Author: Kalantarian Kevo

L. NARUSOVA: I AM HAPPY TO VISIT ARTSAKH
Laura Grigorian

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
04 June 07

Lyudmila Narusova, member of the Russian Council of Federation, chair
of the Information Policy Committee and Anatoly Sobchak Foundation,
professor at Moscow State University visited Nagorno-Karabakh. On
May 31 the public and political activist met with the professors
and students of Artsakh State University. Speaker Ashot Ghulian and
the first deputy chair of the Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation
Association Varuzhan Badalian were also present.

Addressing the event, Speaker Ghulian introduced the guest, enumerating
the posts she has occupied. He welcomed the guest in the name of the
NKR government and said she is known in Artsakh, since her husband
Anatoly Sobchak, famous Russian public and political activist, was a
friend of our country and the people of Karabakh remember him. "I am
happy to visit Artsakh, I am much happier to meet with the students
of Artsakh State University," said Lyudmila Narusova and thanked the
University for their warm welcome. According to Narusova, she first
learned about Karabakh 20 years ago when she visited Artsakh with
her husband and Galina Staravoytova and participated in the Karabakh
movement. She recalls with pride that during the discussion of the
NKAR’s representation in the meeting of the USSR People’s Deputies
Anatoly Sobchak expressed readiness to provide his mandate to the
representative of Karabakh. She asserted that she is full of sympathy
for the people of Artsakh and understands their righteous claim and
the right for self-determination. Lyudmila Narusova also touched upon
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. According to her, the problem
will not be resolved in the upcoming 2 or 3 years. A compromise is
possible but it cannot bring about losses. And the issue must be
resolved through the talks. The guest was also interested in the
education system of Armenia.

She appreciated the high level of knowledge of Russian in Karabakh
and said the Russian school is necessary in Stepanakert. She discussed
it during the meeting with NKR President Arkady Ghukasian as well.

MORE FOREIGN TOURISTS VISIT ARMENIA IN QUARTER ONE

ARMENPRESS
Jun 04 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s National Statistical Service
said 72,000 tourists visited the country in quarter one of this year,
up from 51,000 in the first quarter of 2006. It said the growth rate
was 42 percent.

The National Statistical Service said also over 63,000 Armenians left
the country in the reported period, 50 percent up from a year ago.

Some 29 percent of foreign tourists were from former Soviet republics,
including 21 percent from Russia. Thirty-two percent were from
European Union countries. The number of EU tourists grew from a year
ago 41 percent.

The Statistical Service said the number of visitors from France,
Germany and UK rose 51, 28 and 20 percent respectively.

Visitors from the USA made 20 percent, up 22 percent. The number of
visitors from the neighboring Iran and Turkey also rose 21 and 24
percent respectively.

SARGSYAN ASKED ACADEMICIANS "NOT TO MAKE A RACKET"

A1+
[07:20 pm] 04 June, 2007

Prior to the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents meeting in Quest,
2001, Armenian intelligentsia representatives met with President
Robert Kocharian.

A week before the meeting, Rafael Ghazaryan and Lenser Aghalovyan
had met Serge Sargsian, academician Lenser Aghalovyan informed A1+.

They reflected on army problems.

"Armenia is a small country. We cannot afford a large army. We need
at least 5 milliard to keep the army," Sargsyan said.

Then the parties spoke about Lachin corridor.

Serge Sargsyan promised to do their utmost to preserve the 20 -25-km
corridor. Serge Sargsyan asked his guests not to raise a clamour over
the other liberated territories.

Lenser Aghalovyan and Rafael Ghazaryan promised Serge Sargsian not
to keep silent in case the territories were given back.

Regarding the policy on territories, the Armenian government’s policy
shows it is ready to return the territories, Lenser Aghalovyan
says. Otherwise, there is no explanation why the territories were
plundered and were not settled. "On the very next day of occupying
Shahumyan, Azerbaijan settled it. 13 years have passed. What have
we done? Has our country decided yet to keep or to return these
territories?

