“ECHO”: “CERTAINLY, WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN TROOPS FROM CONFLICT ZONE TO REDUCE TENSION IN REGION”
Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
Matthew Brise, Co-Chairman of OSCE Minsk Group considers so Co-Chairmen
of the OSCE Minsk Group brought peace dialogue to certain phase,
after which the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia should take
decision themselves. Reportedly Trend News-Agency, the Adviser of the
U.S. State Secretary for Europe & Eurasia issues, Co-Chairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Brise stated.
“Other co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, and also Stephen Mann whom
I replaced in the post of Co-chairman, in a day of previous interview
stated that “my words can make people to become thoughtful and will
create ground for sound debates in region,” said the American diplomat.
“I do not wonder at holding debates but at those who not familiarized
with the latest statement of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group
in Vienna, expressed so rapid reaction. Co-Chairmen’s statement clearly
says that, but my statement was just a brief generalization,” he said.
To the question, his statement for peace plan can be regarded as a
part of strategy for beginning of debates, M. Brise responded: “Yes
and not. I just gave detailed information about progressing events.
The document submitted to the OSCE Permanent Council is open for
society.”
Talking of contradictory statements concerning referendum on the
Nagorno-Garabagh status, the American co-chairman said that finally,
the sides failed to agree over the main principles of regulation
developed by the Presidents and Ministers of Foreign Affairs for the
last two years. Because both Presidents bear responsibility for that
agreement has not been yet reached. “I can’t say who from the Head
of States bear the greatest responsibility. Any time the Presidents
can state that agreement on the main principles has been reached,
or declare that this agreement has been changed and a package plan
to be taken,” said the Co-Chairman.
“My predecessor and other co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group used all
their skills and energy for preparing “frame agreement”, implying the
main principles of regulation process. The Presidents need a time to
well consider and adopt a decision on this agreement,” he continued
and added that “in statement, the co-chairmen want to note that there
is no place for diplomatic creative work, polishing of a metal.”
“Mutual political compromises in this document are so important that
should be done by the Presidents. I am very energetic and know the
leaders well enough. We’ll continue work with them and do not state
that the negotiation process stopped forever. But we want to note
that we brought the dialogue to certain phase after which heads of
states should take decision themselves,” he said.
Furthermore, M. Brise said that certainly, the withdrawal of Armenian
troops from conflict will reduce tensity in region. “That’s why
this question is an important element of the main principles of
regulation. But demanding from Armenians “withdraw your troops from
region that to allow to reduce tensity in the region”, we won’t
achieve what we want. If Armenians know that instead of that they
will get something, they will do that. They are the main principles.
The experts are right, if Armenian armed forces are withdrawn, it
will reduce a tensity. But instead of that they should get something.
That’s why Heads of States should take a hard decision,” he stated.
M. Brise also said that regional demilitarization will entail
the national elections or referendum on future status of the
Nagorno-Garabagh.
The difficulty is how to coordinate the temporary parameters of
withdrawal or re-deployment of Armenian armed forces with the status
of the Nagorno-Garabagh. Just that factor complicates this problem.
M. Brise hopes that the Nagorno-Garabagh conflict will be included to
the agenda of G8 conference in St. Petersburg. Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov stated that this issue would be
discussed. “We’d like that this question to be included to the meeting
agenda,” said the Advisor of the U.S. State Secretary for Europe &
Eurasia issues.
–Boundary_(ID_6VDIu+3nPQZu1ZnmMJEpLw)–

THERE IS NO COORDINATED ‘DRAFT AGREEMENT’ ON NK ON TABLE OF TALKS – AZERI DEPUTY FM
Author: S.Agayeva
TREND, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
There is no frame agreement on the table of talks, which could be
submitted to the signing, Trend reports quoting Araz Azimov, the
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister, also special representative of
the Azerbaijani president on Nahoeno-Karabkh conflict , as stating
on 3 July.
“We should first of all design a draft document,” he underlined.
Commenting on the last statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
that the responsibility for rehabilitation of armed actions is still
laid on the sides, Azimov stated so far Azerbaijan has repeatedly
come out with calls to armed actions. “Azerbaijan does not support
war, while the territorial integrity can be restored at any way,
the diplomat underscored.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SUMMER SESSION OF NATO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STARTED IN BAKU
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
The summer session of NATO international school started in Baku. The
event brought together 40 youths and girls from NATO member-countries,
as well as partner-countries of NATO, Trendreports.
The event was organized by the Azeri Foreign Ministry, as well as
Social diplomacy department of NATO.
The session is dedicated to the topic “The prospects of Euro-Atlantic
integration into region of three seas”.
