Author: Vasilian Manouk

BARGAVACH HAYASTAN TO GO TO PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ALONE

YEREVAN, JULY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous
Armenia) party headed by big Armenian businessman, RA MP Gagik
Tsarukian will go to the parliamentary elections of 2007 alone.

"The party Chairman, Mr Tsarukian, said that we will go to the
parliamentary elections alone," Vardan Vardanian, Chairman of party’s
Political Board, said in his interview to radio Liberty citing
Tsarukian’s speech made at the July 24 meeting in the building of
Sundukian theater. "This is the decision of the party Chairman. I am
convinced that the political board also will make such a decision,"
he mentioned.

The radio Liberty’s sources inform that during the July 24 meeting
Gagik Tsarukian also declared that Bargavach Hayastan "will win the
parliamentary elections," as well as assured that they are ready to
cooperate with the political forces that wish free and fair elections
to be held in the country.

According to the same sources, the Gagik Tsarukian – Viktor Dallakian
bloc can be also considered as fully established.

Vardan Vardanian opposed to the statement of RA Defence Minister,
RPA Board newly elected Chairman, Serge Sargsian that Bargavach
Hayastan does not exist as a party yet. Vardanian insisted that
Bargavach Hayastan has been acting for already three years and has
210 thousand members and more than 300 party offices. "I can precisely
say that the party exists, it has a history of three
years, it has held its congress. So, I do not think there will be such
conversations," he said.

According to Vardanian, people come to their party consolidating
around an idea. In the July 24 meeting speech Gagik Tsarukian said
that those having joined the party with the expectation of money
were mistaken as "there will be no money." "Indeed it will be this
way. The party will not give money, the party is not a barn of money,"
the Chairman of the Bargavach Hayastan party’s Political Board said.

Evacuation tips: Who’s a Friend, Who’s a Canadian?

The Globe and Mail, Canada
July 25, 2006

By Jeffrey Simpson

Lessons for Canada from the flight from Lebanon: First, don’t kick
your friends needlessly. Second, review dual citizenship.

By way of first things first, here’s a question: which country helped
most when Canadians tried to rescue people from Lebanon? Answer:
Turkey.

With Cyprus filled up, Canada urgently asked for Turkey’s help. The
Turks, whom the Harper government just gratuitously insulted while
playing domestic politics, could have made up all kinds of excuses
by way of payback.

Instead, the Turks turned the other cheek. They took out
Lebanese-Canadian citizens, rented boats, and put their airfield at
our disposal. Have they received an official thank you from Prime
Minister Stephen Harper?

It’s the least Mr. Harper could do after making recognition of the
90-year-old Armenian "genocide" official government policy such a sore
point in Turkey that the Turkish government withdrew its ambassador
to Canada to protest.

The Harper announcement, delivered almost flippantly in April,
made headlines in Turkey. Everybody close to the file knew the
announcement had everything to do with ethnic pandering in Canada,
part of the Conservative’s wider campaign to play ethnic politics.

Now that the Conservatives have been in office for a little while,
perhaps they will realize that a country’s foreign policy interests
should not be subordinated to domestic pandering. They might also
realize that a foreign policy based on realism requires remembering
which countries are allies and friends, because you never know when
friends might come in handy.

As a NATO partner, Turkey is now being asked to contribute to a
peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, a force Canada is not being
asked to join (except by some people in Canada) for the good reason
that this force needs to be robust. Canada does not have robust
forces to spare, what with the two-year commitment to Afghanistan,
a point those urging Canadian participation might remember. The Turks
(who were in Afghanistan before us) and others will have to do the
heavy lifting if NATO agrees to inject a force into Lebanon.

Another lesson concerns dual citizenship. It is way to late to think
of eliminating dual citizenship, even were the elimination desirable.
Australia thought of trying to go that route, and gave up. The
United States once forbade dual citizenship but relented about two
decades ago.

Dual citizenship is a fact of life, but it is a misunderstood fact,
one that a parliamentary committee could usefully explore and explain
to Canadians.

We seem to believe that, because a person carries a Canadian passport,
that person thinks himself as a Canadian and has an absolute right
to assistance from the Canadian government while outside Canada. Both
beliefs are false, and potentially dangerous.

