Author: Emil Lazarian

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Nov 19 2004
Library receives immense collection
Defunct college donates 12,500 Armenian-language books to the
Glendale Public Library, valued at about $500,000, quadrupling the
library’s collection.
By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader
GLENDALE – Whenever the Glendale Public Library tried to add
Armenian-language books to its collection, the library always had to
pay a premium. The books are hard to find, and because they are hard
to find, they are expensive.
This week, the library hit pay dirt.
The American Armenian International College, a school affiliated with
the University of La Verne that has been closed for more than a
decade, is donating its entire Armenian-language collection to
Glendale.
The donation of 12,500 books, which Glendale officials value at about
$500,000, will quadruple the library’s collection of 4,000
Armenian-language materials. Because of the size of the donation,
Glendale is expected to share the books with neighboring libraries.
“Forty percent of the population of Glendale is Armenian,” said Cindy
Cleary, assistant director of libraries. “We have 660,000 books in
our collection and only 4,000 are Armenian language. It’s an
incredible resource, not only to Glendale but to the surrounding
neighborhoods.”
For some of the city’s large Armenian American population, especially
the elderly who did not grow up in the United States, having more
Armenian-language books will be welcomed.
“Much of the elderly, they may know how to speak English and read a
few things, but their native tongue is Armenian,” said Armen
Carapetian, government relations director of the Armenian National
Committee’s western region. “The books will come in particular use by
that segment of the community. It’s a tremendous gift.”
The library expects to receive the books next week, but Cleary said
it will be six months before any of them are incorporated into the
library’s collection. The city is expected to give some of the books
to other area libraries, including public libraries in Pasadena and
Burbank and Cal State Northridge’s library.
“From the beginning, it was clear that no one institution could take
the entire collection, just because of the size of the collection,”
said Beth Walker, principal librarian for the Pasadena Public
Library. “We don’t know if it’s the largest, but certainly a
significant one outside of Armenia.”
The collection of books is primarily eastern Armenian, and includes
history and literature from 1980 to 1992, including translations of
classics and books on the Armenian Genocide.
“There’s a lot of Armenian literature that is in demand and is not
available in the bookstores or other libraries around,” Councilman
Rafi Manoukian said. “A collection of that magnitude certainly will
go a long way in meeting that need.”
For the past 12 years, since the college closed its doors to students
in 1992, the collection has remained in La Verne but viewed by
appointment only. Last year, the college’s board members approached
the Pasadena Public Library about a donation. They also had
discussions with the University of Michigan library, which has an
Armenian Research Center at its Dearborn campus.
“The reason we picked Glendale, the whole board agreed to it, it’s a
real hub of a lot of Armenians,” said Jack Jandegian, a member of the
college’s board of directors. “With the supplement of all these books
with what you’ve already got there, it’s going to be a real big asset
for the city of Glendale.”
The college is also donating $25,000 for moving and processing the
collection. The City Council unanimously approved the donation on
Tuesday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Nov 19 2004
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVED CREDENTIALS OF
AMBASSADOR OF TURKEY
[November 19, 2004, 19:26:44]
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan has received credentials of
the newly appointed ambassador of Turkey to Azerbaijan, 19 November.
Ambassador Turan Moral presenting his credentials said that he was
pleased with appointing as an ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary to the Republic of Azerbaijan. He expressed deep
gratitude to the Head of Azerbaijan State that has welcomed his
appointment. Then, he presented a letter of credential to the
President of Azerbaijan.
Addressing the Turkish ambassador, President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev congratulated him on the new appointment and wished success in
his future diplomatic activity. `The relations between Turkey and
Azerbaijan are high level and develop intensively. After re-gaining
state independence, Turkey was the first state to recognize
Azerbaijan and since the links between two countries have developed
enough and cover all spheres.
In settlement of the most painful problem for Azerbaijan – the
Armenian-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict, Turkey has always
been near to Azerbaijan. We always feel this support and Turkey
constantly backs fair position of Azerbaijan for peaceful settlement
of the problem in the frame of international law’, President Ilham
Aliyev emphasized.
Further, the Head of State said: `We are connected also by regional
projects. From the point of view of regional cooperation we have good
links and generally, our relations is good example for regional
cooperation. The world-scale project BTC and BTE bring closer our
countries.
And, as you know, national leader of Azerbaijan people Heydar Aliyev
has great contributions in realization of these projects. And it is
not casually that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was named
after Heydar Aliyev. In a word, our relations are at high level in
all fields’. Reminding his last visit to Turkey, president Aliyev
said: `The negations we carried out during the visit and signed
documents will bring us closer. I cordially congratulate you with
this appointment’.
***
Head of Azerbaijan State and the Ambassador were taken their photos
in memory.
Then, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Ambassador Turan Moral
had warm conversation.
Head of the foreign relations department of President Administration
Novruz Mammadov attended the credential presentation ceremony.