Delivering a report during the session, the Azeri deputy foreign
minister Araz Azimov mentioned the importance of concentrating the
efforts in prevention of threats and risks in the region. According
to Azimov, the realization of the potential of the region will make
a contribution to the global development.
Besides, the participants of the five-day session discussed the
international security, role of NATO in provision of the stability
in the world, settlement of the crisis in the Near-East and
Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The participants of the event have the opportunity to publish their
work in the magazine of Azeri Foreign Ministry “World of Diplomacy”.
Besides, during the session, reports were delivered by the deputy
secretary general of NATO Jane Furne, as well as ambassadors of Norway,
France and Georgia to Azerbaijan.

UNDER THE ARMENIAN SUN
By Cathy Thomas
Belleville News-Democrat, IL
July 3 2006
The Orange County Register (MCT)
The midmorning sun burns through an intense turquoise sky. The
greenish-blue color startles me and I take off my sunglasses to assure
myself that it really is the same shade as the semiprecious stone.
Perhaps it’s the lush green blanket of vegetation covering the Armenian
countryside that creates such a brilliant celestial hue.
Hills, ridges, canyons, open fields and even jagged outcroppings of
rocks are the verdant green of an elf’s shoe.
Our private bus travels northeast from Yerevan, the capital of
Armenia. We’re headed for the Garni Temple, built in the first
century, and the Geghard Monastery, a medieval complex carved into
the mountainside.
With me is Zov Karamardian, cookbook author and chef-owner of Zov’s
Bistro and Bakery in Tustin, Calif., along with her daughter Taleene,
my daughter Christy, and nine other culinary enthusiasts.
Zov sees Armenia through a colorful prism formed by lifelong exposure
to the food, music and stories of her Armenian ancestors. My eyes
take it in through a squeaky-clean prism. Not one drop of Armenian
blood runs through my veins. Hers is 100 percent.
I want to see and taste Armenia with her, a desire kindled when she
returned from her first visit two years ago. Zov doesn’t keep her
passion for life, people and food closed in her heart. She openly
shares her enthusiasm, a trait that endears her to friends, customers
and strangers alike.
Reaching the path to the monastery, we pass a row of women selling
homemade goodies – baked goods, canned goods and candies that make
our stomachs growl. Many hold up large disks of their golden-brown
bread personalized in some artistic manner that makes each unique.
Some bakers have loaves topped with bread-dough cutouts of leaves and
tendrils. Some have the names of people and places created by lining
up tiny elevated circles of dough side by side to form the letters.
Some surfaces display comical faces.
Called ghata, these delectable breads are like coffeecake. The
sweetened yeast dough has a filling made of walnuts that have been
cooked in butter and sugar.
Some cooks hold up jars of honey or preserves made with cherries,
plums, apricots or mulberries. Other cooks offer curled fruit leathers,
as well as ropes of candy-covered walnuts called rojig.
Rojig’s fruity, paste-like exterior is made by cooking fresh grape
juice to condense it, and then adding cornstarch to further thicken
it. The walnut halves are strung on cotton string, then dipped in
the juice mixture and placed in the sun to dry. The dipping-drying
process is repeated daily for about a week, or until the nuts are
topped with a generous coating – enough fruity paste to make it chewy,
yet not so much that it overpowers the taste of the crunchy nuts.
We return to the bus to find Zov breaking rojig into bite-size
pieces and insisting that everyone has a sample. She declares it a
“superfood,” and says that even one bite is enough to make everyone
feel great.
But the biggest feast was yet to come, an alfresco barbecue at the
home of Sergei Gabrielyan on the outskirts of Garni. Sergei is a
professional photographer, but today he demonstrates the fine art of
Armenian kebabs and grilled vegetables. Two sisters-in-law will show
us how to make fresh lahvosh, the paper-thin bread that is served at
most Armenian meals.
As with all our lunches and dinners, the first course is on the table
before we sit down. A variety of ingredients are available for each
diner to prepare lahvosh-wrapped delicacies to suit their own tastes.
This isn’t an eat-it-fast nibble. Designed to be a convivial, chatty
process, Armenian appetizers aren’t to be rushed. Communal platters of
deep-red tomatoes and robust cucumbers are cut into chunks and placed
next to plates of raw vegetables and herbs (slender green onions,
long green chilies, radishes, parsley and cilantro). The tomatoes
smell like warm summer grass; as with all the tomatoes we encountered
in Armenia, they’re dead ripe and promise maximum flavor.
There are plates topped with firm, white cheese, and plates of warm
green beans. There are bowls of enormous black olives, plus bottles
of beer, as well as jugs of wine. And, yes, tempting mulberry vodka.