Our authorities’ actions show that they have decided to return these
territories. In fact, no point has been improved compared with the
document circulated since Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s office," Lenser
Aghalovyan says.

Orange County Business Journal, CA
June 3 2007

Culinary Child

Restaurant Owner Followed Idol’s Footsteps; Expanded With Bakery,
Cafe, More Locations

By Jessica C. Lee

In late 2001, Zov Karamardian’s dream came true.

Karamardian, owner of Zov’s Bistro, Bakery and Cafe in Tustin, hosted
a culinary concert with her idol, the late Julia Child, and famed
chef Emeril Lagasse, at her restaurant.

It was Child who inspired Karamardian to enter the culinary world.

Karamardian was one of five women honored at the Business Journal’s
13th annual Women in Business Award luncheon at the Hyatt Regency
Irvine on May 24.

What started out as a small, 1,500-square-foot cafe and bakery in the
1980s has grown to a 13,000-square-foot restaurant that includes
Zov’s Bistro, Zov’s Cafe and Bakery and a private banquet room.

Earlier this year, Karamardian opened a 3,200-square-foot restaurant
in Newport Coast. She said she plans to open another in Irvine in
November. She declined to disclose yearly sales for the business.

Her family – husband Gary, son Armen and daughter Taleene – helps run the
restaurants. She credits them for her accomplishments.

`I love working with my family,’ she said. `Each person does their
own thing. It’s harmonious.’

As a kid, Karamardian spent her afternoons watching and mimicking
Child – a cook, author and TV personality known for introducing French
cuisine to America – as she prepared this and that dish.

Mixing, marinating and baking with her idol, Karamardian, originally
from Israel, tattooed Child’s instructions into her brain along with
all of the Armenian family recipes she’s memorized since emigrating
from the Middle East to San Francisco in 1959.

She said she found solace in watching `The Julia Child Show.’ It made
assimilating to American culture easier, Karamardian said.

The culinary concert celebration wasn’t the last time Karamardian and
Child connected. They were friends the last 10 years of Child’s life
until she died in 2004, according to Karamardian.

`Cooking with Julia Child was incredible. She was such a wonderful
woman,’ she said. `I always watched Julia Child on television when I
was in high school and every day until she was off the air. She was
really the one (who taught) me how to cook.’

Karamardian, who started Zov’s Bistro, Bakery and Cafe in 1987, began
getting involved in national culinary groups.

It was through networking that she finally got to meet Child, who
eventually became her mentor, Karamardian said. Her memories with
Child are unforgettable, she said.

Karamardian’s been recognized with the Angel Award from the James
Beard Foundation in 2002. Her bakery’s been named one of the `Best
Bakeries in Southern California’ by Gourmet Magazine in 2001 and
`Best Bakery in America’ by the Food Network in 2004.

Such recognition has been surreal, Karamardian said. But she’s had
her share of challenges.

Karamardian started her business from scratch. She never went to
culinary school or worked in a restaurant, she said. Not to mention
she didn’t have any experience running a business, Karamardian said.

`Everything I have done for this restaurant has been from the school
of hard knocks,’ she said. `This whole business has been a great
journey. The success I have now is astonishing because the odds are
against you when you start. The only thing that made the difference
was passion. Passion is what drove me. It still drives me.’

For years, Zov’s was open Tuesday through Saturday. Now her two
restaurants serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner seven days a
week. She employs nearly 200 people and serves up to 1,200 customers
a day, she said.

Karamardian’s restaurants specialize in Middle Eastern and
Mediterranean comfort foods. Dishes include roasted rack of lamb with
mashed potatoes, baba ghanouj (pureed roasted eggplant with tahini,
lemon and olive oil), seafood and wild rice stuffed grape leaves and
tabouleh – a salad made of bulgar wheat, parsley, tomatoes and
cucumbers.

All of Zov’s meals are made from scratch with fresh produce, meats,
grains, seafood and olive oil, she said.

`The food here is comforting and it’s really balanced,’ she said.

