Author: Nanijanian Alex

Persian Journal, Iran
April 14 2005

Iran, Armenia boost consular co-operation
Apr 14, 2005, 14:51

The first joint consular meeting between Iran and Armenia was held in
Yerevan on Thursday. The meeting held concurrently with the current
visit of the Iranian foreign ministry’s director general in charge of
consular affairs Rasoul Mohajer, studied social affairs of Iranian
and Armenian nationals in both countries as well as consular issues.

In the first round of talks, the two sides underlined the important
role of such meetings in promoting good-will among neighboring
countries.

In the two-day meeting a number of issues concerning social affairs,
residence of Iranian and Armenian nationals, easing formalities for
issuance of visas, education and transportation are to be discussed
by the two sides.

Both sides underlined that having good-will in developing ties in
various fields and the historical commonalties shared by the two
countries are considered as suitable back-up for deepening of
suchties.

The Armenian side, for his part, called the presence of Iranian
university students in Armenia as very effective and underlined that
the Yerevan government is to provide them with their required
facilities.

The Iranian delegation is scheduled to confer with a number of
Armenian officials on issues of mutual interests.

Orange County Register , CA
April 14 2005

Hambarian defense lawyer denounces accusers

The former trash executive is charged with bilking the city of Orange
out of $4.3 million.

By JIT FONG CHIN
The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA – Jeffrey Hambarian negotiated good deals for the city of
Orange as a trash executive and was wrongly implicated in crime by
unreliable people and individuals with whom he had personally
clashed, his attorney told a jury today.

Mark Geragos, whose high-profile clients have included Winona Ryder,
Scott Peterson and Michael Jackson, portrayed Hambarian’s late
father, Sam, as an hardworker who built a trash empire on the values
of frugality and honesty.

Hambarian, 50, is so similar to his father, it was as though he
`falls out of your father’s nose,’ Geragos said, invoking an Armenian
saying during his opening statement.

Hambarian, arrested in 1998, is accused of bilking the city of Orange
of $4.3 million by underreporting revenue and inflating costs when he
was an executive in family-owned Orange Disposal Service and Orange
Resource Recovery Systems. He has pleaded not guilty to 57 charges,
including fraud, money laundering and commercial bribery.

After Geragos concluded, the 12 jurors and six alternatives started
watching 20 hours of taped testimony from Pat Augimeri, who said he
cashed checks for Hambarian at several stores owned by Augimeri’s
family.

`He was taking money from his company and putting it in his pocket,
as far as I could see. I didn’t ask much about it, but that’s what I
surmised,’ said Augimeri, who was 87 and sick with emphysema when the
testimony was recorded in 2000.

Hambarian’s trial will continue Monday and Tuesday, then pause until
April 18.

Sun-Sentinel.com, FL
April 14 2005

Farina Gargantag (Armenian Almond and Farina Cake)

This moist almond cake, enriched and flavored with a lemony sugar
syrup, is an Armenian specialty. The recipe comes from the Armenian
enclave of Watertown, Mass. Try adding 1/2 teaspoon rose water to

Cake Batter:

5 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (about 4 ounces) coarse-chopped blanched or natural almonds
Grated zest of 1 medium lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups farina or cream of wheat
1 tablespoon baking powder

Lemon Syrup:

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, strained
24 whole blanched almonds, for garnish

To make batter: Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan and line bottom with a
rectangle of buttered parchment or waxed paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment,
whip eggs and sugar on medium-high speed 3 or 4 minutes until light.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in melted butter, almonds, lemon
zest, vanilla and cinnamon, one at a time. Stir in farina or ceam of
wheat mixed with baking powder.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake on middle rack
of preheated 350-degree oven about 45 minutes, or until cake is firm
to touch and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool
cake in pan on a rack.

To make syrup: Bring 1 cup water and sugar to a boil in a nonreactive
medium saucepan, stirring occasionally to make sure sugar dissolves.
Remove pan from heat and allow syrup to cool to lukewarm. Stir in
lemon juice.

To finish, cut cooled cake into strips, then across diagonally into
diamonds. Pour warm syrup over cake and allow to cool completely.

Top each piece of cake with an almond. To serve, use a narrow offset
spatula or cake server to remove pieces of cake from pan. Drizzle any
syrup left in pan on pieces of cake when you serve them. Store cake
in pan, covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. Makes about 24
small servings.

