Fresh apricots there for the picking
Mail Tribune, OR
July 19 2006
By REBECCA WOOD
For those who have dallied amid apricot trees bearing ripe fruit,
it makes perfect sense that nectar was the drink of the gods.
Though my Oxford English Dictionary does not associate the apricot
with nectar, common usage does, and it’s an association that I have
never doubted.
These aromatic, sensuous, buttery fruits originated in Armenia and
were purportedly brought to the West by Alexander the Great. The word
apricot is from the Latin, praecoquum, and means “early ripe.”
The best apricots are plump, juicy and soft. Their malic and citric
acid content give a lemony, plum-like flavor to this otherwise sweet
fruit. It’s a cousin to peaches, plums, almonds and cherries.
For an apricot to have a good flavor, it must be fully ripe when
picked; it then keeps no more than a few days. This explains why
most of the commercial crop are canned, preserved or dried and only
8 percent are available fresh.
Advertisement
We’re fortunate to have a local and organic U-Pick orchard – Valley
View Orchards in Ashland. They provide the buckets, and you can
harvest your own or purchase already-picked apricots.
Call 488-2840 for directions and hours. Valley View Orchards kindly
provides shady picnic tables for customers. So indulge yourself
for an afternoon of pleasure. Should you miss the apricot season,
the nectarine and peach season are close at hand.
Look for apricots during early summer and purchase those that yield
to a light touch and are golden all over with a rosy blush. Avoid
firm apricots with traces of green – they’ll remain sour.
Also avoid those that are overly soft, bruised, wilted or shriveled,
as they quickly decay. Handle apricots tenderly, as they bruise easily
and bruising causes rapid spoiling.
Apricots are delicious both raw and cooked. Raw, enjoy them out of
hand or add them to chutney, salsa, fresh fruit soup, smoothies,
sorbet, ice cream, salad or yogurt dishes or use as a garnish.
Cooked apricots enhance pies, cakes, crumbles and quick breads and can
be canned, candied or stewed. Their sweet-but-tart flavor compliments
meat – traditionally pork, veal and poultry. Substitute apricots
freely for peaches, mangos, papaya or nectarines.
Unlike the skin of apples or peaches, apricot skins are so tender
that they don’t require peeling. Once pitted, a squeeze of lemon
juice prevents the flesh from darkening.
Refrigerate apricots to prevent over-ripening and plan to use them
as quickly as possible. To heighten their flavor, however, serve at
room temperature.
Apricots have laxative properties. As their bright orange color
indicates, they’re an excellent source of beta carotene an antioxidant
that may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Apricots are an excellent source of copper, cobalt and iron. These
minerals make them medicinal for blood-related disorders such as
anemia, acne, toxemia and tuberculosis.
Apricot kernels are a good source of amygdaline. This controversial
compound is thought to prevent cancer. It’s also known as vitamin
B-17 and laetrile.
In excess, however, the kernels may
be poisonous, so use with caution. See
ries/02life.htm.

Azerbaijan to participate at special session of South Caucasian Parliamentary Assembly
Source: Trend
19.07.2006
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
On July 21-22, the special session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
South Caucasian countries will be held in London, PM Siyavush Novruzov,
head of the Azerbaijani delegation in South Caucasian PA and also
the deputy executive secretary of New Azerbaijan Party, told Trend.
The reason for the conducting of the special session is justified
through the absence of Armanian delegation at the previous session.
The Armenian delegation didn’t attend that session due to the
contradiction within the country. The special session will focus on
transferring the chairman authorities to Armenia. And Armenia will
present the action plan for the next six months.
Novruzov noted that the composition of Azerbaijani delegation for
the next session of South Caucasian PA hasn’t been defined yet. “The
composition will be appointed in he near future and we always actively
participate in discussions and the agenda, taking part in this special
session,” he added.

Stranded in Beirut
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
July 19 2006
Valley-area residents wait to escape war zone BY LISA VAN PROYEN,
Special to the Daily News
BEIRUT – With thunderous bomb blasts shaking the buildings, Glendale
resident George Kesablak spent Tuesday at the U.S. Embassy, sweltering
in the heat and worrying about when his family would escape the war
zone. “I’m here every day – 9 to 5, `working’ – just like in the
States, huh? Working 9 to 5, waiting for the boat, the rescue. We
have to be home.
