IranMania, Iran
Sept 21 2005
Andimeshk’s Armenian Church in limbo
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 – ©2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, September 21 (IranMania) – Despite the lapse of one year
since an Armenian church in Andimeshk, Khuzestan province, was handed
over to the Cultural Heritage Department for being transformed into a
museum, no construction work has yet taken place at the site,
according to Iran Daily.
The Persian daily ?Iran? reported that Iran?s Cultural Heritage and
Tourism Organization (ICHTO) had earlier announced plans to turn the
Armenian Church into a museum and correspondence was exchanged with
the Southern Armenian Archdiocese which had accepted the plan.
Deputy head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department in
Khuzestan, Shojaei said that the Armenian Archdiocese has urged the
ICHTO to repair the church, but, this was not possible due to a
shortage of funds.
He said that the cooperation of Armenian Archdiocese to cede the
church for use as a public museum is praiseworthy adding that it
would be useful for Khuzestan province.
The official pointed out that Khuzestan is ancient and every city in
the province deserves to have its own museum.
Khuzestan province is an archeology paradise, he said citing ancient
cities of Shoush, Abadan, Haft Tapeh and Behbahan which are renowned
for several hundred monuments and cultural sites.
He said that ICHTO has also drawn up plans to build museums in
Shoushtar, Dezful, Masjed Soleiman, Izeh and Abadan which will
materialize in the near future.
He said that a sum of seven bln rials has been earmarked for building
museums in different cities of Khuzestan province.

National Legal Internet Portal, Belarus
Sept 21 2005
Sitting of Belarusian-Armenian commission on trade-economic
cooperation to be held in November in Yerevan
The development of friendly Belarusian-Armenian ties is based on good
relations between leaders of the two countries, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Belarus Suren
Harutyunyan told in an interview with BelTA on September 21, the day
Armenia celebrates its Independence Day.
Suren Harutyunyan noted that there are all presuppositions for
boosting trade-economic cooperation between the two states. To this
end a sitting of the intergovernmental Belarusian-Armenian commission
on trade-economic cooperation is planned to be held in Yerevan
November this year.
A business forum and an exhibition of Belarusian goods will be
attached to the sitting. The Armenian entrepreneurs will have an
opportunity to get acquainted with the Belarusian economy and find
business partners.

WAM – Emirates News Agency, United Arab Emirates
Sept 21 2005
Sharjah Ruler returns
Sep 21, 2005 – 06:25 –
Sharjah Ruler returns Sharjah, 21 September 2005(WAM)–H.H Dr. Sheikh
Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of
Sharjah returned home Tuesday from an official visit to Armenia.
During his three day visit, Sheikh Sultan met Armenian President
Robert Kocharian , who decorated him with the Order of Saint Mesrob
Mashtots. Saint Mesrob order is the highest order in Armenia and was
conferred on Sheikh Sultan in recognition of his contribution to the
UAE Armenian relations in addition to his role in the fields of
education and culture. Sheikh Sultan met Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Markarian.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Contact: Talin Gregorian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
THE ANCA-WR PRAISES THE ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY’S EFFORTS IN HURRICANE RELIEF
— Regional ARS Leadership Has Begun Collecting Aid for the Survivors
of Hurricane Katrina
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western
Region (ANCA-WR) today praised the leadership of the Armenian Relief
Society of Western USA (ARS-WR) in its efforts to raise monetary
donations for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina following the
flooding and devastation in the aftermath of the natural disaster in
the Gulf Coast.
With the motto of `serving the humanitarian needs of all communities
in the world,’ the ARS has always been in the forefront of gathering
aid for victims of devastation. Last January, after the Tsunami in
South-East Asia, the ARS-WR was instrumental in the Armenian American
community of the Western United States in raising funds for the
survivors of the disaster.
`The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is too disastrous to describe, but
we know that as concerned ARS members, supporters and community, all
of us are ready to take responsibility to alleviate the suffering of
fellow citizens in the Gulf States,’ said Angela Savoian, Chair of the
ARS-WR Regional Executive.
The ARS-WR plans to send the money they raise to the schools in the
southern states that have accepted to take in the displaced
children. These schools, some of which are already under funded, need
the financial support in order to keep the schools open and operating.
The ARS-WR will also send a portion of the donations to the local
Armenian American community in Louisiana that was affected by
Hurricane Katrina. Currently, there are 23 families that are taking
refuge in the local, and recently built, Armenian Church. The homes of
21 of these 23 Armenian families are completely uninhabitable and will
need to be completely rebuilt.
With the realization that thousands of survivors are displaced,
homeless and jobless along the Gulf coast, the ARS-WR has worked and
will continue to work tirelessly in hopes of raising as much money as
possible. They strongly believe that the Armenian American community,
who has felt the impact of natural disasters, whether in Northridge or
Armenia, will unite in its efforts to support their neighbors in the
Gulf Coast region.
If you would like to donate to the ARS-WR Katrina Fund, you can visit
arswestusa.org or send donations to 517 West Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale,
CA 91202. Please make the checks payable to ARS Katrina Fund. If you
would like more information about the organization’s efforts, visit
the website or call (818) 500-1343.
The ARS is an independent, non-governmental and non-sectarian
organization with affiliate entities in 24 different countries serving
the social and educational needs of Armenian communities everywhere,
seeking to preserve the cultural identity of the Armenian nation, and
to bring humanitarian help to all communities in distress — Armenian
and non-Armenian alike.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a
broad range of issues.

