Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

AFTER 7TH ROUND OF 37 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD, MAN’S COMBINED TEAM OF
ARMENIA STRENGTHENED ITS LEAD

TURIN, May 29. ArmInfo. Having won at the 7th round of the 37th World
Chess Olympiad in Turin form the Dutch combined team with a score 3:1,
the man’s combined team of Armenia strengthened its lead. One point
separates the Armenia’s combined team from the Russian nearest
competitor and main favorite of the tournament.

Fixture list of the Olympiad after seven rounds:
Men:
1. Armenia – 21 2. Russia – 20 3. Cuba – 19.5
Women:
1. Russia – 17.5 2. Ukraine – 16.5 3. USA – 15.5
The 37th World Chess Olympiad will be finished on June 4.

AGHASI ARSHAKIAN: SITUATION FORMED IN POLITICAL FIELD IS ARTIFICIAL
AND IS GUIDED BY THIRD FORCE

YEREVAN, MAY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The current situation in the political
field is artificial and is guided by a third force, Aghasi Arshakian,
member of RA NA National Unity faction, declared at the May 25 dispute
with Hovhannes Margarian, member of the Orinats Yerkir (Country of
Law) faction, at the Hayeli (Mirror) club. According to Arshakian, the
“mutual insults and accusations” between the Orinats Yerkir and
National Unity were initiated by the very third force. Whereas,
according to him, the National Unity only wanted to receive an answer
to the question “why is it so bad in our country and who are the main
persons to blame for this?”. By the way, the National Unity also wants
to receive an answer to this question from the new forces introduced
to the policy and guided from one center. “Only then we will meet them
with open arms in the opposition field,” Arshakian declared. As he
estimated, “the authorities realize that it is no longer possible to
hold new elections by old methods, so they introduce new forces to the
political field.” Hovhannes Margarian mentioned that the two political
fields, the power and the opposition, belong to the people and it
should decide what force to what field is more acceptable.

According to him, OYP left the coalition not at the bidding of a
“third force” but “because of having essential disagreements with the
coalition partners around some issues of principle.” As H.Margarian
estimated, no split took place in OYP, but the party has become
stronger. “Only 84 members of the political force having 62 thousand
devotees left the party and 1800 joined it during the past month,” he
mentioned. In connection with the accusations addressed to member of
National Unity faction Gagik Kostandian Aghasi Arshakian said that
Kostandian does not any longer supply anything to RA Defence Ministry.

Jerusalem Post, Israel
May 26 2006

Food: The Jerusalem melting pot
By OFER ZEMACH

In a city divided among a variety of religions and ethnic groups, it
might be expected that even gastronomy is not entirely free of
politics. It is certainly a fascinating adventure for both the palate
and the soul.

The food scene in Jerusalem has changed over the decades, and the
diverse inhabitants have created a live-and-let-live state of
culinary affairs.

In a beautiful stone house in the heart of Nahalat Shiva, Kangaroo
restaurant is a meeting place for the Georgian community. David and
Lina Chiskarshvili, who made aliya from Georgia in 1992, offer
exclusive dishes such as khinkali, tzebork and khachapuri – staples
of the Georgian cuisine. Patrons of this eatery also have the
opportunity to savor Georgian wines while taking in a unique
ambiance.

Lina’s Khinkali

1 kg. minced meat.
3 onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup fresh parsley
500 gr. flour
salt and pepper to taste

Mince the meat with the onions, coriander and parsley in a food
processor. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper, adding 1
glass of warm water, and mix thoroughly.

Sift the flour and form a “mound,” making a dip in the center. Pour
in a glass of water, add some salt and knead the dough.

Roll out the dough to a thin layer and cut out rounds using a glass
or a cup. Put a spoonful of the meat mixture in the center of the
dough circle. Gather the edges together into a bunch and twist the
top. Press down slightly to create a form similar to a bulb. Drop
khinkali into boiling salted water. They tend to drop to the bottom
and then rise to the top of the water. Stir occasionally to prevent
from sticking. Allow to boil for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Nestled in a cave in the Armenian Quarter, across the street from the
police station (near David’s Tower), the Armenian Taverne is one of
the only places in the country that serves Armenian cuisine. A narrow
staircase leads to the arched spacious dining room where authentic
paraphernalia adorn the walls. Soujookh (Armenian spiced dried
sausage), churek (flat Armenian bread with sesame seeds) and kadin
budu kufta (breaded meat ovals), are among the highlights of the rich
menu.