“I have my family, my child and my business.”
Kesablak, an agent at a Verizon retail store in Van Nuys, and his
family were among more than 100 Americans who swarmed the embassy
in Awkar, about 10 miles northeast of Beirut, hoping to escape the
escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Another American citizen, Suzy Ayzoukian, 35, who moved eight years
ago from Woodland Hills to Rabieh, Lebanon, was among those at the
embassy, pleading to be evacuated to safety.
“There’s just no information. They’re taking their time,” she said
of the U.S. government, which came under fierce criticism Tuesday
for its evacuation effort.
Ayzoukian fled Lebanon during a civil war in 1984. She lived in
Woodland Hills before returning to the Mideast in 1998.
With the battle escalating between Israel and the Hezbollah guerrillas,
she plans to return to Woodland Hills to live near her parents.
“Our building is shaking” under the pounding of Israeli airstrikes,
she said. “It was so unexpected and it’s really not fair. The people
are suffering and it’s not right.”
Born and raised in Beirut, Kesablak left Lebanon 28 years ago during
an earlier civil war. His family sought refuge in Kuwait, then moved
to Glendale 25 years ago.
This year, he and his wife, Maral, 39, decided to return to his
homeland with their 3-year-old, Grace, for a five-day family visit.
“I wanted to see the city because people said it’s beautiful here,”
said Maral, an Armenian who was raised a Christian and grew up
peacefully in Israel.
“But now it’s shocking. My daughter cries all the time. You hear
the blasts.
“It stresses you out. I will never come back here.”
Of the airstrikes pounding nearby, Kesablak said: “I tell my daughter
it’s the rain, the lightning.”
The Kesablaks arrived July 11, the day before unrest began. They
checked into a comfortable hotel, visited a nightclub, ate falafel
and shawarma at local restaurants and basked in the hospitality of
the Lebanese people.
“It was awesome. Everybody is happy. We have a nice hotel, nice people
around us. Then, everything changed suddenly,” said Kesablak, 42.
By their second day, the relentless bombardment began. Kesablak’s
hotel shakes with each bomb dropped near Beirut. Car alarms ring
through the night.
Beirut International Airport was among the first sites to be hit,
stranding some 25,000 Americans.
“We started hearing the bombs. That’s something new for us,” he said.
“We were very, very scared. The hotel staff said, `It’s no problem.”‘
Kesablak went immediately to the U.S. Embassy, where he and other
Americans are routinely told through fliers and e-mails: “The embassy
is monitoring the situation in Lebanon closely and is reviewing all
options for assisting Americans who wish to depart Lebanon.”
At the embassy Tuesday afternoon, an American official repeatedly
informed those desperately wanting to leave that help was on the way,
but that “negotiations” among the American, Israeli and Lebanese
governments are in force to assure safe passage by ship to Cypress.
Some Americans instead opted to take back roads to Damascus, which
the embassy reported via Internet are “subject to an airstrike at
any time.”
Friends are helping Kesablak book a one-way flight from Cypress to
Kuwait – a flight that ordinarily costs him and his family $1,000 will
now cost $5,000. From Kuwait, they will travel back to Los Angeles.
“We don’t know why this is happening, but we know we’re caught in it
and we cannot leave. For us, it’s very, very scary. I just want to
go home,” Kesablak said, adding a plea to the American government:
“Help get us out of here. What’s going to happen? What if a bomb
hits us?”