We sit on rustic benches draped with colorful ethnic rugs and practice
stuffing and rolling Armenian “burritos.” Zov says her favorite filling
is a combination of feta or string cheese, fresh mint, tomato wedges,
cucumbers slices and lebni, a yogurt cheese spread made with strained
yogurt, herbs and Aleppo pepper. She says there is something very
appealing about the combination: the sweet juiciness of the tomato,
the crunchy texture of the cucumber, the slightly salty nature of the
cheese and the thin bread (that she describes as “without heaviness –
bread without bulk”).
After some debate about the years Armenia spent under Soviet rule,
some joke telling and belly laughs, we’re invited into the outdoor
stone kitchen where the lahvosh is made.
We watch as the two-person team turns out the quintessential bread,
the element that ties every meal together. The baking takes place in
the wood-fired tonir, a cylindrical, brick-lined ground-level oven
that’s about 3 feet deep. The first woman rolls a ball of dough into
an oval sheet and the second stretches that dough over a large cushion
with a handle on the back.
Bam! The dough-covered cushion is slammed against the hot wall of the
oven. The dough sticks and quickly cooks. After it cools a few minutes,
stacks of the bread are placed onto the arms of Sergei’s costumed
daughters, who carry it to our table. The oven has formed sporadic
dark-mahogany spots on one side, sending the smell of warm yeast and
caramelized flour over the yard. We tear them into manageable pieces
and use them to wrap grilled eggplant and elongated green peppers.
Already, the bread is cool enough to be cracker-y crisp. It’s the
perfect consistency and taste to showcase the soft texture and smoky
taste of the vegetables.
Irina Astvatsatouryants, our guide, explains that a large quantity
of lahvosh is made at one time. In a village, cooking is often a
group project, she said, often with several women participating in
the work. After the lahvosh is baked, it’s dried and stored. Before
it’s served, it’s sprinkled with a little water to soften it and make
it pliable.
Recalling her childhood visits to Syria to see her grandparents, Zov
mentions the older ladies in the village of Kessab preparing lahvosh.
She says they would give her a warm piece of very thin lahvosh and she
would top it with a sliver of cheese. Plain, she says, but absolutely
delicious.
Years later, after moving to the U.S. from Iraq at age 14, she watched
the process at bakeries in Fresno. There, she says, it wasn’t as
thin. A different technique was used to create it, and rather than
a tonir, Fresno bakers used traditional ovens.
Meanwhile, Sergei lowers a grid – attached to a chain with a horizontal
rod-like handle – into the tonir. The grid is topped with peeled
baking potatoes that have been cut in half and rubbed with oil and
paprika. Once the grid is in place, the rod rests over the top of
the tonir, holding the potatoes at a just-right spot close to the
fire. Sword-like skewers filled with pork, lamb and onion halves are
suspended vertically from the rod.
He covers the opening with a thick red carpet. We smell the aroma of
wood smoke that fills the oven, and imagine the taste of potatoes
below as they absorb the gentle drip-drip-drip of meat juices from
above. In minutes we eat the kebabs and spuds with joy, our enthusiasm
intensified by the effect of cool mulberry vodka.
Now the prism through which my mind’s eye views the world includes
that day spent around the homey backyard table in Garni. A day that
ended with a gentle rain, and plenty of treasured memories of friendly
hosts and irresistible food.
WHERE IS ARMENIA?
Armenia is in Asia, situated in the southern Caucasus, sometimes
referred to as Transcaucasia. It is landlocked, bordered to the north
by Georgia, to the east by Azerbaijan, to the south by Iran and to
the west by Turkey.
—
GRILLED LAMB AND VEGETABLE KEBABS
Yield: 6 large servings, 12 smaller servings
For lamb kebabs:
12 lamb loin chops (about 4 1/2 pounds); see cook’s notes
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon salt
For vegetable kebabs:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 large white mushrooms
4 small red bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into 6 chunks each
2 large Japanese eggplants, each cut crosswise into 6 pieces
2 large zucchini, each cut crosswise into 6 pieces
Optional for serving: Feta cheese, cilantro, mint, olives, cucumber
slices, tomato wedges, walnuts, lahvosh; seek cook’s notes
Cook’s notes: If you prefer, leg of lamb can be substituted for the
loin chops. Be sure to remove as much gristle and fat as possible; cut
into 1-inch chunks. If desired, serve skewers on platter accompanied
by feta cheese, cilantro, fresh mint, olives, cucumber slices, tomato
wedges, walnuts and lahvosh.
Procedure:
1.Prepare lamb kebabs: Using sharp knife, cut 2 pieces of meat from
each chop. Trim away fat and sinew. Cut larger pieces crosswise
in half. Toss onions, lemon slices, oil, pepper, soy sauce and
salt in large bowl. Add meat. Using hands, massage marinade into
meat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days,
stirring occasionally.