Armenian Eggplant Casserole

1 eggplant
4 tomatoes
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
pepper, freshly ground
1 medium onion, sliced
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Peel and dice eggplant. Heat oil in a skillet and add onion, green
pepper and eggplant. Stir over low heat until eggplant is soft. Add
tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer a few minutes. At this point you
can add basil, chives, parsley, tarragon or oregano to taste. Turn
into casserole dish and bake at 175 for 40 minutes. May be served hot
or cold.

Rehov Mea She’arim got its name from the maze of yards with an
endless number of gates facing the nearby Old City. Among the tiny
shops adorning the street is Deitch, an East European Jewish food
restaurant. The kitchen at this “men only” eatery dishes up
Jerusalemite kugel, two types of gefilte fish, chicken soup, mashed
potatoes and chopped liver. If you visit on a holiday you’ll find
homemade kreplach as well. With a no-reservation policy, the prices
at this eatery are a bargain.

Chopped liver

1 kg. chicken liver (koshered)
4 onions, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. schmaltz (fat)
4 hard-boiled eggs
salt and pepper

In a large skillet, fry onions in schmaltz until lightly browned. Set
aside. If needed, add more schmaltz to skillet and saut liver until
just done. Remove from skillet.

Using a meat grinder, coarsely grind ingredients separately. (If a
you do not have a meat grinder, a Cuisinart can be used but results
will be pastier.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in a
large bowl.

Refrigerate until ready to serve with rye bread or a bagel.

In 1868, the first stone house was built outside the walls of the Old
City. Today, that same building, a living memory of the early days of
the settlement of new Jerusalem, houses an elite restaurant,
appropriately named “1868.”

Chef Menahem Katz, who grew up with the aromas of a traditional
Jewish home in Mea She’arim, brings a young, refreshing culinary
accent to the kitchen of the restaurant, combining raw materials from
the Jerusalem area with French and Italian traditional cooking.

Menahem Katz’s Bass with Garlic Puree

6 bass fillets
500 gr. garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 small red chilli pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 c. white wine
250 ml. cream
salt and pepper to taste

Cook garlic in wine over low heat for approximately half an hour
until wine is completely reduced; strain.

Bring cream to a boil; add sugar, coriander, salt.

Add garlic and puree the mixture.

Season the fish with salt and pepper, place in a pan lined with waxed
paper.

Bake at high temperature for 5-10 minutes.

Place fillet on top of garlic puree and serve.

Armenian politicians comment on OSCE mediators’ visit to region

Mediamax news agency
26 May 06

Yerevan, 26 May: Leaders of political parties represented in the
Armenian National Assembly have commented on the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen’s visits to Baku and Yerevan on 24-25 May.

The head of the parliamentary faction of the [pro-government]
Republican Party of Armenia, Galust Saakyan, described today as
“positive” the participation of high-ranking diplomats from Russia,
the USA and France in the talks.

Meanwhile, he expressed his confidence that the final resolution of
the Karabakh conflict would not be reached in 2006.

The leader of the opposition Justice bloc, Stepan Demirchyan, believes
that the visit of the high-ranking diplomats testified to the
existence of a “task to speed up the negotiation process”.

The head of the [pro-government Armenian Revolutionary Federation]

Dashnaktsutyun faction, Grayr Karapetyan, said that he “sees nothing
extraordinary” in the mediators’ visit. He said that the decision on
the settlement of the conflict should be made by the parties to the
conflict and that it cannot be imposed on them from the outside.

MEDIATORS URGE FINAL PUSH FOR KARABAKH PEACE
By Emil Danielyan and Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 26 2006

International mediators urged Armenia and Azerbaijan on Thursday
to take the final step towards a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, saying that a framework peace accord is now within their
reach.

High-level diplomats from France, Russia and the United States made
the appeal as they wrapped up an extraordinary joint visit to Baku
and Yerevan which produced agreement on the next Armenian-Azerbaijani
summit on Karabakh. A spokesman for President Robert Kocharian told
RFE/RL that the Armenian leader and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham
Aliev, will meet on the sidelines of a summit of Black Sea nations
which is scheduled to take place in Romania’s capital Bucharest on
June 5.