“Zerkalo”: Positive Regulation of Nagorno Garabagh Conflict Requires Definite Time
Democratic Azerbaijan
July 19 2006
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan declared it
underling that Armenian part should refuse non-constructive statements
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mamadyarov gave
exclusive interview for IA “Trend”. We would like to present it below:
– How do you evaluate 33rd session of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
of Organization of Islamic Conference held in Baku? To what extent it
was efficient for Azerbaijan? – Results of 33rd session of Ministers
of Foreign Affairs of Organization of Islamic Conference were useful
from the point of view of political importance of discussed issues
and taken decisions and from the point of view of high evaluation
given by member-states. Wide opportunities were opened to address
global problems, threats, calls faced by world of today. In the
course of discussions such issues as peace process in the Middle
East, situation in Iraq and Somali, nuclear program of Iran etc. were
focused on. Important resolutions were adopted at session: “Destruction
of historical, cultural monuments of Islam on occupied Azerbaijani
territories on the part of Armenia”, “Aggression of Republic of Armenia
against Republic of Azerbaijan”, “Economical aid to the Republic of
Azerbaijan”. – Which compromises should Armenia make for progress
of the process of regulation of Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Garabakh
conflict? Is any preparation made for next top level meeting? –
Efforts directed to regulation of the conflict should be made within
the scope of peace talks. In this respect Armenian side should refuse
non-constructive statements concerning previous talks, put up with
the fact that in the world of today occupation policy and policy of
ethnic cleaning cannot be accepted. As for top level meetings if the
matter concerns meeting of the Presidents, I can say that now talks are
held within the scope of Paris Peace talks process. In accordance with
Paris process uncoordinated issues shall be presented for discussions
of the Presidents as soon as they are coordinated at the level of
ministers of Foreign Affairs. Unfortunately, non-constructive position
of Armenia regarding some issues including return of IDPs impedes
talk process. Positive solving requires definite time. International
law and international conventions definitely recognize the right
to return persons who were forcibly removed from their places of
constant residence. – Which measures will be taken by official Baku
following acts of vandalism on the part of Armenia, which destroys
natural and cultural heritage on occupied territories of Azerbaijan?
– The issue was raised in the course of 33rd session of the Ministers
of Foreign Affairs of OIC. In this connection it was decided that OIC
Secretary General would apply to the UN Secretary General. Moreover,
diplomatic representative offices of the Republic of Azerbaijan to
foreign countries particularly to international organizations have
appropriate tasks in order to demonstrate documents and photos made
by satellite proving committed arsons and other acts of vandalism
to world community. In connection with this issue we declare
that no matter that these fires are natural or set purposefully,
Armenian side is responsible for negative consequences of fires
from ecological and moral point of views. – What development
perspectives Azerbaijan has within the frames of GUAM? – I hope,
GUAM will turn into influential international organization to solve
such issues as creation of democratic society and promotion of social
economic development, integration in European structures, providing
stability and security in the region, and it will promote joint
solving of complicated matters faced by member-states now. – Taking
into account statements made by some CIS members concerning walkout,
what is Azerbaijan’s position in this respect? – Now we have no plans
to review the level of our CIS-membership. We support more sweeping
reforms in CIS aiming at accordance with modern world building. –
What position does official Baku adheres regarding tension connected
with Iranian nuclear program? How possible attempt of forcible solution
may affect the situation? – We repeatedly stated that development of
nuclear program in peace effort and within the frames of cooperation
with International agencies on atomic energy is sovereign right of
every state. We hope that following efforts of international community
tension will be removed diplomatically. We do not believe that problem
will be solved by military intervention as we hold that maintenance
of stability and security is major task.

List of countries evacuating nationals from Lebanon
AFX International Focus
July 19, 2006 Wednesday 4:37 PM GMT
PARIS (AFX) – Here is a list of the main countries organising the
evacuation of nationals from Lebanon. The number of nationals includes
dual passport-holders, who in many cases make up the vast majority.
— CANADA: 40,000 nationals. Six charter ships due to arrive capable
of taking up to 900 people each.
— PHILIPPINES: 30,000 mainly migrant workers. Manila planning possible
evacuation, recommending nationals seek shelter in Catholic churches.
— UNITED STATES: 25,000 nationals. Some 124 flown out already,
1,059 out of 2,240 Americans set to leave on Wednesday evacuated on
cruise ship to Cyprus. Nine US warships off Lebanon to guard against
terrorist attack.
— AUSTRALIA: 25,000 nationals. About 200 evacuated by bus to Damascus,
others by ferry. Charter ship expected Thursday to take
250 priority cases to Cyprus. One-hundred already taken by Britain.
— BRITAIN: 22,000 nationals. Sixty-three taken out Monday, 180
priority cases taken to Cyprus Tuesday. 5,000 expected to be
evacuated by six Royal Navy ships in coming days.
