’s competition more than 150 individual matches were held, 126
during the morning’s round robin league play and the remainder in the
afternoon’s Double Elimination Championship Tournament of 16 teams. A total of 42 teams
from 26 public, private and parochial high schools participated during the
LADWP Science Bowl.

Subjects cover computer science, biology, physics, earth science, chemistry,
astronomy, mathematics and new advances in technology.

In addition to LADWP and the U. S. Department of Energy, local event sponsors
include the Hitachi Southern California Regional Action Committee, the
Hitachi Foundation, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE),
the San Fernando Valley Engineers’ Council, the Water and Power Community Credit
Union, and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Annually, about 100 volunteers, mainly LADWP employees and their families,
serve as moderators, timekeepers, and scorekeepers at the regional competition.

The LADWP Science Bowl is an official, regional qualifying tournament of the
U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl. This year local tournaments
will be held in 66 regions located in some 40 states, the District of Columbia,
the Virgin Islands and American Indian Nations. Nine regional competitions
are held in California including one at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for
schools outside the city of Los Angeles. Annually, more than 11,000 students from
1800 high school participate in the National Science Bowl program.

LADWP is one of only a few utilities in the nation that is a coordinating
regional sponsor and host. LADWP is also involved in a number of educational
partnership and community programs including the Teacher Workshops, Youth Service
Academy and the Adopt-A-School Program.

Further information about LADWP education programs can be received from the
LADWP web site at, , clicking on the Community and Safety Section
and then Educational Services.

LADWP, the nation’s largest municipally owned utility, has provided service
to city residences and businesses for more than a century.Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power Walter Zeisl, 213-367-1342 or 213-792-5521 (cell)
Kimberley Hughes, 213-367-4417 or 213-792-9599 (cell)

The Oxford Press
Oxford Ohio

Rise in attacks against Russian Jews sparks worries

By SABRA AYRES
Cox News Service
Friday, February 25, 2005
MOSCOW – A rise in anti-Jewish rhetoric from politicians and a recent wave
of violent attacks on Jews has the Jewish community and human rights groups
worried about a resurgence of Russian anti-Semitism, xenophobia and
nationalism.

In January, two rabbis and two young Jewish boys were attacked by a group of
thugs in an underground passage in a central Moscow neighborhood. One of the
rabbis, Alexander Lakshin, was kicked and beaten with a bottle. The attack
put him in the hospital for two days.

SABRA AYRES/Cox News Service
(ENLARGE)
Rabbi Alexander Lakshin stands in the hall of the Moscow Jewish Community
Center.

The same night, the bottle-wielding skinheads chased down a young Jewish
couple. They escaped unharmed, but frightened for their lives.

A few days later, 20 lawmakers joined in an appeal to the government to ban
all Jewish organizations, saying the groups were inciting ethnic hatred.

One of the signers of the letter, Communist Party deputy Albert Makashov,
appeared on a popular television talk show that weekend to defend the
letter’s intent. Famous for his unabashed anti-Semitic speeches, Makashov
has said he favors reinstatement of the Pale of Settlement, the territory in
which Jews were restricted to live during the 19th century.

On the program, Makashov blamed Russia’s Jews for the country’s economic and
social problems. About 52,000 viewers, or just over half of the program’s
home audience, called in to say they agreed with him.

The recent wave of anti-Semitic rhetoric is “more alarming because it seems
certain politicians may be testing the water to see how far they can use
anti-Semitism in their campaigns during the next election,” said Lakshin,
the rabbi.

Monitoring agencies have reported significant increases in anti-Semitic
incidents in France, Germany and Britain, but a recent U.S. State Department
report picked out Russia as a “problem area.”

“Russia’s form of anti-Semitism, compared to Western Europe, is more
primitive and therefore more dangerous,” said Dr. Margo Light, a specialist
on Russia and the former Soviet Union at the London School of Economics. “In
Western Europe, we have social norms that tell us that it is inappropriate
to express what you might feel. But in Russia, they don’t have that.”

Publicly, President Vladimir Putin has supported promoting religious freedom
in Russia, where 70 years of communism promoted atheism as the state
religion. The letter’s timing was an embarrassment for Putin, who was
scheduled to attend the 60th anniversary celebrations of the liberation of
the Auschwitz death camp by Soviet soldiers just days after it surfaced.

The Kremlin was quick to distance itself. “Even in Russia, which did more
than anybody else to crush fascism and liberate the Jewish people, we often
see symptoms of this disease today,” Putin said in Poland during the
ceremony. “And we feel ashamed about this.”

Putin’s remarks reflect that the days of state-sponsored anti-Semitism has
ended. In Soviet times, Jews’ passports were stamped “Jewish” while other
Soviet citizens were identified by nationality, such as Ukrainian or
Armenian, and Jews could be fired for attending a synagogue.

The religion is now seeing a surge in new worshipers, with an estimated
500,000 practicing Jews in Moscow. Many shop at the kosher supermarket,
which opened near the capital’s Jewish Community Center.

But Lakshin and others feel the Kremlin should do more to censor outspoken,
anti-Semitic political rhetoric.

They also point to Rodina, or Motherland, a political party formed under the
guidance of the Kremlin during the 2003 parliamentary elections. The party
has campaigned on promoting nationalistic values and won a small percentage
of seats in the parliament, the Duma. Some of Rodina’s members signed the
letter calling for the ban on Jewish groups.

“Nationalism is on the rise in Russia, and Rodina unleashed something to
worry about,” Light of the London School of Economics said. “It’s more
dangerous because it is more intellectual than the usual rants and theatrics
of (the ultra-nationalist lawmaker Vladimir) Zhironovsky.”

Other racial groups have also become victims of violent crimes, including a
9-year-old Tajik girl who was killed last year in St. Petersburg and a
medical student from Guinea-Bissau who was stabbed to death in the southern
town of Voronezh.

Dark-skinned and dark-eyed Russians from the Russia’s North Caucasus region
are subjected to unfair treatment and frequent harassment from Moscow
police, watchdog groups said.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Moscow Bureau of Human rights attribute
many of the violent attacks to an increase in Russian nationalistic skinhead
groups, which are estimated to have as many as 55,000 members.

But nationalist and anti-Jewish newspapers are readily available at kiosks
across Russia.

“So far, we haven’t seen Russian society show that they won’t tolerate
anti-Semitic crimes,” said Lakshin.

Russia has a hate-based crime law, but it is rarely enforced and convictions
are hard to obtain. This month, Moscow Police Chief Vladimir Pronin was
quoted in the Russian media as saying the capital “does not have any
skinheads.”