In a joint statement read out to the media after their talks with
Kocharian, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and a top French diplomat,
Pierre Morel, indicated that they expect that meeting to yield a
breakthrough in the prolonged peace process. They stressed that “now
is the time for the sides to reach agreement on the basic principles
of a settlement.”

The decision by the three men to accompany lower-level American,
French and Russian diplomats co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group on
their latest round of shuttle diplomacy is quite significant in
itself. The three mediating powers seem to be making a last-ditch
attempt to secure a Karabakh peace deal before the end of this year.

They have warned that their failure to do so would delay a settlement
until after presidential elections due in Azerbaijan and Armenia in
2007 and 2008.

“A joint mission such as this one is a special event,” Fried,
Karasin and Morel said in their statement. “It must be taken as
a sign of the seriousness with which we approach the issue and,
in particular, a belief that we are at the point where a mutually
beneficial agreement is achievable. What happens now will up be up
to Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

“We leave with hopes and expectations of progress,” they added.

The three officials, who refused to answer any questions from
journalists, described as “constructive” their meetings with Kocharian
and Aliev which took place on Thursday and Wednesday respectively. But
they as well as the press services of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
did not divulge any details of the talks.

The mediators had hoped that Aliev and Kocharian will cut a framework
agreement during their last meeting at the Rambouillet castle near
Paris in February. However, the two leaders failed to live up to those
expectations despite indications that the conflicting parties agreed
in principle to a deal that would enable Karabakh’s predominantly
Armenian population to decide the disputed region’s status in a
referendum. The vote would reportedly take place within 10 to 15
years from the start of Armenian withdrawal from six of the seven
Azerbaijani districts surrounding Karabakh.

Following the Rambouillet summit the mediators presented the parties
with what they described as new peace proposals designed to end the
impasse. But as Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov
implied on Wednesday, the peace formula that was discussed at
Rambouillet essentially remains on the table. The Azerbaijani news
agency Trend quoted him as saying that the ideas suggested by the
Minsk Group co-chairs are not quite new.

“With such statements the co-chairs simply want to increase the
significance of their activities in the eyes of the public,” Azimov
said.

ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE CIS WILL BE CALCULATED

A1+
[01:29 pm] 25 May, 2006

A session of the government heads of the CIS member countries was
convened this morning in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. RA
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryn also participated in the session.

The heads of the governments signed a number of documents concerning
the cooperation of the CIS countries among them the implementation of
general census of the population in the member countries in 2010, the
improvement of life quality of the peacekeeping forces and terrorism
sufferers who participated in local conflicts and wars within the
years 2006 – 2010.

RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan met with Georgi Baramidze,
deputy Prime Minister and State Minister of Georgia during his
work visit to Dushanbe. The two sides attached a great importance
to the fact that the two Prime Ministers head the intergovernmental
committees of Armenian-Georgian economic cooperation noting that it
greatly contributed to the solution of many questions accumulated in
the past as well as gave ground for working out new joint projects
mainly in the spheres of energy, transportation and tourism.

Andranik Margaryan and Georgi Baramidze gave their positive evaluation
to the discussion of the Armenian-Georgian border opening procedure
noting that the next joint session of the corresponding committees
will be convened in August, in Yerevan.

Other key issues of their discussion were closely connected with the
Javakhq Armenians and their problems. The RA Prime Minister once more
underlined Armenia’s readiness to render assistance to the Georgian
authorities in implementing complex programs aimed at restoring the
Javakhq substructures.

According to Andranik Margaryan the tension of the local residents
has significantly weakened, and he claims it would be wiser to involve
the local businessmen and population in the construction works taking
into account also the fact that they have great experience in such
work. Mr. Margaryan noted that according to the decision of the two
Prime Ministers, the Armenian side will render its assistance in
the reconstruction of educational establishments in this phase. The
format and means of further assistance will be decided after the
presentation of the restoration complex programs of the regional
structures to the Armenian side.

HASMIK POGHOSIAN APPOINTED RA MINISTER OF CULTURE AND YOUTH ISSUES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 23 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. By RA President Robert
Kocharian’s May 22 decree, Gevorg Gevorgian was discharged the post
of the RA Minister of Culture and Youth Issues. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the RA President’s Press Office, by another decree,
Hasmik Poghosian was appointed on that post. Hasmik Poghosian was
born in 1960 in Yerevan. She left the Pushkin School in 1977. She
left the Sayat-Nova Music School with gold medal in 1974.