2.Thread up to 6 pieces of lamb onto each of 6 skewers, spacing
meat 1/2 inch apart. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill. (If
you prefer, make smaller kebabs using half as much meat on each of
12 skewers.)
3.Prepare vegetable kebabs: Whisk oil, rosemary, pepper and salt
in large bowl. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Let stand up to 1
hour at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Thread 2 mushrooms,
4 pieces bell pepper, 2 pieces eggplant, and 2 pieces of zucchini
alternately onto each of 6 skewers. (If you prefer, make smaller
kebabs using half as many vegetables on each of 12 skewers.)
4.Prepare barbecue for high heat. Grill lamb until crisp and brown
on outside but pink in center, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Grill vegetable kebabs until tender and beginning to get nice grill
marks, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Arrange on plates and
serve, if desired, accompanied by lahvosh.
Nutritional information (for smaller servings): Calories 330 (62
percent from fat), protein 20 g, carbohydrates 11.2 g, fat 22.8 g
(saturated 10.8 g), cholesterol 105 mg, sodium 143 mg, fiber 0.5 g
Source: “Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart” by Zov Karamardian
(Zov’s Publishing, $35)
—
LEBNI (YOGURT CHEESE SPREAD)
Yield: 1 cup
1 cup yogurt cheese; see cook’s notes
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more for garnish; see cook’s notes
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
For garnish: Italian parsley, fresh mint
For serving: Lahvosh, sliced cucumbers, tomato wedges, fresh mint,
string cheese or feta cheese
Cook’s notes: To make yogurt cheese, line colander with 4 layers
of cheesecloth and place in bowl (there should be at least 1 inch
between the bottom of the colander and the bottom of the bowl). Add
4 cups plain yogurt (not low-fat or nonfat) to colander. Place in
refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours. Once strained, yogurt
cheese will have a consistency that is thicker than sour cream.
Aleppo pepper, a coarse-ground, deep red pepper, is found in Middle
Eastern markets and at (1.9-ounce jar is $3.49).
Procedure:
1.In medium bowl, stir yogurt cheese, dried mint, garlic powder,
Aleppo pepper and salt until well-combined. Transfer to serving bowl.
Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper. Garnish with parsley
sprigs and mint sprigs.
2.Spread each piece of lahvosh (about 6-by-6-inch piece) with layer
of lebni (cheese spread). Top with cucumber, tomato, mint and cheese.
Roll up “burrito style” and serve.
Nutritional information (per teaspoon): Calories 74 (80 percent from
fat), protein 2.8 g, carbohydrates 1.1 g, fat 6.6 g (saturated 4.2 g),
cholesterol 22 mg, sodium 113 mg, no fiber
Source: Adapted from “Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart”
by Zov Karamardian (Zov’s Publishing, $35)
—
PAPER-THIN LAHVOSH
Lahvosh, also spelled lavash or lavosh, is sold at many supermarkets,
Middle Eastern markets and Trader Joe’s. A 1-pound package of Trader
Joe’s lahvosh is $1.59. A 1-pound package of Babylon Bakery’s lahvosh,
available at Ralphs, is $2.19. The following recipe uses an upside-down
wok to cook the dough over a gas flame. The sheets cook quickly,
but are much smaller than those we saw in Armenia.
Yield: 8 thin flat breads
1 tablespoon mild honey (or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 1/2 to 3 cups hard unbleached white flour; see cook’s notes
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil
Cook’s notes: “Hard” wheat products have an endosperm with a higher
proportion of hard protein molecules and produce a flour containing
more protein particles. Arrowhead Mills Organic Unbleached White
Flour is one example. It can be ordered at
Procedure:
1. Stir honey and yeast into warm water in medium bowl until
dissolved. Gradually add 2 cups flour, stirring constantly in the same
direction. Then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in same direction to
help develop gluten. Sprinkle on salt and gradually add more flour
until dough is too stiff to mix. Turn onto lightly floured surface
and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour only
as needed.
2.Clean and lightly oil bowl. Place dough in bowl and cover with
plastic wrap. Let rise about 3 hours in warm location, or until
doubled in volume. Or you can let dough rise overnight in cool place;
the slower rise will give more flavor. Punch down dough and let rest
10 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each piece between
floured palms. To roll out, work on 2 pieces at a time, leaving
remaining dough covered. Roll out 1 piece to a round 5 to 6 inches
in diameter, then switch to the other piece. In rolling out yeasted
dough, it is important to roll them out only so far and then let them
rest. Alternate between 2 pieces of dough until each is a very thin
round about 13 to 14 inches in diameter.