Karamardian’s acclaimed culinary style has led her to teach cooking
classes at her restaurant and at Sur La Table in Newport Beach. It’s
even pushed her to self publish a cookbook in 2005, `Zov: Recipes and
Memories from the Heart,’ which is in its second printing.

Karamardian said she’s writing another cookbook about brunch. She
said she’s also focused on growing her two latest restaurants and
launching more cooking classes and speaker events.

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EUobserver
Vatican signals support for Turkey EU bid
31.05.2007 – 09:32 CET | By Lucia Kubosova

The Vatican has indicated it supports Turkish EU accession and acknowledged
Ankara’s progress toward democracy at a time when clouds of doubt are
gathering over Turkey enlargement inside the EU itself.

In an interview with Italian daily La Stampa, published on Wednesday (30
May), the Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said that if
"fundamental rules of cohabitation" are respected, building together a
common future is possible "also with [Turkey’s] entry in Europe."

"Turkey has come a long way and is still progressing. I mean there are
evolutions. There are obviously very different positions. But it is possible
to build a mutual dialogue within a framework of individuals, populations
and governments who respect the fundamental rules of living together," he
said.

The comments represent a shift in the Vatican’s position, which had
previously opposed Turkey’s EU entry on the basis the country’s cultural
roots are too different from those of mainland Europe.

Cardinal Bertone made his comments shortly before the world’s leading
Orthodox prelate, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople,
spoke out against the discrimination of Christians in Turkey, Italian media
say.

Religious minorities in the overwhelmingly Muslim country have developed
high hopes that religious freedoms would increase under EU pressure as
Turkey went through long negotiations to join the European Union club.

But in April three Christian publishers were murdered by radicals while a
Cyprus-related freeze on EU accession talks and the advent of French
president Sarkozy – who opposes Turkey’s EU entry – have seen Brussels’
pro-reform influence wane.

The Vatican itself does not have a clear record in its position on Turkey’s
possible EU membership.

Prior to his selection as Pope Benedict XVI, German Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger expressed concerns over the prospect, suggesting that,
historically, Turkey has never been part of Europe.

During his trip to Turkey last November, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan suggested that the Pope told him in a private conversation that he
did support Ankara’s EU membership, however.

At the time, Vatican officials did not directly confirm the reports but
admitted that they view the country’s European path "favourably."

BY GOVERNMENT-APPROVED STANDARDS, ONE DOCTOR TO SERVICE 50 ERDERLY PERSONS LIVING IN BOARDING HOMES

Noyan Tapan
May 31 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. At the May 31 sitting, the Armenian
government approved the minimum standards of care and social services
for foster children of orphanages, elderly people living in boarding
homes and disabled persons. Jemma Baghdasarian, Head of the Department
on Issues of Elderly and Disabled Persons of the RA Ministry of Labor
and Social Issues, told reporters that these standards have been set
for all types of organizations, including for orphanges and boarding
homes. According to her, there are 4 state boarding homes and 2
private ones in Armenia: 1,000 and 90 erderly people respectively
live in them. There are also 8 state and 6 non-state orphanages.

J. Baghdasarian said that food norms have been developed along
with the respective inspection of the RA Ministry of Health, with
peculiarities of each age group being taken into account. Particularly,
elderly persons must daily receive food containing 2,100 kilocalories,
one doctor must service 50 elderly persons, etc. Besides, norms of
clothing and linen have been established.

AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT’S DEBATES FOCUS ON STATE OF MEDIA

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2007

The next meeting of Azerbaijani Parliament started today, APA reports.

The parliamentarians focused on the state of freedom of expression
and press in the country most of all during the debate of current
problems. Parliamentarians Sabir Rustamkhanli, Panah Huseyn, Igbal
Agazadeh, Gudret Hasanguliyev and others said they were anxious about
the group of journalists’ seeking asylum from foreign countries. They
said such activity of journalists damages the international image
of the country. The parliamentarians reminding summer session of
Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe will start stated that
the problems in media should be solved by the session.

Vice-speaker of the Parliament Ziyafat Asgarov asserting the speech
of parliamentarians stressed that several journalists used it as a
campaign and try to derive benefit from it.