She studied at the Biology Department of the Yerevan State University
in 1977-1982, was offered graduade studentship in 1982-1985. She worked
as a Biology teacher at the Yerevan No182 school in 1985-1993. She
has worked since 1986 up today at the Armenian Union of Cultural
Cooperation with Foreign Countries as an Assistant, Senior Assistant,
Department Head, Responsible Secretray, Union Chairman’s First
Deputy. She was elected the Union Counci Chairwoman in 2005. She is
married, has two sons. She is non-partizan.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER CALLS LEADER OF NATIONAL UNITY PARTY FOR TV DEBATE

Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Arthut
Baghdasaryan has called Leader of National Unity party Artashes
Geghamyan for a TV debate.

Speaking at the parliament Monday, Arthur Baghdasaryan said that A.
Geghamyan has never attended discussions of bills urgent for the
country, he has always occurred in scandalous situations using them
in his favor. The speaker mentioned that it was A. Geghamyan who was
repeatedly stated that Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan funds “Orinats
Yerkir” party. “Now, Geghamyan says that just the president and the
defense minister are involved in the resignation of the speaker,
which is illogic” A. Baghdasaryan said.

To note, A. Geghamyan was constantly making remarks during the final
speech of the speaker. A. Geghanyan believes that the president and
defense minister have ruined the party “Orinats Yerkir” within a
short period of time.

MIHRANYAN FINDS PROFOUND AND BITTER CONFRONTATION BETWEEN RUSSIA, ARMENIA IMPOSSIBLE

Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 22 2006

YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. Profound and bitter confrontation between
Russia and Armenia is impossible, Russian political analyst Andranik
Mihranyan told journalist on Friday in Yerevan.

“There is a widespread opinion expressed by western media outlets that
a new cold war has broken out between Russian and the United States. I
consider this as stupidity and primitive analysis result”, he said.

The political analyst thinks only local rivalry is possible between
these countries and finds nothing surprising in that, because every
country searches for its niche in today’s changing international
relations.

In his opinion, Russia wants not so much. The only the Russia avoids
is to merely comply with the U.S. will. Instead, the country is trying
to strengthen itself by financial buildup in order to become a partner
and a subject of international relations, Mihranyan said.

Mihranyan doesn’t deny that there are some problems in Russian-American
relations. These problems are connected with different stances taken
by the countries on Iran’s nuclear program and Washington’s ambition
to intensify its influence in CIS member countries.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/22/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM

1) ANCA Telethon Raises $2,700,000 for Armenian Cause
2) US Ambassador Designate to Azerbaijan Responds to Senator Boxer’s Concerns
about Julfa Cemetery
3) Armenian Parliament Speaker Confirms Resignation
4) Kocharian Appoints New Culture And Youth Affairs Minister

1) ANCA Telethon Raises $2,700,000 for Armenian Cause

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) raised Sunday approximately
$2.7 million in the first-ever nationwide Telethon for the Armenian Cause.
The Telethon, which lasted for six hours, brought together hundreds of
volunteers, community members, and leaders of the Armenian community from
around the nation to Glendale Studios in Glendale, California.
The program highlighted the work of the ANCA in the halls of Congress, the
White House, and state and local governments around the country. It also
showcased various programs offered by the ANCA, such as the Leo Sarkisian
Summer Internship Program.
Although the Telethon officially ended at 9:00 PM (PST), donations kept
pouring
in for another three hours, bringing the total to approximately $2.7 million.
Proceeds from the Telethon will help the ANCA broaden its scope and resources
with which it pursues issues important to the Armenian American community.

2) US Ambassador Designate to Azerbaijan Responds to Senator Boxer’s Concerns
about Julfa Cemetery Destruction