4. To cook lahvosh, turn wok upside down over high heat. Lightly
oil top surface with paper towel, and let it get hot before putting
on bread. The rolled-out bread is a little fragile at this point and
may tear while being transferred to wok. To carry it, roll it halfway
up onto rolling pin. Then lay 1 edge on hot wok and gradually unroll
bread over wok.
5.Cook 15 seconds and delicately turn with wooden spatula. Cook 30-40
seconds, then turn again and cook about 30 seconds. Remove and place
on clean kitchen towel. Fold lahvosh in half and wrap it in towel to
keep warm. Continue in same manner for remaining rounds.
Nutritional information(per lahvosh): Calories 98 (3 percent from
fat), protein 3.7 g, carbohydrates 22.1 g, fat 0.4 g (saturated 0.1
g), cholesterol 0.1 mg, sodium 23 mg, fiber 1.8 g
Source: “Flatbreads and Flavors” by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
(Morrow, $35.95)
—
SAVORY MINCED BEEF KEBABS WITH ONION-SUMAC RELISH
Yield: 8 servings
For beef kebabs:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely minced, about 3/4 cup
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 jalapeno, seeded, finely minced; see cook’s notes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
[ teaspoon ground allspice
[ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For relish:
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons ground sumac; see cook’s notes
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
For serving: Lahvosh, cucumber slices, cilantro, mint, tomato wedges,
thinly sliced cabbage
Cook’s notes: Sumac is sold at Middle Eastern markets and at
Use caution when handling chilies, keeping hands
away from face and eyes and washing carefully afterward.
Procedure:
1.Prepare kebabs: Using your hands, mix beef, onion, cilantro, parsley,
mint, jalapeno, salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon in large bowl
until well-combined. Divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each into
sausage-shaped patty. Insert a metal skewer at one end and push it
through to opposite end of each patty.
2.Prepare relish: Toss onion with sumac in medium bowl to coat.
Squeeze mixture to extract as much juice as possible from the onion.
Discard juice. Stir in parsley and mint.
3.Prepare barbecue for high heat. Grill kebabs until just cooked
through, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer kebabs
to platter. Fold lahvosh around patty and pull meat off skewer. Add
ingredients to taste, such as cucumber, tomato, cabbage, fresh herbs
and Onion-Sumac Relish. Roll up each or fold in half like taco.
Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 316 (14 percent from
fat), protein 52.4 g, carbohydrates 15.3 g, fat 5 g (saturated 2.5 g),
cholesterol 37 mg, sodium 230 mg, fiber 2.5 g
Source: “Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart” by Zov Karamardian
(Zov’s Publishing, $35)
ing/14957385.htm

BAKU FOUND THREE LEVELS OF ACHIEVING COMPROMISE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2006 17:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
supposes three levels of achieving a compromise: 1. at the geopolitical
level (between the U.S. and Russia); 2. at the level of the leaders
of the conflicting states; 3. at the level of political elite and
publics of theses states. This is the opinion published by Real
Azerbaijan newspaper.
“If the process goes simultaneously at all the levels within the
framework of open expression of will of the sides there will be little
hope for success. But if it advances step by step in a confidential
regime some progress is possible,” the article says. In the author’s
opinion, the failure of the negotiations during the recent years
was conditioned by the absence of geopolitical consensus at the
very first level. If the barrier is overcome (let it happen at the
B8 forthcoming summit, for example) the hardest task will remain,
that is to oblige the leaders to come to an agreement and prepare
the publics for compromise.
“However in case of publics’ disagreement or violation of the
geopolitical consensus breakdown is possible at any level even if
some decision is already taken. In this case long-lasting peace will
hardly be achieved,” the edition says.

TOROSIAN: THESIS ON RIGHT OF PEOPLES TO SELF-DETERMINATION BECOMES ADMISSIBLE FOR PACE
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2006 17:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the debates held in Strasbourg on the report
on the Montenegro referendum some members of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe tried to avoid drawing parallels with Nagorno
Karabakh, Armenian Parliament Speaker, head of the Armenian Delegation
to PACE Tigran Torosian said at a meeting with NKR National Assembly
Chairman Ashot Ghulian. “However, undoubtedly the thesis on the right
of peoples to self-determination becomes admissible for the PACE,”
he underscored.
For his part Ashot Ghulian briefed on the outcomes of the
U.S. visit. The interlocutors also agreed on conduction of the
Armenia-NKR interparliamentary committee sitting in Yerevan this fall,
reported the RA NA press service.