It is worth at least asking whether we have made the acquisition
of Canadian citizenship so easy – divorcing it, once acquired, from
residence in the country – that we have spawned legions of citizens
of convenience. We know that thousands of people worked in Canada,
earned their pension time here, and live elsewhere clipping Canada
Pension Plan coupons.

There’s nothing illegal or inherently wrong with that – retired
Americans in Canada keep getting their Social Security cheques. But
there are a lot of other people holding Canadian passports around
the world whose attachment to this country – measured at least by
time spent here – is, shall we say, somewhat more limited.

We should also understand that a dual citizenship in another country
is not always considered a Canadian. For example, a holder of Iranian
and Canadian passports, or Syrian and Canadian passports, is not
considered by the authorities in those countries to be a Canadian,
but rather an Iranian or Syrian.

Canadian consular help to such dual nationals in those countries is
limited or non-existent, just as Canada might get upset if a dual
national caught doing something we consider illegal in Canada tried
to appeal for help to the Iranian or Syrian governments.

The same applies to China. The migration to Canada from Hong Kong
before the Chinese takeover from Britain produced thousands of dual
citizens, by Canadian law. The Chinese, however, do not recognize dual
nationalities. If things ever got tense between China and Canada,
and dual nationals in China appealed to Ottawa for help, it is not
clear what Canada could do if the Chinese made matters difficult.

All this is to suggest that a gap can arise between the legal realities
of being a dual national and the obligations and expectations of
Canada, especially in times of crisis. [email protected]

HMAYAK HOVHANNESIAN CAN’T EXPLAIN ACTIONS OF SERGE SARGSIAN

AZG Armenian Daily #139, 26/07/2006

Opinion

Today, the Republican Party of Armenia follows the example of the
Communist Party that used to rule in Armenia within 70 years. Hmayak
Hovhannesian, deputy, political expert, expressed this opinion
today at "Pastark" club. He believes that the multi-party system
exists in Armenia only de-jure, while in fact, the Republican Party
rules Armenia. He stated that the latest developments in the RPA
didn’t contribute to growth of its rating. "On the contrary, Serge
Sargsian’s membership to the party, as well as that of a group of
oligarchs of half criminal character have decreased the rating of
the party, as the people hate all of them," he said. Hovhannesian
added that one shouldn’t compare Serge Sargsian with PM Vazgen
Sargsian. "V. Sargsian realized the importance of changing his
image, isolated the oligarchs from the political processes and began
cooperating with Karen Demirchian’s party. The oligarchs wouldn’t dare
to interfere with the political developments in the times of Vazgen
Sargsian. As for Serge Sargsian, he activates the participation of
the oligarchs in the political life of the country," he said. At
the same time, he added that he can’t find any explanation to the
illogical steps of Serge Sargsian. In the beginning he thought Sargsian
wanted to cooperate with the intelligentsia, becaming the head of
the Yerevan State University’s Scientific Council. But, at present,
Hovhannesian is bewildered why Serge Sargsian’s decision to join
RPA. Hovhannesian said that whatever goals Serge Sargsian attains,
the results may be quite negative, as the atmosphere of mistrust
and hatred may grow tenser after that. Such a hard inner political
situation is in the interests of the super powers, particularly USA,
Russia, Iran and EU. He emphasized that the membership of Serge
Sargsian and a group of oligarchs to RPA anyway strengthened the
positions of the Armenian opposition on the eve of the elections,
as the people’s hatred to the ruling political party is growing.

As for the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, He added that taking into
consideration the present geopolitical situation, Azerbaijan can
restart military actions in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
in autumn 2006, expressed his

opinion on a press conference at ‘Pastark’ club Hmayak
Hovhannisian,Parliament deputy and political scientist. He also told
about the probability that the USA will help Azerbaijan because of
the situation in Middle East and the contradictions between Azerbaijan
and Iran.

By Tamar Minasian

Construction of Cathedral to Be Started in Stepanakert July 22

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.07.2006 18:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first stone of the cathedral of the Artsakh
diocese will be laid in Stepanakert July 22. Catholicos of All
Armenians Garegin II will take part in the ceremony. As reported by
KarabakhOpen.com, the place for the new church was chosen by head of
the Artsakh diocese, Archbishop Pargev Martirosian.

To note, Stepanakert has lived without church for many years. The
soviet statistics says that Karabakh was the only spot on the USSR
territory where no single church has functioned since 1930. But before
1930 each village in Karabakh had a small church. The big church in
Stepanakert was transformed into a theater while the ancient church of
Vararakn is still located on the territory of an entertainment center.