Viken L.Attarian
Chairman
AGBU Montreal chapter
805 Manoogian street
Ville St-Laurent, QC H4N 1Z5
Tel: 514 748-2428
Fax: 514 748 6307

PRESS RELEASE

AGBU MONTREAL ANNOUNCES
NEW PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES

FIRST GUEST OF IDEAS @ AGBU
IS DAVID BARSAMIAN ON OCTOBER 2nd 2005.
MONTREAL, September 20, 2005 –
AGBU Montreal announced today a new series of public lectures called Ideas @
AGBU. These series of public lectures will follow a completely new format
and are open to the Montreal public at large.
The series will be delivered in the format of a one-hour interview with a
leading intellectual or expert in his/her field. This person may or may not
be of Armenian descent. All interviews will be videotaped for archival
purposes only. At the end of every program the audience will be given the
opportunity to engage the guest in a 10 minute question and answer session.
“We are very excited to start this new series”, said Viken L. Attarian,
Chairman of AGBU Montreal.” Ideas @ AGBU will be an opportunity to meet
exciting individuals and through them to have an in depth understanding of
the world we live in. The guests of this program will come from a variety of
fields such as media, the arts, politics, literature, philosophy, business,
science, medicine, law, government and public policy etc.”
“This series will intellectually challenge the attendees” added Mr.
Attarian.” AGBU is the only Armenian organization that is capable of
delivering such a unique and different program. It is also unique in the
languages of its delivery as it will be up to the guest to choose from the
languages of their choice, Armenian, English or French. The series will
also be open to the non-Armenian public so it will be an opportunity to
create a very interesting dialog among participants, guests and audiences
alike.”
The first guest of Ideas @ AGBU is Mr. David Barsamian, founder and director
of Alternative Radio, the independent award-winning weekly series based in
Boulder, Colorado. He is a radio producer, journalist, author and lecturer.
He has been working in radio since 1978. He is the author of several books,
including Propaganda and the Public Mind: Conversations with Noam Chomsky;
Eqbal Ahmad: Confronting Empire and The Decline and The Fall of Public
Broadcasting. The Institute for Alternative Journalism named him one of its
“Top Ten Media Heroes.” Barsamian lectures on U.S. foreign policy, the
media, propaganda, and corporate power in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, India
and Europe. He is the winner of the ACLU’s Upton Sinclair Award for
independent journalism and of a Democracy Media Award.
“Mr. Barsamian is familiar to the Montreal Armenian community as he has
appeared 2 years ago at the AGBU Montreal Distinguished Speakers series on
the topic of the Armenian Genocide. He will be delivering several lectures
in Montreal during that weekend and we are thrilled that he has accepted to
launch our series”, said Mr. Attarian.
Ideas @ AGBU is scheduled to debut on Sunday October 2nd, 2005 at 7:30 p.m.
at the Demirdjian Hall of the AGBU Montreal Alex Manoogian Center on 805
Manoogian Street in St. Laurent. The interview will be conducted by AGBU
Montreal chairman Mr. Viken L. Attarian. The topics covered will include
media literacy, as well as Mr. Barsamian’s latest trip to several countries
in the Middle East and his observations. Attendance is free of charge, but
seating is limited, so the audience is encouraged to be on time.
For more information about the series please contact AGBU Montreal at
514-748-2428 or via email at [email protected]
. Further information about Mr. Barsamian,
his speaking schedule and other lectures in MOntreal is available at
<;