BAKU’S ATTEMPTS TO MISLEAD INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY DON’T STRENGTHEN MUTUAL TRUST
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2006 18:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NKR President Arkady Ghukasian and OSCE CiO’s
Personal Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk met to discuss a number of
issues referring to the Nagorno Karabakh problem. They also touched
upon the reports on arsons in the near-border zone spread by the
Azeri side. Arkady Ghukasian remarked that Baku’s ongoing attempts
to mislead the international community do not contribute to the
establishment of mutual trust between the publics of both sides,
reported the NKR President’s press office.

CALIFORNIA LIKELY TO GRANT RIGHT TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HEIRS TO RECOVER BANK DEPOSITS
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2006 18:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The California State Assembly Judiciary Committee
passed legislation on June 27 that would grant legal rights to
Armenian Genocide survivors and their heirs to recover bank deposits
wrongfully withheld since the Armenian Genocide by giving California
courts jurisdiction over banks operating in the Ottoman Empire,
reported Armenian National Committee of America. The bill passed the
Assembly Judiciary Committee with a vote of 6-1 and is expected to
go to the floor of the Assembly for vote on August 7, 2006 before
going to the Governor. The State Senate has already passed the bill,
which is authored by Senators Jackie Kanchelian-Speier and Charles
“Chuck” Poochigian, and sponsored by ANCA-WR.

OLYMPIC GAMES ON THE SOIL OF GENOCIDE?
Kavkaz Center, Turkey
July 3 2006
Last year Moscow lost the contest of hosting the Summer Olympics in
2012. According to the chairman of Russia’s Olympic Committee, Leonid
Tyagachev, the decision was not a sports question, but a political
question. He pointed out the conflict in Chechnya as a major reason
for Moscow’s loss.
Unfortunately, Tyagachev hasn’t learnt his lessons yet. The Russian
olympic boss, who is the ski coach of Putin and a frequent tamada
(table chairman) at his family parties, is today involved in promoting
Sochi for the winter Olympics in 2014. This idea is completely
absurd – it’s like planning to celebrate Olympic Games in Auschwitz
or Treblinka.
The Circassian people don’t have the lobbying force of Jews or
Armenians. Accordingly, the Genocide of the Circassians is almost a
forgotten crime against humanity. The Holocaust Industry has quite
far succeeded in defining genocide as crimes against Jews, but many
people also know about the Genocide of Armenians in Turkey 1915-18.
Still, the Circassian Genocide is both proportionally and in absolute
numbers much more horrifying than the fate of Armenians some 50
years later.
Once upon the time, the historical Circassia was a great nation of
Caucasus. Prior to the tsarist imperial conquest, Circassia covered
an area bigger than 55.000 square kilometers east of the Sea of
Azov and south of the river of Kuban – an area almost twice as big
as Armenia today. The indigenous people of Circassia were in excess
of two millions, more numerous than the Swedes at the middle of the
18th century. This people had a very long history on their ancient
land, it was a nation of high cultural and social structure. The
Circassians enjoyed strong trading ties already with the ancient
Greeks, especially with the Athenians. Circassians even participated
in the Olympic Games during classical times!
The Circassians fought against Russian conquest during a century, from
1763 to 1864. After the defeat of Imam Shamil in 1859, the Russians
were able to concentrate their military forces upon Circassia. This led
to a huge massacre and forced deportation of the people. The magnitude
of brutality and evilness was unforeseen in human history. The great
majority, more than 90 percent of the people of Circassian descent,
were forced to live in exile. But those who managed to escape were
lucky – at least one million Circassians were killed, and the number
of victims of this Genocide was probably even more than 1½ million.
During the desperate fight for the future existence of their people,
the leaders of the Circassian tribes gathered at the place where
now stands the Black Sea resort of Sochi and appealed for help from
the Ottomans and Britains. This appeal was totally in vain. The
civilized world of those days didn’t respond more than it does to
Chechen appeals in our time.
Now Putin plans to organize Olympic Games on this soil of Genocide.
On the web page of his campaign for Sochi
is mentioned that the town is a “city of diverse ethnic origins with
one-third of the population of non-Russian nationality”. In 1864
exactly 100 percent were non-Russians, but this people were killed
in order to arrange Lebensraum for the invaders. It’s not possible
to kill 1-1½ million people in a few years without extensive cruelty.
Let’s cite the Russian historian Berzhe who was an eye-witness of
the deportation in the harbor of Novorossiysk:
“The late, inclement and cold time of year, the almost complete absence
of means of subsistence and the epidemic of typhus and smallpox raging
among them made their situation desperate. And indeed, whose heart
would not be touched on seeing, for example, the already stiff corpse
of a young Circassian woman lying in rags on the damp ground under
the open sky with two infants, one struggling in his death-throes
while the other sought to assuage his hunger at his dead mother’s
breast? And I saw not a few such scenes.”