— FRANCE: 20,000 nationals. Eight hundred arrived in Cyprus on charter
ferry, put on onward flights to France. Further evacuations expected
on French navy, charter ships.
— BANGLADESH: 10,000 mainly migrant workers. Dhaka asked Geneva-based
International Organisation for Migration to help
evacuation.
— SWEDEN: 4,500 nationals. Expects 3,500 out by Wednesday/Thursday.
Charter ship with more than 1,000 Swedes expected in Cyprus Thursday.
— GERMANY: 3,000. Seven hundred already left. Three thousand waiting
to leave. Embassy chartered more than 50 buses to take most to
Damascus, where charter flights waiting.
— EGYPT: 2,300 evacuations organised since Monday. Hundreds taken
by bus to Damascus, flown home.
— RUSSIA: 1,500. Three Russian airplanes left Moscow on Wednesday
for Syria to pick up several hundred Russians evacuated from Lebanon.
A first group of 270 people, mainly women and children, crossed into
Syria on Tuesday and about 1,000 more people were to follow.
Those being evacuated include not only Russians but citizens of other
ex-Soviet states including Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine,
Russian officials said.
— ARMENIA: 1,200. Armenia said it had begun evacuating its citizens
from Lebanon.
— ITALY: 1,000. Several hundred brought out by plane from Damascus
and on board Italian navy destroyer.

MUM HEARS FROM KIDS AFTER LEBANON ESCAPE
Bulletin Wire
July 19, 2006 Wednesday
A Sydney mother has had an emotional telephone reunion with her
teenage son and daughter, members of an Armenian dance troupe who
have escaped war-torn Lebanon.
Rosemary Arabian, 16, and her brother Sion, 15, are members of the
Sydney-based Sevan Dance Group. The troupe’s 45 young performers, with
36 parents and supervisors are now safe in the Jordanian capital Amman.
The federal government organised three buses to pick up the group
and other Australian citizens from their Beirut hotel.
The convoy drove to the Syria capital Damascus early on Monday night
(AEST), before heading to Jordan.
Tatiana Arabian had her first conversation with her children since
they fled Lebanon on the Nine Network’s Today program this morning.
“Everything’s really fine. We’re all fine. There’s nothing to worry
about,” Rosemary told her mother by telephone from Amman.
“I’m good, Mum. We’re all fine.”
Ms Arabian told Sion she was anxious for the pair to return to Sydney.
“I miss you so much,” he said.
With tears in her eyes, Ms Arabian replied: “You can’t believe how
much I miss you, both of you. We all miss you”.
“I love you heaps. I love you heaps. You and Rose. I just want you to
come home and we can’t wait for that plane, you know, and we’ll come
to the airport first thing in the morning, whenever you are coming.”
Ms Arabian then urged Sion and Rosemary to stay together.
“You just take care, okay? And you just stick together. And don’t
misbehave,” she said.
“I love you, okay?”
Sion replied: “I love you too”.

George Mgrdichian, Oud Player
The Times (London)
July 19, 2006, Wednesday
George Mgrdichian, oud player, was born on January 28, 1935. He died
on April 30, 2006, aged 71.
Alongside the Nubian master Hamza El Din (obituary, May 29), George
Mgrdichian did more than any other musician to popularise the oud in
the West. He was happy to play the instrument in Western classical,
jazz and popular contexts and cabaret or a concert hall recital. But he
also conducted serious research into the oud’s traditional repertoire
in Armenian, Spanish and Middle Eastern folk music.
Born in Philadelphia in 1935 to Christian-Armenian parents, Mgrdichian
began his musical career as a clarinettist, playing in a band
at weddings and dances. His switch of instruments was unplanned.
When the band’s oud player was called up for military service,
Mgrdichian was asked to fill in and within days was performing on
the instrument in public. He kept up his clarinet playing and in the
early 1960s studied the instrument at the Juilliard School of Music.
But he also took a degree in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University,
and the eight-string Arabic forerunner of the Western lute eventually
became his main instrument as he developed a virtuoso touch and his
playing became famous for its fluidity and innovation.