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
July 19 2006

Right of Self Defence, Terror and Turkish-American Relations Print

Tuesday , 18 July 2006

View: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner

Palestine lost almost all infrastructures when Hamas militants
kidnapped one Israeli soldier. 1.5 millions have been confined to a
life without electricity, water and job. On the other hand, killed
more than 200 Lebanon people, bombarded cities, airports, destroyed
highways and so many places became a compensation of two kidnapped
Israeli soldiers. Isreal says ~SI am defending my-self.~T At the same
time, the countries like USA, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia
say that Israel have a right to self defence. It is very open that
Tel-Aviv acts such a careless way by gaining the support of the US.

But, does the right of self defence just belong to Israel in the
Middle East? For example, doesn~Rt Turkey have such a right?

Turkey has given terrorism more than 36.000 victims. The PKK is the
bloodiest terrorist organization in the world. It is among the first
places in the lists of terrorist organizations of both the US and the
EU. Besides, it does not have democratically elected-members unlike
the Hamas and Hezbollah. It sustains its name with its massacres. It
has not become possible to destroy this organization in spite of all
efforts of Turkey because of the foreign support to the PKK
terrorism: The main supporters of the organization were Syria, Greece
and Greek Cypriots. The PKK trained its militants in these countries.
The retired or active high ranked soldiers from the Greek Army
trained the militants by personally attending the PKK camps in
Lebanon and Syria. When Abdullah Ocalan was captured, he was carrying
the Greek Cypriot passport. The PKK’s leader was captured in front of
the Greek Embassy in Kenya. Ocalan entered Greece several times and
made high level contacts there. The supprot to terrorism is not
limited just these three countries. The organization also had offices
in Russia, Armenia and several other countries and it collected
extortions and donations, made drug smuggling, kidnapping people,
human trafficing etc. Its de facto current supporter is the US
controlled state Iraq.

The PKK has more than 10 armed camps in Iraq. These camps are located
in the northeast part of the country. In addition to this, the PKK
have direct or indirect offices in many cities of Iraq. Lastly, they
opened an office in Baghdad called ~SOcalan Culture Center~T. Turkey
transferred the information of all these developments with the
documents to the Baghdad Government, to the US authorities and to the
Kurdish authority in the north Iraq. Yet, they have nothing to do
except wasting Turkey~Rs time. The USA says: ~SGo and talk to the
Baghdad, they are governing the Iraq~T. On the other hand the Baghdad
says ~SI have no power in that region, I cannot destroy the PKK bases,
go and talk with the Kurdish Authority in the North Iraq.~T However,
the Kurds in the North Iraq say that ~SMy power is not enough to fight
against this organization~T. But, it is well known fact that Barzani
supports the PKK and Talabani neglects the PKK activities. It is very
open that the PKK opened the offices with condoning of Iraqi Kurds
and the Baghdad administration. It is not true that the USA is not
competent in the country. USA, it is the most powerful element to the
most distant police station in Iraq today. America can make raids
with weapons even to the bedrooms of the houses when it wants to deal
with the Al Queade. But when it is time to take into consideration to
deal with a terrorist organization which is attacking to Turkey the
situation is changing.

Turkey~Rs patience is finishing. The PKK is attacking civil targets in
Turkey under the protection of Iraq and Iraqi Kurds. It kills police
officers and soldiers. The PKK puts bombs to the school buses… And
the USA says ~Swe cannot do anything~T.

It is not possible for Turkey to endure to this game.

Turkey also has a right of self defence and it has to use this right
immediately. The Kandil Mountain and its environment is about to be
bombarded in near future. What is more important is that the groups
who are protecting the PKK in the North Iraq are all in the target.

The US also should know: The main reason of the US troubles in the
region so far is that it became an enemy with anybody in the region,
except the Kurdish tribes. Along the history the only super power
which established its Middle East policy by excluding Arabs, Persians
and the Turks all together is the US, and the failure is very vivid.
If the US needs Turkey in any area, it must give up protecting the
PKK in Iraq. The Turkish people never give tolerance to any super
power which gives tolerance to an organization that kills their
children. If the US is a superpower, it should have the power to
prevent the terrorists to establish terror bases in north Iraq, if
the US is not a superpower, Turkey has enough power to protect its
children from PKK terrorism.