The Olympic Father, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, would turn over in his
grave if he knew about the attempts of present Russian leadership to
arrange Olympic Games upon the graveyards of a people who sent their
best sons already to the ancient Olympic Games. The Olympic ideals
are based upon high principles, i.e.
“to contribute to building a peaceful and better world …. in the
Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of
friendship, solidarity and fair play”.
Let’s also remind of the “sacred truce” from the first known ancient
Games when it was read and stated:
“May the world be delivered from crime and killing and freed from
the clash of arms.”
Russia is today a country in war. The colonial war in Caucasus
did neither start nor stop by the final solution in Circassia. In
present time the Empire is committing Genocide against the Chechen
people and practicing a harsh policy of oppression against all other
Caucasian peoples. The idea of arranging Olympic Games in Caucasus,
on Circassian land, is cynical and grotesque.
The applicant city Sochi is located in a war zone, a part of the
Caucasian Front of the on-going second Chechen war. The distance
to Nalchik in Kabardino-Balkaria is some 250 km, to Kislovodsk in
Karachay-Cherkessia some 200 km, to Maikop in Adygeya some 100 km,
and to the mainland of Chechnya about 400 km, just to mention a few
of recent battle fields in Caucasus. The planned ski contest area
of Krasnaya Polyana is some 10 km and the Sochi-Adler Airport only
5 km from the border to Abhazia, a region belonging to Georgia but
presently occupied by Russia. The Russian attempts to incorporate
Abhazia might soon even escalate into an armed clash.
Thus, the security issues of Caucasus should be a major concern among
those who plan to bring athletes of the world to the scene. The entire
Caucasus is burning today and ready to explode. The reasons can be
found in the destructive Russian politics in the region. The colonial
warfare in Caucasus is characterized by top-level corruption, economic
mismanagement, massive police brutality, political and religious
oppression and constant violations of human rights. The uprising of
the indigenous Islamic peoples of Caucasus is a natural and justified
consequence. Even Dmitrii Kozak, Putin’s representative to the
Southern Federal District, has predicted a sharp rise in radicalism
and extremism and emergencing of “a macro-region of sociopolitical
and economic instability” encompassing the entire North Caucasus and
parts of Stavropol Krai.
The short victorious war that Yeltsin started in Chechnya 1993 has
been far more disastrous for Russia than the Russo-Japanese war that
von Plehve started in 1904.
The Russian society is quite sick today. The Freedom House rating
changed last year to the level “not free”. On the Corruption
Perceptions Index Russia is placed at position 126 among 159 countries
– well below countries such as Zimbabwe, Nepal and Mongolia.
The life expectancy of Russian men is the lowest in Europe, only some
58 years
In spite of immigration from CIS countries, Russia’s population has
been sliding down during the last decade, and with present trends
the population could drop down below 100 million by 2050, less than
Egypt and Vietnam.
The economic growth has been quite high in Russia during recent
years, but it is more due to price increase of raw material exports
than increase in productivity. The economy has characteristics of a
developing country, not of a super power.
The present Russian leadership has apparently an irresistible
temptation to build up a new Potemkin scene in the South, this time in
shape of Olympic Games. Russia plans to invest 12 billion dollars in
the games of Sochi, money desperately needed for health care of the
“lumpen proletariat” and in order to take care of tens of thousands
of St.Petersburg street children. On the other hand, there is a lot
of oil money in Russia today. The problem is that the money is so
unequally distributed.
Forbes report about a boom in the number of Russian billionaires in
dollar. Roman Abramovich is far from the only loyal oligarch in the
vicinity of Kreml.
This is the ugly background of the Russian campaign for Olympic Games
in Sochi 2014.
However, this situation creates also a genuine opportunity to inform
the world about the genocidal and colonist features of Russian politics
in Caucasus.
The 114 members of IOC (International Olympic Committee) should
all be addressed with complete and versatile information about the
background and reality of Russian presence in Caucasus well before
the IOC session in Guatemala City in July 2007. Also, they should all
be informed about what kind of religious and ethnical cleansing may
be expected among the regional population if Sochi would be elected.
Probably the election of Sochi as candidate city is only a consolation
prize to Russia, a great sports nation, anticipating the final decision
in favour of Salzburg. Anyway, it’s an opportunity for Russians to
consider if Caucasus is an area important enough to degrade Russia
to a second-class member of the world community.
The eight time zones east of Ural covers the major part of Russian
territory with a sharply diminishing population – there is Lebensraum
and natural resources enough, without any obstinate aboriginal
people. Regarding Caucasus, maybe it’s soon time to realize the good
idea of “Security in Exchange for Independence”?
