Uzbekistan ratifies 31 EurAsEC accords
UzReport.com, Uzbekistan
21.09.2006 14:59:33
Uzbekistan has ratified 31 out of 74 Eurasian Economic Community
(EurAsEC) agreements, EurAsEC Secretary General Grigory Rapota told
Interfax in Astana on Thursday.
“Uzbekistan has signed 31 EurAsEC accords, and there are still 43
documents to be ratified,” he said.
The resolution of the EurAsEC Interstate Council dated 25 January
“affirmed Uzbekistan’s full-scale political membership in the
community,” Rapota said.
“It may de facto become a fully-fledged member of the organization by
the end of the year, if all EurAsEC agreements are ratified,” he said.
EurAsEC was established on 10 October 2000, and comprises Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan entered
the organization on 25 January 2006. Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia
hold observer status at the organization.

Number of U.S. Politicians Stand Against Hoagland’s Nomination
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2006 14:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
thinks that Senator Robert Menendez’s position will be endorsed by
the other Senate members, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian
told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, not only the Senate
but also other U.S. politicians stand against Hoagland’s nomination
for U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.
“Although it’s the President who takes the decision, he cannot appoint
a new Ambassador without the Senate’s approval. If the Senators
determine to freeze the process of appointment several questions will
arouse. The first and the most important question is whether President
Bush intends to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to what extent the
candidate is appropriate for the post. Richard Hoagland himself should
voice his position on the Armenian Genocide and finally, the President
Administration should comment on the concern of the Turkish government
and its role in the Genocide recognition issue and appointment of
Ambassador to Armenia,” the ANCA Executive Director underscored.

Trend
Today 21.09.2006
Venice Commission to discuss law “On freedom of assembly” in Azerbaijan on 13-14 October
Source: Trend
Author: A.Ismaylova
21.09.2006
68th Plenary Session of the Venice Commission will be held on October
13-14, Trend reports with reference to the statement of the Venice
Commission.
The next session of the Venice Commission is expected to discuss the
issue of upgrading the law “On freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan”. Such
decision was made on September 19 in Baku at the conference held with
the participation of the representatives of Azerbaijan government,
experts of OSCE and Venice Commission, and discussions were held
on the implementation mechanism of the law “On freedom of assembly
in Azerbaijan”.
In addition, during the conference it was decided to create a working
group consisting of the representatives of the Azerbaijani government,
experts of OSCE Baku and Venice Commission, which will begin its
activities after the next session of the Venice Commission. The
working group will prepare its proposals regarding improvement of
the same legislation in Azerbaijan.
The previous 67th session of the Venice Commission was held on June
9-10, 2006. During the session, a joint statement of the Venice
Commission and OSCE regarding the electoral legislation in Armenia,
Georgia and Macedonia was heard.
69th session of the Venice Commission will be held on December 15-16.