Trn. by Emre Ozkan, USAK
JTW
18 July 2006

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/17/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM

1) LA Times Calls on Senate to Block Hoagland Nomination
2) Tense Calm in Armenian Areas As Israel Continues to Pound Lebanon
3) G8 Leaders Urge Armenia, Azerbaijan To Cut Karabakh Deal

1) LA Times Calls on Senate to Block Hoagland Nomination

WASHINGTON–A policy editorial published today by the Los Angeles Times,
largest newspaper in the Western United States, marks a major and very public
setback for the US Department of State’s increasingly untenable policy of
complicity in Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America.
The editorial sharply criticizes the Bush Administration’s decision to fire
the US Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, for truthfully discussing the
Armenian Genocide.
Noting that half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has already raised
concerns about this matter, the editorial board calls on the panel to block
the
nomination of the ambassador-designate, Richard Hoagland, until he properly
recognizes the Armenian Genocide. They closed their powerfully worded
piece by
stressing that, "the Bush administration should have the courage of its
lack of
conviction and explain forthrightly ­ not just to Armenian-Americans but to
all
Americans who believe in calling evil by its proper name ­ why US policy is
being dictated by Ankara nationalists."
The Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times has a circulation to over 1.2
million households and reaches millions more over the internet.
To join with the thousands of activists around the nation who have written to
the State Department on this matter, visit:
< ertid=8896316&type=CO>http://capwiz
.com/an ca/issues/alert/?alertid=8896316&type=CO
The complete text of the Los Angeles Times editorial is provided below.

Speak No Evil?
July 16, 2006

What happens when you refer to Turkey’s 1915-1923 genocide of Armenians,
accurately, as "genocide"? In Turkey, you face a possible three-year jail
term,
even if it wasn’t you using the term but a character in your novel. In the
United States, you just lose your job as ambassador to Armenia.
The novelist is Elif Shafak, who learned last week she will go on trial for
defamation of the Turkish Republic. The former ambassador is John M. Evans,
who
was recalled from Yerevan in May after referring to the "Armenian genocide" in
a speech before a group of Armenian Americans in February 2005. As one State
Department bigwig told an Armenian newspaper: "Ambassadors serve the
president,
and they are obliged to follow his policy. President Bush’s policy as regards
the mass killings of Armenians is precise."
Precisely what purpose this policy serves is clear: avoid using the most
truthful word in the English language to describe an eight-decade-old atrocity
for fear of offending a crucial NATO ally. As Bush’s proposed replacement for
Evans, Richard Hoagland, put it last month during his confirmation hearing,
"Instead of getting stuck in the past and vocabulary, I would like to see what
we can do to bring different sides together."
Vocabulary may not be the president’s best subject ­ Bush himself has poked
fun at his frequent malapropisms ­ but he’s shown he knows the meaning of the
word "genocide." Campaigning for the White House in 2000, Bush told Armenian
American groups that "the 20th
century was marred by wars of unimaginable brutality, mass murder and
genocide"
and that "history records that the Armenians were the first people of the last
century to have endured these cruelties."
If elected president, I would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the
tragic suffering of the Armenian people."
It’s one of the more blatant of Bush’s broken campaign promises. Luckily, the
Senate is showing signs of giving this rhetorical appeasement the rebuke it
deserves. Half of the senators on the Foreign Relations Committee have
demanded
that the State Department give an official explanation for Evans’ premature
recall, and some have hinted that Hoagland’s appointment could hang in the
balance.
They should block the nomination altogether until the ambassador-to-be dares
to utter the g-word.
And the Bush administration should have the courage of its lack of conviction
and explain forthrightly–not just to Armenian Americans but too all Americans
who believe in calling evil by its proper name–why US policy is being
dictated
by Ankara.