For Kavkaz-Center Mikael Storsjo Helsinki, Finland
07/03/4886.shtml
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INTERNICHE HUMANE EDUCATION AWARD INVESTS IN NEW ALTERNATIVES WORLDWIDE
Proefdiervrij, Netherlands
July 3 2006
Eight exciting projects submitted to the InterNICHE Humane Education
Award have now been chosen for their positive pedagogical and ethical
impact on life science education.
The Award is an international grant program to support initiatives
that can enhance veterinary, medical and biological science education
by replacing harmful animal use with progressive alternative methods.
Sponsored by Dutch anti-vivisection organisation Proefdiervrij, 20,000
Euro will now be shared between the following successful applicants
to support their innovative projects:
* Dr. Fawzy Elnady from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Cairo
University in Egypt, who will create the world’s first camel anatomy
software to enhance veterinary teaching and replace the killing of
camels in north African, Middle Eastern and central Asian countries.
In keeping with the InterNICHE Policy (1), the software will be created
using the cadaver of a camel that has died naturally or been euthanised
secondary to serious non-recoverable injury or terminal illness. 1000
copies of the Arabic/English software will be distributed. The new
learning tool will also be freeware, thereby optimising the potential
for widespread replacement.
* Dr Dmitriy Slyusarenko from the Zooveterinary Institute in Kharkiv,
Ukraine, whose project will directly replace surgery labs on live
animals with an innovative cadaver-based alternative. Instead of
catching and practicing on healthy stray dogs and cats which are
then either killed or released with injuries, ethically sourced
animal cadavers and Aboud’s Method (2) of perfusing cadavers for
‘live’ surgery practice will be implemented. Students will be offered
fully ethical learning opportunities that provide a greater degree
of freedom to achieve genuine mastery in surgical training through
repeated and highly realistic practice. Syrian neurosurgeon Dr Emad
Aboud will advise on the establishment of the model.
* Dr Armen Vardapetyan from Yerevan State University in Armenia,
who will implement software alternatives and new hardware to achieve
replacement in zoology practical classes and establish a multimedia
learning environment. The project will begin with frog anatomy
alternatives but it is envisaged that the curricular transformation
will lead to full replacement of all vertebrate use. This modernisation
of the curriculum and teaching process locally will be complemented
by promotion of alternatives and sharing of experience at other
universities and ethics committees nationally.
* Dr Lili Duda from the University of Pennsylvania in the USA,
who will expand the existing but small-scale body donation program
(Educational Memorial Program) for ethically sourced cadavers at the
School of Veterinary Medicine. The expanded program will provide an
alternative track in surgery practical classes for conscientiously
objecting students. An investigation into better preservation and
storage techniques, and distribution of informational brochures
to educate clients of the teaching hospital and the wider faculty,
will also be undertaken.
* Dr. Julia Maria Matera from the College of Veterinary Medicine at
the University of São Paulo in Brazil, who will investigate techniques
for improving the preservation of cadavers used for surgery practice,
with a special focus on tropical climates and chemical preservation
of abdominal organs. The animal cadavers used in the project will
be ethically sourced, as defined by the InterNICHE Policy (1),
using a body donation program already established in the teaching
hospital. Replacement of live animal use already achieved has been well
received by students and has provided a better learning environment
for surgical skills acquisition.
* Dr Gabriel Cotor from the Veterinary Faculty in Bucuresti, Romania,
who will introduce student self-experimentation using the advanced
Biopac Student Lab. Following widespread replacement with software
and a multimedia lab in recent years, the new apparatus will replace
the majority of remaining invasive experiments within physiology
teaching. A wide range of practicals are possible with the computer-
linked apparatus, which has strong advantages over the animal labs
for illustrating physiological principles.
* Dr Marta Saloña-Bordas from Department of Zoology & Animal
Cell Biology at the University of the Basque Country, who will
develop a free-access on-line invertebrate anatomy resource in
Spanish for replacement of zoology practical classes that use killed
invertebrates. The project will dovetail with existing efforts for e-
learning and for reduction of harmful animal use. The sourcing of the
invertebrates will also be in keeping with the InterNICHE Policy,
and will provide a humane alternative for students and teachers
concerned about wild collection of invertebrates and maintaining the
ecological balance.
* Dr Aleksander Ivanc from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics at the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina, who
will introduce a range of physiology video and software alternatives
to provide new tools for practical classes. Translation on paper
will facilitate effective implementation of the alternatives, and
appropriate testing and assessment of student performance with the new
methods will also be undertaken. The project will replace the annual
use of over 500 frogs, rats and snails, a significant reduction of
harmful animal use.
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