In New York he became part of the 1960s bohemian folk and jazz set,
playing with the likes of Dave Brubeck and the composer David Amram.
He also appeared as a guest oud player with a number of orchestras,
including the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera and the
Philadelphia Orchestra.
During the 1970s he made a number of commercial albums, playing the
oud on releases such as Let’s Belly Dance (1973) and Belly Dance Navel
Academy Vol 2 (1977). But he also pursued a more serious musical path
with his own George Mgrdichian Ensemble, exploring the traditional
musical repertoire of Armenia and Anatolia on albums such as The Oud
(1985).
An adventurous collaborator, the 1990 album One Man’s Passion found
him fusing the oud and other traditional instruments, including the
kanoon and darbuka, with sax, electric bass and guitar.

Russian planes head to Syria for evacuees
Agence France Presse — English
July 19, 2006 Wednesday 2:58 PM GMT
Three Russian airplanes left Moscow on Wednesday for Syria to pick up
Russians evacuated from Lebanon amid the current crisis, the emergency
situations ministry said.
The planes were to pick up several hundred people evacuated by bus
from Lebanon to Syria.
“Three planes left today. We can’t say when they will return. They
are on stand-by” to bring back evacuated Russians, the ministry’s
press service said.
A first group of 270 people, mainly women and children, crossed into
Syria on Tuesday and about 1,000 more people were to follow.
Those being evacuated include not only Russians but citizens of other
ex-Soviet states including Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine,
Russian officials said.
France and Greece have both offered to help evacuate Russians by ship,
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
On Monday a first group of Russians arrived in Moscow after being
evacuated from the Gaza Strip.
The daily newspaper Vremya Novostei said that Israeli authorities had
prevented some Russian women who were leaving Gaza from taking their
children with them on the grounds that the children, having Palestinian
fathers, were considered “not so much Russians as Palestinians”.
Also on Wednesday the ex-Soviet state of Armenia said it had begun
evacuating up to 1,200 of its citizens from Lebanon as well as members
of the 120,000-strong Armenian diaspora, to whom it was offering free
three-month visas.

Interview With Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey and Radio Talk Show Host Dennis Prager
Fox News Network
SHOW: YOUR WORLD WITH NEIL CAVUTO 4:14 PM EST
July 19, 2006 Wednesday
HOST: Neil Cavuto
GUESTS: Dick Armey, Dennis Prager
NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Meanwhile, Israeli troops moving into Lebanon, what
are the implications, if this is a start of a major ground offensive?
With us now, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey and radio talk
show host and syndicated columnist Dennis Prager.
Dennis, to you first.
What’s the implication here?
DENNIS PRAGER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Israel is trying to do what the
— what the West most needs: destroy one of the biggest terrorist
organizations.
This is truly of world significance. This is no longer an Arab- Israeli
dispute. This is the free world vs. the Islamic terror world. And much
of the world recognizes this, from India, to Europe, to the United
States. That is why this is the most muted criticism of Israel ever,
since 1967, in any battle with any Arab country. It is why even some
Arab countries have come out against Hezbollah and not against Israel.
CAVUTO: All right.
PRAGER: There is a real…
CAVUTO: Dick, Dick Armey, do you think the administration tacitly
recognizes, maybe supports, what Dennis is saying, that there’s no rush
to get to the peace table here; let Israel keep pounding Hezbollah?
DICK ARMEY, FORMER HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, I believe, within
the overall conflict of the war against terrorism, the administration
recognizes, there’s a nasty job to be done. Israel, in their own self-
defense, have undertaken that — this task.
At this point, the situation is what it is, and the administration
could do very little to change things over there. So, the — I think,
right now, everybody is pinning their hopes on the proposition that the
Israeli army, with its efficiency, can clean this nest out, to such
a sufficient level, in a short period of time, that you can maybe,
at that point, get some kind of a cease-fire, reestablish some kind
of order, and have some hope for maintaining it.
But until you thin this group out, I don’t think that’s possible. To
some extent, what the Israelis need to do is win a war of attrition
and just get this band reduced to a — a little bit less of a gang
that takes courage from one another.