Quince primer
Don’t know much about this fruit? It’s laden with history and has a
unique spot in local ag.
By Joan Obra / The Fresno Bee
(Updated Wednesday, September 21, 2005, 9:45 AM)
Many local folks don’t recognize the quince, a hard and often tart
fruit that looks like a funny-shaped apple.
But a handful of growers know it well. Most of the quince’s commercial
production in the United States rests on a few hundred acres in Fresno
and Tulare counties. Harvest begins around Labor Day and typically
ends in mid-November, says John Kaprielian, a Reedley farmer who tends
three varieties of this fruit: pineapple quince, Smyrna quince and
golden quince.
It’s a fruit that has fascinated local growers for more than a
century. George C. Roeding, the horticulturist and parks commissioner
who lent his name to Roeding Park, is credited with importing the
Smyrna quince from Turkey in the late 1800s.
Despite the strong Valley connection to the fruit, shoppers may have a
hard time finding fresh quince in supermarkets and farmers
markets. Whole Foods in Fig Garden Village already is selling it, and
it could appear on more market shelves as the harvest season
progresses. But much of the quince grown here heads to Los Angeles,
where ethnic groups such as Hispanics and Armenians buy the fruit. Or
it’s sent to the Middle East, where it’s widely eaten.
Quince still is popular among “all the cultures that still place a
high value on food,” says Brian Keavy, who markets quince for
Ballantine Produce in Reedley. “Our culture races toward
convenience. One of our greatest challenges is to get people to slow
down.”
Quince was the original fruit used in marmalades. “The Portuguese word
for quince is marmelo, and the quince jam in Portugal was called
marmalada,” states the 1987-88 catalog of the Southmeadow Fruit
Gardens, a specialty fruit-tree nursery in Baroda, Mich.
In Armenia, cooks turn the quince into preserves, jellies and
juice. In Iran, quince often is paired with meats such as lamb. And in
Spain and Latin America, a quince paste called dulce de membrillo
often is eaten with various cheeses, including the Spanish manchego
and tetilla, or the Mexican cotija.
In the Valley, quince paste is easier than the fresh fruit to find in
stores. The El Mexicano brand is sold at some stores that cater to
Hispanics. At La Paella, a Spanish restaurant at Champlain Drive and
Perrin Avenue, diners can order a dessert of Spanish dulce de
membrillo with tetilla cheese and a glass of port or sherry.
“People had the [quince] trees at home,” says Frank Vidal, the owner
of La Paella and a native of the Spainish province of Galicia. “We
used to make the membrillo at home.”
Making the paste was a lengthy process, he adds.
Quince is widely perceived as a difficult fruit. Its tart, chewy
texture means it’s rarely eaten raw. And cooking it requires
preparation. The skin has a light fuzz that must be removed. Its core
is particularly hard to cut. Cooking turns its pale flesh into a
beautiful red, ruby color ‘ but it typically takes a couple of hours
of cooking for this transformation.