2) Tense Calm in Armenian Areas As Israel Continues to Pound Lebanon

BEIRUT, YEREVAN (Aztag, Armenpress)–A tense calm was reported in Armenian
areas of Lebanon, as the Israeli attack on Lebanon entered its sixth day. At
press time, Aztag Daily reported no significant damage or disturbance in the
Armenian areas of the country.
Sources at Aztag told Asbarez that the community is weathering this crisis as
bravely as possible, although citizens are naturally concerned about Lebanon’s
fate.
In an editorial appeal, Aztag has urged the Lebanese-Armenian community to
confront this recent crisis with patience and courage.
"In this situation, Armenian Revolutionary Federation community centers are
making all necessary preparations to provide emergency assistance and to
create
the mechanisms to provide for the needs of the community," stated the Aztag
editorial appeal.
In the event of further escalation of the current situation and a more severe
impact on Armenian areas of Lebanon, the newspaper urged community members to
go to their neighborhood centers and come together "to overcome, once again,
another stage of war."
Armenia’s foreign ministry announced that around 70 Armenian citizens will be
transported from Lebanon to Syria from where they will be flown to Armenia,
reported the Armenpress news agency.
Officials from the Armenian embassy in Lebanon will meet them on the
Syrian-Lebanese border and ensure their safe transportation to Aleppo.
Third secretary of the embassy Arsen Arakelian told Armenpress that Armenian
citizens living in Lebanon were informed about the evacuation and in all
likelihood, there are no Armenian citizens left in Beirut.
"The evacuation is taking place on their own volition. If there are people
who
want to stay here until the end of the crisis, it will on their own will. The
embassy will try to help with everything," he said.
The secretary said that the embassy will continue its daily operation.
In a related story, Aztag newspaper reported that the Hamazkayine "Sevan"
Dance Ensemble of Australia was touring Lebanon and was stuck in Beirut on the
day of its members departure.
"Our final stop over was Beirut and after another magnificent performance in
front of a sold out crowd, we were ready to head home for Sydney. That was
until we woke on the day of our departure to the news that the runways at
Beirut airport had been bombed. We were told by the Australian Embassy in
Lebanon that it was safest to stay at our hotel until further notice," wrote
Levon Demirian a member of the dance troupe.
"Phone calls from concerned parents in Australia have not stopped, but rest
assured we’re in an excellent hotel in the safest area in the outskirts of
Beirut and have plenty of food and drink. Some of the kids are running out of
spending money, but parents are able to send it through Western Union or the
Australian Embassy in case our stay is lengthened," added Demirian.
"The most frustrating and stressful thing at the moment is the
uncertainty. No
one is able to tell us when and how we can leave. Everyone is looking out for
each other and sticking close by," concluded Demirian.

3) G8 Leaders Urge Armenia, Azerbaijan To Cut Karabakh Deal

ST. PETERSBURG (RFE/RL)–The leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) wealthiest
nations on Monday threw their weight behind international efforts to resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to cut a
framework peace deal this year.
"We call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to demonstrate the political will, reach
agreement and prepare their publics for peace and not for war," they said in a
joint statement issued at the end of their two-day meeting in the Russian city
of Saint Petersburg.
The statement, as cited by the Russian Itar-Tass news agency, said the
Karabakh conflict was on the agenda of the G8 summit. "We confirmed that the
Group of Eight supports the mediation efforts of the co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group and stressed the need for agreeing on the basic principles of a
peaceful settlement of the conflict as early as in 2006," it said.
However, the unresolved Karabakh dispute appears to have been overshadowed by
other, more pressing international issues. Reports from Saint Petersburg
indicated that the G8 leaders concentrated on mounting tensions in the Middle
East, Iran’s nuclear program, North Korea’s missile tests and global trade.
Three of the G8 powers — France, Russia and the United States — have
spearheaded international efforts to end the Karabakh conflict over the past
decade, and are believed to have been very close to fulfilling their
mission at
the beginning of this year. However, two rounds of subsequent negotiations
between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan proved fruitless, all but
ending hopes for the signing of a Karabakh peace accord by the end of 2006.
Armenian and Azeri media reports last month said the mediating powers might
invite Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev to the G8 summit in yet
another attempt to break the Karabakh deadlock. But both leaders made it clear
last week that they see no need for such an encounter.
The American, French and Russian mediators, for their part, stated earlier
this month that further Armenian-Azeri peace talks will be pointless unless
Aliyev and Kocharian display enough commitment to mutual compromise. The move
suggested that both Russia and the West are unlikely to step up pressure on
the
conflicting parties.
Speaking in Saint Petersburg on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said
Moscow will not seek to impose any solutions on either party. "We would like
Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a mutually acceptable solution," he said,
according to the Regnum news agency. "I can confirm our position: Russia will
not be imposing a solution neither on Armenia, nor on Azerbaijan. Compromise
has to be reached by the peoples of these countries."
The Minsk Group’s US co-chair, Matthew Bryza, likewise told RFE/RL on June 27
that Washington has no intention to "force people to agree." "You can’t have a
just and lasting settlement if it’s just strong US leverage forcing an
agreement," said Bryza. "The sides have to decide that they’ve reached an
agreement that they truly can embrace."