CAVUTO: Well, there must be something to what you say, Dick, and —
and — and, tangentially, Dennis, to you as well, because the markets
were sensing — and many a trader were telling me exactly what both
of you have said — that there’s growing confidence that this will
be resolved, and maybe sooner than later.
But what if you guys and the markets indeed have it wrong? It wouldn’t
be the first time — maybe not for you guys, but for the markets.
(LAUGHTER)
CAVUTO: So, Dennis, what’s the fallout then?
PRAGER: You’re right.
If — if, in fact, Israel cannot prevail here, then, it’s a huge
victory for our generation’s form of Nazism. And that’s — that’s
a big problem. It doesn’t mean that the war is all over, and we —
we just go with our tail behind our legs — or between our legs,
but — but Israel has to prevail.
The question really is, how long will the — quote, unquote — “world
community,” which has never been a force for good in the history of
the world — ask the Armenians — ask the Jews — ask the Rwandans —
ask the Cambodians — world community has always been a force for
bad. At the very — every time I hear “international community,”
I know, uh-oh, bad will prevail.
So long as the international community can stay out of this, Israel
will prevail.
CAVUTO: But I’m not…
PRAGER: It is not…
CAVUTO: You know, Dennis, I’m not so sure of that.
I — and, Dick Armey, it’s a point I want to take up with you.
We already have gotten some European criticism, Jacques Chirac and
others saying, about this disproportionate use of force on Israel’s
part. So, is there going to be ill will following all of this,
hopefully, when all of this is behind us…
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: … that Israel, already persona non grata in the U.N. in
vote after vote after vote, but especially so after this?
ARMEY: Well, I don’t be facetious, but it seems clear, history says
time and time again, that Israel has always better understood the
need to defend itself than the French have.
(CROSSTALK)
ARMEY: And the French, I don’t think, culturally, are quite able to
comprehend the sense of imperative urgency that the Israelis realize
in facing this threat to the freedom and safety of their citizens.
The other thing you have to understand is, again, history tells
us that, when the Israeli military sets its mind to something, it
generally has, historically, accomplished what it — what it set out
to do. So…
CAVUTO: OK.
ARMEY: … we have, I think, historically, good reason to put our
confidence that the Israeli troops can resolve this in quick order.
CAVUTO: OK, Dick, final word on the subject.
Dennis, good seeing you.
PRAGER: Thank you.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM
AND MAY BE UPDATED.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Aging Oil Tankers May Provoke Ecological Disaster in Caspian Sea — Russian Expert
MosNews
Created: 18.07.2006 12:07 MSK (GMT +3),
A Russian environmental official warned Monday of potential ecological
disaster in the Caspian Sea if aging oil tankers are used to transport
crude from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan to be pumped through a U.S.-backed
pipeline that bypasses Russia, the Associated Press news agency
reported.
Oleg Mitvol, deputy chief of the Federal Service for Supervision of
Natural Resources, told reporters that small-capacity, single-hulled
tankers commonly in use on the sea were more likely to leak or spill
crude oil.
Western countries have pushed Kazakhstan to increase its oil exports
via the U.S.-backed pipeline that runs from Azerbaijan via Georgia
to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Mitvol said increased
shipments in the older ships would put the sea at greater risk.
“Oil deliveries by single-hull tankers pose a real threat to this
unique ecological region,” he said at a news conference. “Why should
they worry about single-hulled oil tankers on, say, the Mediterranean
Sea, but not on the Caspian Sea? Why is the Caspian not worthy of
such protection?”
Kazakhstan, which possesses the largest oil deposits in the Caspian
Sea, currently exports most of its oil via Russia, but has been
seeking to establish alternative routes. Last month, it signed up
to pump its oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Talks to
build an extension of the pipeline under the Caspian, however, are
in their infancy, and in the meantime, Kazakhstan’s tiny fleet of
aging Soviet-era tankers is expected to increase crude shipments to
Azerbaijani oil terminals.
Russia strongly opposed the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and instead
pressed for Caspian oil to continue going through its network of
pipelines to the Black Sea.
Russia and the other four Caspian countries — Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan, Iran and Kazakhstan — have been in tough talks for
years on dividing the sea and its resources, and there is no deal in
sight yet.