Per serving: 265 calories, 38 percent calories from fat, 11 grams
total fat, 64 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams saturated fat, 4 grams
protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, .92 gram total fiber, 63 milligrams
sodium, 25 grams total sugars.

Dawn, Pakistan
April 13 2005

Accord to boost political ties with Azerbaijan: Common stand on UNSC
expansion

Dawn.com 13/04/2005 20:40

ISLAMABAD, April 12: Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Tuesday voiced a
common stand on the UN Security Council expansion while President
Ilham Aliyev supported Islamabad’s efforts aimed at resolving the
Kashmir dispute with New Delhi for durable peace and security in the
region.

In formal talks, the two sides vowed to build on their ‘excellent’
political ties and develop sound bilateral trade and economic
cooperation through increased interaction between their private
sectors.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf and the visiting Azeri leader also
renewed a call for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. “We share views on the
expansion of UN Security Council,” Gen Musharraf remarked in
post-talks interaction with reporters.

Pakistan has been advocating against creation of new centres of
privilege at the Security Council. Mr Aliyev stressed the need for
resolving both the Kashmir and Nagorno-Karabakh disputes.

“Both the Kashmir and Nagorno-Karabakh disputes need to be addressed
and the international community owes a role in regard with
achievement of that end for sustainable peace and progress of the
region,” he emphasized.

President Musharraf expressed gratitude for Baku’s continuous support
on the Kashmir dispute and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unequivocal and
unstinting support for Azerbaijan on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Justice must be done and justice, we feel, is on the side of
Azerbaijan,” he said and added that Pakistan would support Baku on
all international fora. Mr Aliyev also backed Pakistan’s crucial role
in the fight against terrorism and underscored the need for the world
community to forge a common stand on addressing the menace of
extremism.

“Undoubtedly, Pakistan’s role in the counter-terror drive has been
crucial, but the entire international community should contribute to
these efforts as only by united efforts, can the world combat
terror,” he asserted.

He called for doing away with a contrasting international approach to
defining terrorism. “There should be a uniform criterion to define
terrorism.” Answering a question, the two leaders called for a
peaceful and negotiated settlement of Iran’s nuclear issue.

President Musharraf identified tourism, science and technology and
education as areas promising wider bilateral cooperation. “We have a
desire to strengthen our political relations and make them
broad-based, covering economic, education, tourism, trade and
culture. Pakistan looks forward to strong ties with brothers in
Azerbaijan.”

The private sectors of the two countries, he said, should identify
areas of collaboration and have increased bilateral interaction.
President Musharraf also said that Pakistan was open to cooperation
in defence training and production.

President Aliyev said Pakistan and Azerbaijan were brotherly
countries, which sincerely desired improved relations to the mutual
benefit of both peoples. He said Azerbaijan considered it important
to forge closer ties with Pakistan which, he added, had great
regional and international importance.

He said President Musharraf’s visit to Azerbaijan last year had
imparted a new strength to the bilateral ties. The two countries are
expected to sign agreements on Wednesday on communication,
information technology and education.

Armenpress

URUGUAY HAS BEEN MOST DEVOTED SUPPORTER OF INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS: Uruguay was not only the first nation to
officially recognize the Armenian genocide back in 1965 when Armenians were
marking its 50-th anniversary but has been also showing an unreserved
assistance to its international recognition over the last forty years.
The country’s parliament keeps an extensive file of various resolutions,
statements and other official documents made in support of the rightful
cause of Armenians.
A year ago, Raffi Hunanian, a young member of Montevideo’s city council,
proposed that one of its streets be named 1915 April 24. The council
considered his motion on March 30 and decided instead to call one of the
busiest squares of the capital The Square of Armenian Genocide. A special
monument dedicated to the genocide victims will be erected and unveiled on
April 22.

A1plus

| 19:13:38 | 11-04-2005 | Social |

WHAT ABOUT THE REPORT BEFORE THE NATIVE PARLIAMENT?

Larissa Alaverdyan, the RA Defender of Human Rights, will leave for Geneva
on April 12 to take part in the 61st session of the UN Human Rights
Committee. The RA Ombudsman will make a report and will take part in the
discussion with the theme `The National Institutions of the Ombudsman and
the Regional Cooperation’.

Alongside with it the 16th session of the Human Rights defense regulating
international Committee is being organized. During the session the role of
the Human Rights National Institutions in the Human Rights Committee and
other UN structures will be discussed.

Issues concerning migration, national minorities and child violence are also
included in the agenda.