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Ceara State of Brazil Recognized Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.07.2006 13:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The legislative council of State of Ceara, Brazil,
passed a bill which recognizes April 24 as the Day of the Armenian
People. The Armenian Genocide victims will be hence commemorated on
this day. The Governor of Ceara ratified the bill, reported the RA MFA
press office. The bill introduced by PRONA party member Joan Batista
da Silva was passed unanimously. Ceara is the second Brazilian state
after San Paolo to have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide.

NATO exercise starts in Armenia – agency

Mediamax news agency
14 Jul 06

The Rescuer-2006 exercise of the US European Command started at the
Aviation Institute of the Armenian Defence Ministry today.

Over 300 officers from 11 countries – the USA, Armenia,
Albania, Austria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia,
Romania, Tajikistan and Ukraine – are taking part in the
exercise. Representatives of NATO, the International Committee of
the Red Cross and the National Guard of the US state of Kansas are
also involved in the exercise.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Armenian Defence Minister Serzh
Sarkisyan expressed his confidence that the Rescuer-2006 exercise
would be successful.

Rescuer-2006 is a command-and-staff exercise aimed at expanding
cooperation between partner countries, as well as organizing and
coordinating rescue work in case of natural and man-made disasters.

The exercise will continue until 24 July.

Sweet success: Life in a chocolate factory
By RITA DEMONTIS, TORONTO SUN

Toronto Sun, Canada
July 12 2006

There’s a real-life Willy Wonka in our midst. Her name is Stella
Zhamkochian and she’s at the helm of Gourmet Square, a manufacturer,
wholesaler and distributor of chocolates.

We think her middle initial is C for chocolate — or it should be,
as this Markham mother of two’s life is one of recreating this sweet
treat on all levels.

Her company creates an array of sweets prepared in the most innovative
ways. Everything from blueberry-inspired bon-bons to chocolate pizzas
to chocolate-drizzled popcorn, Zhamkochian admits her mind is always
on the go to find a new winner, a new flavour, a new idea.

IN CANADA’S FINEST HOTELS

Her goods are recognizable in some of Canada’s finest hotels and
shops, and she prepares for dozens of companies under their own
private labels.

She even has a tiny retail shop open to the public when she’s not too
busy on the wholesale side of life — "just phone and see if we’re
open that day," she offers.

A recent visit to her plant in the city’s north end sees Zhamkochian
— "I was born in Armenia and came to Canada at the age of 12" —
multi-tasking at an alarming rate, hairnet sternly in place, white
smock neatly pressed, sending out rapid-fire directions to her tiny
staff and making sure her chocolate operation flows as smoothly as
the decadent product she works with.

Her company’s considered one of the tiniest players in the
confectionary field, yet her volume of work is large, and the plant
is a beehive of activity — add to that the constant, heavenly aroma
that permeates the place, and you might as well be in chocolate heaven.

"Here try this!" she says as she pops a small, pink-flecked
bon-bon into a visitor’s mouth. The explosion of flavour is instant
and incredible — velvety smooth, it’s an exquisite bite of the
most perfect strawberry cheesecake. "Whadya think of that!," says
Zhamkochian triumphantly, as she lobs a second bon-bon — this one
a deep, rich red — again into the visitor’s mouth.

It tastes like the ripest, most intense bing cherry, bathed in a
delicate chocolate chaser.

Zhamkochian pores a pile of brilliant-hued treats, in different shapes
and flavours, on a spotless table. She points out the blueberry
and banana treats, and offers up a raspberry and cherry, and that
surreal cheesecake.

Truth be told, Zhamkochian’s " bon-bons" are more reminiscent of
magnificent jewels — baubles for the taste buds, so to speak.

"I’m always thinking of a different flavour, or taking a standard
flavour to a new level," says Zhamkochian, who, although the middle of
summer, has Christmas carols playing in her heard, as she’s currently
working on a Yuletide line that includes a delicate eggnog-inspired
treat, a mincemeat-laced chocolate, as well as a killer orange
creme brulee.

" I find inspiration in everything, and at the weirdest hours,
including the middle of the night," says Zhamkochian, while keeping a
critical eye on a line of hand-finished chocolate pears being prepared
for a wedding.