Santa Cruz Sentinel, CA
September 20, 2006
Family recipes mined for Armenian cookbook
By Terri Morgan
Sentinel correspondent
Hungry for some more Russian-style dishes but don’t
have time, energy or inclination to drive up to San
Francisco and your favorite Russian restaurant? The
Ladies Society of St. Andrew Armenian Church of
Cupertino has just what you need. “New Armenian
Kitchen” is loaded with recipes that capture the
flavor of Armenia, Russia and other countries that
made up the former Soviet Union.
The idea for the cookbook was cooked up back in 1999
by an Aptos woman. Veronica Sarkissian, a longtime
member of the church, was one of many volunteers who
helped put together fundraising dinners at St. Andrew.
Tired of regularly cooking – and cleaning up – for a
crowd, she started looking around for a longer-lasting
and less labor-intensive fundraising project. She put
together a cookbook committee, and, with the help of
10 other volunteers, convinced members of their
congregation to contribute their favorite family
recipes for the cookbook.
“Some recipes are more Russian, while some are more
Armenian,” Sarkissian said. “The cookbook includes a
compilation of recipes from about 100 people,
including several family recipes passed down” through
the generations.
“Those familiar with Armenian cooking know that
Armenians have adopted food recipes from neighboring
countries and cultures and from wherever they have
emigrated – primarily the Middle East,” Sarkissian
wrote in the cookbook’s preface. “These recipes
represent many regional influences.”
The cookbook was also designed for modern households,
she noted. Some of the recipes include shortcuts, like
using canned tomato sauce, Crisco shortening, or soup
from cans or mixes.
The cookbook includes a wide range of recipes, from
appetizers through desserts, including cucumber and
other salads, borsch and other soups, chicken Kiev and
other main courses, and beer bread and other baked
goods. It also includes a wealth of information about
Armenia, which is located between Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Iran. The pages are peppered with Armenian
proverbs, and a mealtime prayer is printed – in both
Armenian and English – opposite the table of contents.
Contact Terri Morgan at
[email protected].
If You Buy
WHAT: ‘New Armenian Kitchen.’
WHERE: St. Andrew Ladies Society, 11370 S. Stelling
Road, Cupertino, CA 95014, or on Amazon.com.
price: The new edition of the cookbook retails for
$16.95. However, the online bookstore still has some
older editions available for less.
Armenian recipes
Recipes from “The New Armenian Kitchen.”
BABA GHANNOUJ
Recipe from Apri Haleblian
1 lg. eggplant
1 lemon, squeezed
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsps. tahine
Salt, to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Cut holes into the eggplant, broil it until done (it
shrivels), prick with a fork, it should be soft
inside. Peel the eggplant, remove the pulp. Add lemon
juice, garlic (mashed), tahine and salt and blend
well. Put in a bowl. Add olive oil on top, decorate
with parsley leaves. Chill and serve as an appetizer.
Tastes good with pocket bread.
CHICKPEA PILAF
>>From Veronica Sarkissian
1 cup rice (long grain)
½ cup vermicelli, broken up
¼ cup butter
2 cups chicken broth
1-15 oz. can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
Brown vermicelli in butter. Add rice, warmed broth and
chickpeas. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about
20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring
occasionally. Fluff with fork and serve.
POTATO CANDY
>>From Lucille M. Kuririan
1 sm. potato, peeled
1 pkg. powdered sugar
1 pkg. coconut
½ tsp. vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
Boil a very small potato until it is tender. Mash well
and add powdered sugar until it is thick enough to
spread in an 8-by-8-inch pan. Add coconut and vanilla.
Pat down. Cover with melted chocolate. Cool and cut
into squares.
–Boundary_(ID_npMbbsSdlPUAJhdtsfmd9w)–

Jordan News Agency (Petra), Jordan
20/09/2006 16:24:18
King Congratulates President of Armenia
/0013/
For papers use only
Amman, Sept. 20 (Petra)– His Majesty King Abdullah II on Wednesday
sent a cable to President Robert S.
Kocharian of the Republic of Armenia congratulating him in his name
and on behalf of the Jordanian people and government on the occasion
of his country’s Independence Day.
The King wished the president continued good health and happiness
and the people of Armenia further progress and prosperity.
//Petra// Ashkar
20/09/2006 16:24:18

Andrzej Kasprzyk Continues Talks on Fires in Karabakh
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.09.2006 19:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Personal representative of the OSCE CiO Andrzej
Kasprzyk will arrive in Baku October 3.
After participation the talks of the OSCE MG Co-chairs Kasprzyk
returned to Vienna to continue talks on the fires in NKR and the
territories adjacent to it. The Ambassador said he holds meetings in
the appropriate OSCE structures and then will depart for Azerbaijan.
The negotiations with the conflicting parts will be launched soon,
afterwards the date of arrival of the expert group will be determined,
reported Trend news agency.

French President Congratulated Armenian People on 15th Anniversary of Independence
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.09.2006 18:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ French President Jacques Chirac sent a congratulatory
address to the RA President and Armenian people on occasion of the
15th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. The message says in part,
“I congratulate you and the Armenian people with this national holiday
and wish happiness, prosperity and success. It’s especially pleasant
for me that the 15th anniversary of independence coincided with the
Year of Armenia in France. I am very glad that the event initiated
by us has become a reality within less than 2 years. The events that
will be held in various regions of France will confirm the fraternal
ties between our states. Soon I will have the pleasure to see you in
Yerevan,” reported the press unit of the French Embassy in Yerevan.

DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH HEAD OF NATO’S COOPERATION
AND REGIONAL SECURITY DIVISION
[September 20, 2006, 13:25:01]
AzerTag
September 20, 2006
Defense Minister, Colonel-General Safar Abiyev met September 19
with Head of the NATO’s Cooperation and Regional Security Division,
Vice-Admiral Deniz Kutluk and his accompanying delegation.
Mr. Kutluk praised the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and
NATO, adding he believes these relations will further strengthen.
Safar Abiyev said Azerbaijan has been cooperating with NATO since
1994 under the Partnership for Peace program, adding since 2004 this
cooperation has continued under the NATO’s Individual Partnership
Action Plan.
The Minister also spoke of the military and political situation in the
region including the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Deniz Kutluk stressed the importance of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy
in settlement of this dispute.

PROSECUTOR GENERAL MEETS WITH TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL’S REGIONAL
DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
AzerTag
September 20, 2006
[September 20, 2006, 15:25:22]
Prosecutor General of the Azerbaijan Republic Zakir Garalov has met
with the visiting Transparency International’s Regional Director for
Europe and Central Asia Miklos Marschall.
Zakir Garalov expressed gratitude for the attention shown by
the organization Transparency International, the world’s largest
anti-corruption organization, informed the visitor in detail on the
measures taken in this sphere under the leadership of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev.
The Prosecutor General noted that Azerbaijan has acceded to a
number of Conventions of the Council of Europe in the mentioned
sphere, especially underlining the “State Program on Combat Against
Corruption”.
Having noted, that special value in combat against this dangerous
phenomenon is given to establishment of close contacts with public
organizations and nongovernmental structures, the Prosecutor General
has emphasized importance of cooperation with the organization
functioning in the country “International Transparency- Azerbaijan”.
Having noted, that the international organizations highly value
strengthening anti-corruption measures in Azerbaijan, Miklos Marschall
emphasized the necessity for further steps in this direction.
The guest expressed hope that Azerbaijan, though encountering problems
caused by occupant policy of Armenia, would become a developed country
soon. The international organizations will assist the country in this,
Mr. Marschall stressed.
Secretary of the Commission on combat against corruption under the
Public Service Administration Council Inam Kerimov and Executive
Director of “International Transparency” Azerbaijan Section Rena
Safaraliyeva took part in action.

Epam Systems acquires Vested Development Inc
Ovum, UK
ovum.com
Cornelia Wels-Maug
Yesterday, Epam Systems, the US-headquartered software engineering
outsourcing provider, announced its merger with Russian software
company Vested Development Inc. (VDI). The new entity will have more
than 2,200 staff spread across eight countries and will operate under
the Epam Systems name, with combined revenues of around $70m. Arkadiy
Dobkin, Epam’s CEO and co-founder, will continue in his role; Anatoly
Gaverdovsky, VDI’s CEO, will be heading Epam’s Russian operation.
Comment: Epam, founded in 1993 in Princeton, NJ, by Belarusian
Arkadiy Dobkin, heads the “Global Services 100” list of the top-five IT
outsourcing providers in Central and Eastern Europe for the second time
in a row this year. Though headquartered in the US, it has offshore
development facilities in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Hungary.
Epam is very much aware of the strong competition from India, and
it has responded by establishing presence in the geographies where
the majority of its clients are based (95% of its clients are in
North America and Western Europe). These sites host sales teams
as well as software engineers, but the majority of its development
facilities are offshore in Eastern Europe. Recognising the growing
demand for outsourcing services from Western Europe, particularly
the UK, Germany (which generated 17% of 2005 revenues) and France,
it responded by setting up offices in the UK in 2005 and in Germany in
January 2006. To strengthen its delivery capabilities, Epam invested
further in its offshore development centres and established the “first
of several engineering centres of excellence” in Ukraine at the end
of 2005. Though starting off with around 40 staff, Epam intends to
raise headcount here to 200 by the end of this year.
However, Dobkin is acutely aware that Epam’s 1,700 or so employees
do not give it the needed size and scalability and has openly hinted
at more acquisitions. The last one in 2004, of Hungarian Fathom
Technologies, has worked out successfully.
Its recent acquisition of VDI, which has 500 staff, seems a good
fit in terms of business compatibility. VDI, established in 1993,
is a global onsite and offshore software development provider with
offices in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and the US. Their combined product
portfolios are complimentary and will enhance both companies’ sales
and marketing activities as well as their development capabilities.