MP Sayavush Novruzov accused the journalists who appeal to foreign
countries to make show.

"There are several journalists who present themselves as the
representatives of other nations for seeking asylum from foreign
countries. And why only the journalists of the same newspapers claim
that there is not freedom of expression in Azerbaijan? The journalists
of the other newspapers would claim on it, if there was not freedom
of expression in Azerbaijan. On the other hand, several political
parties want to be popular by making use the state of media," he said.

MP Panah Huseyn welcomed lifting the ban on azan with loudspeakers.

Commenting on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s opinion "The
alternative of the peace is war" said that they debated this issue
with several NGOs.

"We decided that all the political forces should demonstrate national
solidarity," he said.

Huseyn also initiated the proposal of holding closed debate in
Parliament regarding the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev addressing the meeting proposed to raise the
salary of parliamentarians.

Sayavush Novruzov proposed amending the draft on "Freedom of religious
faith". The parliamentarian said that amendments should be made to
draft on holding religious ceremonies.

DELEGATION LED BY MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF POLAND ARRIVES IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
May 29 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation led by Minister of
Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland is arriving in Armenia
on May 29 on a two-day visit. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed
about it from Information and Public Relations Department of RA
Police. For the present, we have not managed to receive information
about Minister’s meetings within the framework of the visit and the
goal of his visit.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN CITIES’ ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS LAUNCHED IN ARMENIA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 29 2007

YEREVAN, May 29. /ARKA/. An international youth conference focused
on environmental problems of cities sitting in mountainous terrain
launched Tuesday in Armenia.

Vilen Hakobyan, a member of the board of Armenian National Academy of
Sciences said the conference is focused on solution of two problems –
environment protection and succession of scientists breeds.

In his words, transition period’s difficulties affected such sensitive
areas as science and environment protection.

Hakobyan said that science and environment protection areas had been
fallen into neglect over the years of transition.

"Succession of scientists breeds is very pressing problem in all
post-soviet republics. Such conferences inspire hope that this sequence
won’t be interrupted and CIS common scientific space will be preserved.

The conference will last until. Some 100 young scientists from Russia,
Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, Germany,
Norway and Israel are present at the event. The conference is organized
by Center of Ecologic and Noosphere Studies, OSCE and UNESCO Yerevan
office.

"WHAT A DISGRACE!"

A1+
[05:09 pm] 25 May, 2007

Human rights defenders, civil society activists and representatives
of political organizations held a debate at the Pressing Club on May
25 on the arrest of Alexander Arzumanyan.

"The arrest of Alexander Arzumanyan, the former Foreign Minister
of Armenia, on alleged charges of money laundering is unprecedented
because no other citizen of Armenia has ever been accused of getting
a transfer," says Vardan Harutiunyan, a human rights activist.

"Alexander Arzumanyan’s arrest is groundless, and there is no
evidence," said Vahe Grigoryan, Arzumanyan’s attorney. Davit
Shahnazaryan shares his opinion, and endorses Alexander Arzumanyan’s
refusal to interrogation.

The participants of the debate agree it is clear persecution,
connected with the Civil Disobedience Movement initiated by Alexander
Arzumanyan. Larissa Alaverdyan, the defender of human rights, stated
that Alexander Arzumanyan was arrested in an effort to threaten the
society, it was a challenge to the society. The participants of the
debate agreed to this and therefore they underlined the importance of
consolidation of the civil society to stop the government and put an
end to arbitrariness. Davit Shahnazaryan suggested coordinating the
public, political and civil support to Alexander Arzumanyan.

The participants of the debate decided to adopt a statement addressing
the relevant government agencies, including RoA President Robert
Kocharuian, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and the National Security
Service, urging to set Alexander Arzumanyan free. All the NGOs
are welcome to sign the statement. The statement will be titled,
"Release Alexandre Arzumanyan immediately and stop legal procedure."

To remind, Alexander Arzumanyan was detained on May 7.

He is accused of money laundering. On May 10 Court of First Instance
chose two months’ imprisonment as a restraint.