–Diplomat Stops Short of Pledging US Investigation

WASHINGTON, DC–US Ambassador Designate to Azerbaijan Anne Derse responded
this
week to concerns raised by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) regarding Azerbaijan’s
destruction of the Armenian cemetery in Julfa, Nakhichevan, but refrained from
pledging any concrete commitment to investigate the matter, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Submitting a written response to questions by Senator Boxer relayed during her
May 12 Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, Derse noted
that the Department of State is “urging the relevant Azerbaijani
authorities to
investigate the allegations of desecration of cultural monuments in
Nakhichevan
and take appropriate measures to prevent any desecration of cultural
monuments.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are both members of UNESCO (and OSCE), and Azerbaijan
has raised these issues in those organizations.  We have encouraged Armenia
and
Azerbaijan to work with UNESCO to investigate this incident. If I am
confirmed,
and if such issues arise during my tenure, I will communicate our concerns to
the Government of Azerbaijan and pursue appropriate activities in support
of US
interests.”
Senator Boxer had specifically asked if the Ambassador Designate would “visit
the cemetery site and commit [herself] to investigating the demolition of this
unique cemetery.”
“We want to thank Senator Boxer for raising Azerbaijan’s desecration of the
Julfa cemetery with Ambassador Designate Derse,” said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian.  “We were deeply troubled by the silence of the US Embassy on
this issue during the tenure of her predecessor, Reno Harnish, and remain
hopeful that, despite her evasive response, Anne Derse will prove a more vocal
and effective advocate for the core American values of tolerance and respect
for cultural heritage.  She can start off on the right foot by personally
visiting Julfa during her first month in office.”
In December of 2005, approximately 200 Azeri soldiers were videotaped using
sledgehammers to demolish the over one thousand year old Armenian cemetery in
Julfa, a sacred site of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The cemetery dates back
to the 7th century and once was home to as many as 10,000 khatchkars
(intricately carved cross-stones). An on-line video of the destruction can be
viewed at:
The ANCA has widely distributed DVDs documenting the destruction, educated
Congressional offices about this desecration, and worked in concert with ANCA
affiliates around the world to protest Azerbaijan’s worsening anti-Armenian
behavior. The Congressional Armenian Caucus, led by Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), has formally condemned Azerbaijan’s actions, as have
Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA). On
February 16, 2006, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning
Azerbaijan’s destruction of the cemetery and demanding that Azerbaijan allow a
European Parliament delegation to survey the site.
Derse also responded to a series of questions by Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
earlier this week on belligerent statements and war rhetoric by Azeri leaders,
as well as on the status of Karabagh peace talks.
Anne Derse is a Foreign Service Officer with more than a quarter century of
experience. She most recently served as Director for Biodefense Policy at the
Homeland Security Council. Her prior postings have included service as
Minister
Counselor for Economic Affairs at the US Embassy in Iraq and at the US Mission
to the European Union. Derse also has held posts in the Philippines, South
Korea, Belgium, and Singapore, among other locations.
The complete text of Senator Boxer’s questions and Derse’s responses can be
found at

3) Armenian Parliament Speaker Confirms Resignation

YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdasarian
formally confirmed Monday his intention to resign by filing a related
application. Addressing Parliament, he thanked his colleagues for their
cooperation over the three years during which he held the second highest
position in Armenia.
Baghdasarian said that he worked hard to raise the status of Parliament both
inside and outside the country and succeeded in it, defending Orinats Yerkir’s
three year track record in government.
“The parliament became an open body; we tried to enact numerous laws; we made
sure that no schools or kindergartens are put on sale in Armenia today,” he
said.
Under Armenian parliament regulations, Baghdasarian has to reconfirm Monday’s
application in five days and only then he will be formally relieved of his
post
and a replacement elected.
Two Parliament Members who remained loyal to Baghdasarian and his party
Orinats
Yerkir, Mher Shahgeldian, chairman of the national security and defense
commission, and Gagik Mkheyan, chairman of the health and social issues
commission, also announced their resignations.
Orinats Yerkir has been part of the governing coalition since 2003 when it
teamed up with the Republican Party and Armenian Revolutionary Federation. It
had 20 seats in the 131 seat parliament.
Baghdasarian announced that he would resign and pull Orinats Yerkir out of the
governing coalition following a mass defection of businessmen-legislators from
his faction.
Baghdasarian said that his decision is based on serious policy differences
with
the two parties remaining in government.

4) Kocharian Appoints New Culture And Youth Affairs Minister

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenian President Robert Kocharian dismissed Gevorg
Gevorgian from the office of Culture and Youth Affairs Minister, replacing him
with Hasmik Poghosian.
Gevorgian, a former member of Orinats Yerkir, held the post for less than four
months. Gevorgian did not retain his position despite his defection from
Orinats Yerkir.
The new Culture Minister, Poghosian, does not belong to any party.
Poghosian was born in 1960 in Yerevan and graduated from Sayat Nova Music
School. She also studied biology at Yerevan State University and taught
biology.
Starting in 1986, she worked in the Armenian Union of Cultural Cooperation
with
Foreign Countries.

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