CANADA: LECTURES ON KARABAKH’S INDEPENDENCE
Azg/arm
18 Nov 04
The AGBU Toronto offshoot and Zorian Institute organized lectures
dedicated to the history of Nagorno Karabakh’s independence and its
current state in the aspect of the recent international political
developments. The lectures were held at the AGBU Aleck Manukian
Cultural Center (Canada). Professor George Burnutian (from Antona
Collage) touched upon the Armenian-Azeri conflict, emphasizing that
Nagorno Karabakh is an Armenian territory. While Vartan Barseghian
(NKR Permanent representative to the US) talked of Karabakh’s current
status within the framework of the international law. He explained
that NKR keeps in line with the international criteria for being
declared as an independent state for the effective control of its
territory, by its permanent population, regular armed forces, the
legislative, executive and judicial elected by the people, as well as
the effective foreign policy. “The main precondition of the
negotiations is the establishment of safety and stability in the
region, that can’t be achieved without maintaining stability in each
country,” he said emphasizing that the policy conducted by the Azeri
authorities is aimed to ethnic annihilation of Karabakh’s Armenian
population and distortion of history. This last issue was touched upon
by professor, emphasizing that Azerbaijan and Turkey give many grants
to the Western experts for the violation of the history. “Few
organizations reflect the attack of these phenomenon. The Zorian
Institute,the AGBU and the National Association of Armenian Studies
are among them,” he said.
By Hakob Tsulikian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reports of anti-Semitism in Armenia seek to save Israel’s reputation – paper
Azg, Yerevan
19 Nov 04

Text of Ara Martirosyan’s report in Armenian newspaper Azg on 19
November headlined “Armenians are expressing anti-Semitism?”
Recently the Jewish community of Armenia has talked about signs of
anti-Semitism in the country. Such statements are weird, to say the
least, as there is no Jewish community as such in Armenia, but there
are Armenian-Jewish families and children from these mixed
marriages. They can be considered both Jews and Armenians. Secondly,
the authors of the statement should have known that not only
anti-Semitism but also any kind of xenophobia is strange for
Armenians. So what is the reason for this statement made on behalf of
the Jewish community in Armenia, most of whom must be unaware of it?
The expression of Jewish chauvinism and disgraceful actions taken
against a servant of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem are still fresh
in our memory. Not long after the incident with the Armenian priest, a
servant of the Greek Orthodox Church was attacked. It is already a
fact that the Israelis do not, to put it mildly, have a friendly
disposition towards the country’s national and religious minorities
and that Armenians see the result of this anti-Armenian mood every
day.
It is interesting why the so-called Jewish community of Armenia did
not condemn the anti-Armenian acts, instead of declaring that they are
being persecuted.
It is clear as day that they are trying to save Jerusalem’s
reputation. As there is no serious ground for accusing Armenians of
anti-Semitism, we may assume that they want to justify the
anti-Armenian mood. This step puts them on a level with their wretched
compatriots.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan values Turkey’s support in Karabakh conflict – president
ANS TV, Baku
19 Nov 04

[Presenter] The newly-appointed Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Turan Morali, submitted his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev
today. Aliyev congratulated Morali on his appointment. He said that
Turkey was the first country to recognize Azerbaijan’s
independence. Speaking about the history of Azerbaijani-Turkish
relations, Aliyev said that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan [oil pipeline] and
the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum [gas pipeline] projects developed these
relations even more.
[Aliyev speaking at ceremony of submitting credentials] Turkey always
sides with our country in the settlement of Azerbaijan’s most painful
problem, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. We have
been constantly feeling this support and feel the same
today. Azerbaijan has been trying to settle this conflict only within
the framework of international legal norms, and we are confident that
we will achieve our goal and the international legal norms will be
applied.

Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian
17 Nov 04
Estonian leader backs democratic processes in Armenia

Yerevan, 17 November: “During my talks with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan, Armenian Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan and Prime Minister
Andranik Markaryan, among other issues we discussed the issue of
using Estonia’s experience of European integration,” Estonian
President Arnold Ruutel said in an interview with Armenian Public TV.
He said that Estonia actively supports Armenia in speeding up
democratic processes in the country. Undoubtedly, the democratic
processes will also speed up Armenia’s economic development, for
which there are all the necessary conditions.
Friendly relations between the Armenian and Estonian people would
also serve as a good basis for successful cooperation, the Estonian
president stressed.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 18 2004
FM receives new Turkish Ambassador

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov received a copy of the credentials
of newly appointed Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Turan Moral on
Tuesday.
During the meeting the parties exchanged views on multi-faceted
bilateral cooperation and energy projects.
Ambassador Moral underlined that his country is eager to expand
relations with South Caucasus countries. Turkey adheres to settlement
of the Upper Garabagh conflict within international legal norms and
Azerbaijan’s integration into European structures, he stressed.
Mammadyarov, in turn, highly appreciated Turkey’s support to
Azerbaijan in solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper
Garabagh and during the discussions of putting the `Situation in
occupied lands of Azerbaijan’ item into the agenda of the UN General
Assembly’s session.*

Rzeczpospolita, Warsaw in Polish
18 Nov 04
Polish general: Our troops to stay in Iraq; “new allies” may join

Text of an interview with Gen Mieczyslaw Cieniuch, deputy chief of
the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, by Jacek Przybylski
entitled “The sector will remain under Polish command” published by
Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita on 18 November
Przybylski The third turn of duty of the Polish military contingent
in Iraq will complete its mission at the end of January. Will the
fourth tour really be smaller?
Cieniuch Yes. The exact number of men, however, will be specified in
a decision the president is to make in December. The size of our
contingent, naturally, will depend on how events in Iraq unfold.
Przybylski Will the south-central sector continue to be commanded by
a Polish general in the first half of 2005?
Cieniuch Yes. The strongest candidate for this post is Lt-Gen
Waldemar Skrzypczak, who currently commands the 11th Airborne Cavalry
Division in Zagan. This division will be the core of the fourth tour.
Gen Skrzypczak has taken part in all the preparations for the mission
and has paid a reconnaissance visit to Iraq.
Przybylski Is the Ministry of National Defence MON carrying out any
negotiations with the United States on handing over responsibility
for the so-called Polish sector?
Cieniuch No. Poland is not negotiating any such issue with the United
States. Poland will continue to be responsible for the central-south
sector.
Przybylski Hungarian troops are to pull out in December. Bulgaria is
also planning to downsize its contingent. Are any countries offering
to send more men? Do we have any new allies?
Cieniuch Yes. Armenia and Bosnia and Hercegovina have expressed
willingness to join the Centre-South Multinational Division. We do
not know of any plans Bulgaria may have regarding the troop
reduction. No such reports have reached the MON.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan, in Armenian
17 Nov 04
Armenian president, German chancellor discuss relations
Presenter High-level negotiations have started in Germany. The
Armenian president Robert Kocharyan met Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder
in the German capital Berlin about two hours ago. Schroeder
characterized the two countries’ relations as friendly. He also spoke
about achievements in economic cooperation, noting that the
Armenian-German trade had increased by 40 per cent as against the
last year.
Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan from Berlin, on telephone The Armenian
president’s plane landed at Berlin Tegel airport this afternoon.
Robert Kocharyan’s working visit started with the meeting with the
German chancellor. Gerhard Schroeder met Robert Kocharyan at his
residence.
The ethnic Armenian children welcomed the Armenian president here.
Before the meeting, Schroeder spoke about the German-Armenian
relations at a briefing. The two countries have no problems, their
relations are friendly in the economic and political spheres, he
said.
Passage omitted: reiteration
Robert Kocharyan and Gerhard Schroeder also discussed the
opportunities for increasing the German investments in Armenia.
Schroeder noted that the main condition for the investments was how
they would be protected and how favourable the business atmosphere in
Armenia would be.
Robert Kocharyan and Gerhard Schroeder discussed the EU’s New
Neighbourhood programme as well.
Passage omitted: Kocharyan attended concert by German Armenians
Video showed the meeting
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Interfax
Nov 17 2004
Armenia to sign 50% ZMMK sale deal with Cronimet soon
Yerevan. (Interfax) – During a working visit to Germany November
17-19, Armenian President Robert Kocharian is expected to sign a deal
with the German company Cronimet for 50% of the stock in Zangezursky
Copper and Molybdenum Plant, or ZMMK, a source familiar with the
negotiation process told Interfax.
Cronimet and Comsup Commodities, which is in line to buy the other
50% stake in ZMMK, each paid the Armenian government $12.5 million in
security for exclusive negotiations for the enterprise.
The government set ZMMK’s price at $130 million, and each of the two
companies is to pay half that for their 50% stakes.
Cronimet owns 48% of the stock in Yerevan’s Chistoye Zhelezo (Pure
Iron), which processes molybdenum concentrate produced by ZMMK.