By the way, let us also remind you that in the NA 4-day session which
started today the report of the RA Ombudsman is included about the problem
of the Defense of Human Rights in Armenia.

A1plus

14:36:23 | 11-04-2005 | Politics |

US DEFENSE MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN BAKU

Tomorrow the US Defense Minister Donald Rumsfeld will arrive in Baku to hold
negotiations about the allocation of the US movable groups of quick
reaction. By the way, this is the third visit of the American official to
Azerbaijan. This time Donald Rumsfeld will meet the Azerbaijani officials.

It is anticipated that the main aim of the meeting is to make decisions
about issues about which arrangements have been made during the visit of
General Charles Wold, Deputy Commander of the UA Armed Forces in Europe. The
issue refers to the allocation of the US movable groups of quick reaction in
the area of Azerbaijan.

Official Baku has already agreed, several details are left to be cleared
out, and Azerbaijan must name a date. But USA has doubts that Azerbaijan
hesitates to take the last step – to give the answer.

The information was given by the agency «Regnum».

PUTIN RECEIVES LEADERS OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA IN SOCHI

AZG Armenian Daily #063, 09/04/2005

Region

The Russian mass media informed that Russian President Vladimir Putin
had “an absolutely closed, i.e. secret” meeting with the leaders of
Abkhazia and south Ossetia in his Sochi residence. Putin met with
Sergey Baghapish and Eduard Kokoyti after having met with Javier
Solana, Coordinator of EU Foreign Policy and Security.

Georgian President refused Moscow’s offer to meet with Baghapish
and Kokoyti despite the mediation of Putin. The Georgian mass media
informed that Mikheil Saakashvili stated that he “is never going to
meet with Kokoyti and Baghapish in Sochi.” “If they want to meet me,
all right. I can give them the telephone numbers of my home and office
in Tbilisi. They may visit me,” he said.

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER WRAPS UP ARMENIAN VISIT

   YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS: Wrapping up a two-day visit to
Armenia, Lithuanian defense minister Gediminas Kirkilas told a news
conference today that his government welcomes Armenia’s drive to
build closer relations with the EU and NATO and its integration with
Euro-Atlantic organizations.
   “Lithuania has always been in favor of good and friendly relations
with the South Caucasus,” he said, adding also that his first
official visit to Armenia made him see that Armenia is moving
gradually towards a clear-cut definition of its strategic objectives.
   He said Armenia’s participation in NATO-sponsored events is very
important and welcomed Armenia’s decision to send a peace-keeping
mission to Iraq.
   His Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian said they had discussed a
wide range of bilateral issues.
   Kirkilas also visited the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan to pay
respect to 1.5 million Armenians killed by the government of the
Ottoman Turkey between 1915-1923.
   “Politicians have to work hard so that no genocides happen in
future,” he said, adding that the Armenian genocide must be condemned
by all civilized nations. He also said Lithuania’s foreign ministry
should look into whether his government could recognize it
officially.
   Before leaving Armenia, Kirkilas was also received by prime
minister Andranik Margarian and foreign minister Vartan Oskanian.

–Boundary_(ID_5UQIlhBtfwQlQz9qDvWaWA)–

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 30 2005

Hearings on Upper Garabagh conflict begin in Armenian parliament

Baku, March 29, AssA-Irada

Two-day hearings, `Upper Garabagh conflict and ways of its
settlement’, began in the Armenian parliament on Tuesday.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said during the discussions
that `one should take courage and confess that the Upper Garabagh
conflict may be settled on mutual concessions and on condition that
peace talks continue with participation of the leadership of Upper
Garabagh’.
Oskanian said that concessions should be generated during the peace
talks. `If I say that we are ready to make certain concessions, then
I will disclose the cards because this is Upper Garabagh that cannot
be an enclave. We cannot expose the population of Upper Garabagh to
danger. We can make concessions on other points,’ Oskanian said.
A draft statement on Upper Garabagh’s independence from Azerbaijan
will be discussed during the hearings as well. Aram Sarkisian, the
leader of the Armenian Democrat Party, said that the document will be
presented to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the European Union
member states and Armenian embassies in foreign countries after it is
approved by the Armenian parliament.
The Armenian President’s national security adviser Garnik Isagulian,
Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian, and former Russian co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov, who held the position from 1992
till 1996, as well as representatives of international organizations
and foreign embassies accredited in the country, are attending the
hearings.*