How did she decide on a career in chocolate — especially as she’s
a florist by nature? "I worked in retail fashion for many years,
and then I quit to have my son," says Zamkochian, mother of Matthew,
12 and Grace 7, who incidentally are named after her Grace- Matthews
Collection, a new packaging line. "When Matthew was three, I opened
a florist shop and it was quite a success. I started dabbling in
chocolate to offer as an extra, and when that proved to be more
successful, my husband Mario and I took a gamble and went into the
chocolate business full-time seven years ago."

It was a gamble, but one on her terms. She wanted to offer chocolates
"with a new twist. Sure, we have your basic chocolate-covered
almonds. But we also offer cinnamon-dusted, toffee covered almonds in
our chocolate. Our centres, like raspberry, orange, lemon, banana,
even coconut-dusted pineapple, can sometimes fool you into thinking
your eating a fresh fruit."

Zhamkochian knows she’s playing with the big boys — and holding
her own. What started as a one-person operation has expanded into
full and part-time staff. And she’s looking to expand next year,
into larger headquarters.

On any given week, she’s using more than 2,500 lbs. of chocolate,
sometimes as much as 4,500 lbs.

And what started out as a small venture has skyrocketed to where her
wholesale operation has gone national, yet "I still do local orders
for everything from weddings to special events. Plus we’re kosher
under the supervision of KSA, and we offer diebetic-friendly options."

HUMIDITY AFFECTS CHEMISTRY

If there’s a downside to her business, "it’s the weather. Just the
smallest change in the humidity can change the chemistry in the
chocolate, making it that much more difficult to work with."

One more thing — how does she stay so slim?

"You work your butt off!" she grins. "Plus — all you really need is
just a taste."

Sure — as we pop another treat in our mouth!

—

A FEW PLACES THAT CARRY GOURMET SQUARE PRODUCTS

– Any Sugar Mountain shop

– Fisher Distributing, in Concord, exclusive wholesaler for hotel
mini bar industry.

– GiftPak in Mississauga

– Fielding Group Ltd, in Mississauga

– Sunnybrook Restaurant, 660 Eglinton Ave. E. (416) 489-4303

—

CALL 905-475-7532 OR [email protected] FOR MORE INFO.

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ABOUT CHOCOLATE

According to Peter Higgins, a food scientist and GM of Purdy’s,
chocolate is good for you, and here’s why:

– It makes you feel great! A substance in chocolate called theobromine
triggers the release of endorphins, chemicals produced by the
brain, which act like natural anti-depressants, improving moods and
temporarily relieving the "blues."

– Chocolate boasts essential vitamins and minerals including vitamins
A, B1, C, D, and E, as well as calcium, fluorine, iron, magnesium,
potassium, and sodium.

– Chocolate is a great source of antioxidants, ranking with the top
fruits and vegetables for antioxidant content. In fact, chocolate has
four times the antioxidant level to that of tea. Antioxidants in the
blood stream may have the ability to neutralize cancer-causing free
radicals and help prevent heart disease along with other degenerative
diseases.

– Chocolate is rich in flavonoids, which are said to possess potent
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing properties.

– Chocolate does not raise blood cholesterol levels. Stearic acid, the
predominant saturated fat in chocolate, is a unique saturated fatty
acid. It has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels and unlike
other saturated fats, it simply doesn’t increase cholesterol levels.

– Chocolate eaters live longer than those who abstain. Moderate
consumption of chocolate — as well as other sweets –added almost
a year to life expectancy. Plus chocolate is lower in caffeine than
is most commonly believed.

– Chocolate does not cause tooth decay.

– Chocolate does not cause acne. In fact, many dermatologists,
including the American Academy of Dermatology, doubt that diet plays
any significant role in acne.

"Plus, there’s a real trend towards dark chocolate, specifically
chocolate with a higher cocoa content," says Higgins. "The health
benefits in this alone are extraordinary. The trends are changing,
and people are finally coming to terms that chocolate is not only
tasty, but good for you on a variety of levels."

—

RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Here’s a sweet and simple recipe Stella says is a favourite in
her family!

22 oz. quality semi or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 tbsp. raspberry brandy

1. In a 1-quart glass measure, combine 10oz chocolate and butter
and heat in microwave on High for one to 11/2 minutes, until melted
and smooth when stirred. Stir in jam and liqueur until well blended.
Cover and refrigerate until firm, about four hours or overnight.

2. Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop, scrape mixture into
2.5 cm balls. (If mixture is too hard, let stand at room temperature
1/2 hour before shaping). Place truffles on wax paper-lined baking
pan and freeze firm one hour or longer.

3. In a small glass dish, place remaining 12 oz chocolate. Heat in
microwave on Medium three to 31/2 minutes, stirring often, until
chocolate is melted, smooth and warm. Using a fork, dip truffles
quickly, one at a time, into chocolate, tapping fork on edge of dish
to shake off excess.

4. Place on wax paper lined baking pan. Repeat dipping process,
stirring chocolate often and scraping down sides of dish, if necessary,
to prevent chocolate from hardening. Refrigerate until chocolates
are set, about 1/2 hour. Wrap in an air-tight container and store in
refrigerator for two weeks or in freezer for one month.

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CHOCOLATE’S RICH PAST

Here are some sweet and satisfying facts about chocolate courtesy of
the good folks of Purdy’s chocolates, (purdys.com), a Canadian-owned
and family-operated company headquartered in Vancouver, B.C.,
considered the largest chocolate retailer in Western Canada and
the second largest in Canada. (they’ll be celebrating their 100th
anniversary next year!)

– 1502: Christopher Columbus’ fourth voyage and he discovers cocoa
in Guaanaja, off Honduras.

– 1519 : Hernando Cortes stops off at San Juan de Ulloa, tastes a cocoa
based drink and realizes how good it is. He creates a plantation and
triggers off the start of the Spanish cocoa monopoly which was to
last two centuries.

– 1641 : Cocoa is introduced to Germany via the Spanish court and a
scholar named Johann George Voldkammer.

– 1659 : Louis XIV hands over the chocolate monopolies of the Paris
chocolate drink trade and the French Royal Court to David Chaillou.

– 1847 : Invention of the chocolate bar by the English firm Fry and
Sons. Before this chocolate had only ever been consumed in liquid form.

– 1875 : Invention of milk chocolate by Daniel Peter de Vevey
in Switzerland which spelt the beginning of the Swiss’ hegemonic
relationship with chocolate.

– 1879 : Rudolph Lindt founds his chocolate factory as well as
inventing coating, conching and plain chocolate.

– 1868 : The Tobler firm is founded and starts to produce its own
chocolate in 1899, the year the Toblerone nougat, almond and honey
chocolate was born.

– 1900 : In the U.S., Milton Snavely Hershey created a town called
Hersheyville dedicated to the production of chocolate. The specialty
called the "Hershey Kiss" is still being produced today at a rate of
1500 products a minute.

– 1907: Purdy’s Chocolates was founded by Richard Carmon Purdy,
who is now a household name across Western Canada. There most famous
chocolate is the "Hedgehog" a hazelnut truffle.

– 1932 : Forrest Mars, the son of the creator of the Milky Way,
also created a leading product. No less than 2 million Mars bars
are produced every day. Next story: Indulge yourself with chocolate
delights

COMMUNIST PARTY DENIES RECONCILIATION CALLS

Armenpress

YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS: The leadership of the Armenian Communist
Party (ACP) has flatly rejected proposals by senior members of two
splinter groups for reunification. The reunification idea was voiced
last week by leaders of the so-called Refreshed Communist Party and
the Progressive Communist party- Yuri Manukian and Vazgen Safarian-
who were expelled from the Communist party at different times.

Tachat Sarkisian, the head of the Yerevan chapter of the Armenian
Communist party, told a news conference today that the leaders
of the two-called Communist parties were ousted from the party for
violation of its regulations and therefore, he said, there is no need
for reunification.

Tachat Sarkisian claimed that Yuri Manukian and Vazgen Safarian were
eager to reunify with ACP hoping to squeeze into the parliament in next
year’s elections ‘because they realize that they have no chances to
do so alone.’ He said ‘reunification’ will only damage the ACP’s image.

The reunification idea was earlier denied by the first secretary of
ACP Ruben Tovmasian, who ruled out any reconciliation and cooperation
with Manukian and Safarian, saying their only goal was to return
to parliament.

The ACP received about 10 percent of the vote in the parliamentary
and presidential elections held between 1995 and 1999, but failed to
win a seat in the 2003 parliamentary election.