Still, cooking with quince isn’t rocket science.
“Everyone says quince is hard to work with,” says Barbara Ghazarian, a
Monterey author whose cookbook, “Simply Armenian: Naturally Healthy
Ethnic Cooking Made Easy,” contains a chapter about quince. “But if
you’re a home cook who’s willing to cook with apples, then you’re a
home cook who’s willing to work with quince.”
Commercial quince already is defuzzed, she points out. And if you
happen to get the fruit from a backyard tree, rubbing it with a dish
towel should take care of the pesky fuzz.
Most of the time, you can use a knife to cut through the quince. If it
proves too hard, a food processor easily will slice it.
Like apples, the quince browns quickly, so plunge the slices into a
bowl of water with a little lemon juice.
If you’re looking for a quick dish, simply cook the fruit in cobblers
or as you would an apple pie. The quince may not turn that deep red
color, but it’ll still taste good.
If, however, you’re looking for the ruby hue, let the fruit simmer for
a couple of hours to make preserves, Ghazarian says.
The color and cooking time depend on the variety. The Smyrna won’t
start to jell until it turns a deep red, she says. But the golden
quince will start to set up once the flesh has turned a golden color.
You can identify the Smyrna by its irregular shape. The smoother
golden quince, by contrast, “is just a really buff fruit. Huge and
buff,” Ghazarian says. “If the fruit was a guy, it would be Matt
Damon, and I would marry it.”
For recipes such as stuffed quinces, the Smyrna would be a good
choice.
“The Smyrna really holds its shape,” Kaprielian says. “It won’t get
mushy or fall apart.”
Kaprielian also offers a tip for ripening the quince: Simply let it
sit at room temperature until it turns yellow and gives off an
aromatic scent, a process that can take several weeks.
“A lot of times, a quince will get better after harvest,” Kaprielian
says. “It keeps ripening.”
Once it is ripe, store it in a plastic container with a damp paper
towel. Cover the container, but leave the lid slightly ajar. Kept
this way, it will stay fresh for a couple of months in the
refrigerator.
Kaprielian and Ghazarian, who are both Armenian, have ancestral ties
to the quince. This ancient fruit was born in the Caucasus ‘ the
mountainous region between the Black and Caspian seas that now
includes Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The quince has biblical, mythical and historical significance. It is
said to be the apple that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. The
Babylonians cultivated it. The Persians took it south, and the Greeks
took it to the east.
It is the fruit that started the Trojan War, the conflict launched by
a rivalry between three goddesses. Each hoped to win a quince destined
for the fairest one. Their judge: Paris, the prince of Troy.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love, made Paris an irresistible offer. If
he awarded her the quince, she would have the most beautiful woman in
the world fall in love with him. Aphrodite won the fruit, and Paris
won the heart of Helen, who already was married to the king of Sparta.
Helen left her husband for Paris, and her husband waged the Trojan War
to bring her back.
Other peoples, such as the Romans, traveled with the quince,
introducing it to areas such as the British Isles.
And when early European settlers came to America, they carried the
quince, Ghazarian says. The first quince tree she tended likely was
planted by settlers in Whitinsville, Mass.
“My family history with the fruit goes back to when my aunt and her
family purchased a home with a fruit-bearing quince tree in the yard,”
Ghazarian writes in “Simply Armenian.” “But it was my grandmother who
cared for the trees. She watched the fruit for signs of ripening
during the final days of September and labored in the kitchen for days
afterwards, making her royal red quince preserves and jelly.”
Ghazarian has noticed rising interest in the fruit, which has prompted
her to collect more recipes and historical information for a cookbook
devoted to quince.
“Quince is the up-and- coming thing,” she says. The reporter can be
reached at [email protected] or (559) 441-6365.

THE CLICKABLE CHAMBER MUSIC NEWSLETTER FROM THE SOUTH BAY
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 – Wednesday, September 28, 2005 No.243
Next issue: Wednesday, September 28, 2005
INAUGURAL CONCERT – DILIJAN CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
N E W S L E T T E R B E G I N S
*********************************
GREETINGS, MUSIC AFICIONADOS,
[ stuff omitted ]
B. Inaugural Concert
DILIJAN CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
MARTIN CHALIFOUR, VARTY MANOUELIAN, and MOVSES POGOSSIAN violins,
PAUL COLETTI and GINA WARNICK violas, PETER STUMPF cello
Sunday, September 25, 2005 – 3:00PM – Zipper Concert Hall
This is the inaugural concert of a major new chamber music series in
the superb Zipper Concert Hall. Aficionados will immediately recognize
this town’s finest artists in the ensemble — Los Angeles Philharmonic
concertmaster MARTIN CHALIFOUR, violinist VARTY MANOUELIAN, and
principal cellist PETER STUMPF, and Colburn and UCLA distinguished
faculty member PAUL COLETTI. Violinist and Dilijan Artistic Director
MOVSES POGOSSIAN is a prizewinner of the 1986 Tchaikovsky
International Competition and the youngest-ever first-prize winner of
the USSR National Violin Competition. He made his American debut
performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Boston Pops in
1990. Read about the artists for this and upcoming concerts by clicking:
The Dilijan series’ six concerts of the 2005-06 season will encompass
both traditional pieces of the genre, along with fine examples of
Armenian classical chamber music. An important component of Dilijan is
its commitment to commission and premiere two to three compositions
each season. The inaugural concert, for example, will feature the
world premiere of “Serenade with a Dandelion” by Vache Sharafyan,
whose compositions have been championed by cellist YO-YO MA and his
Silk Road Ensemble.
Program
Edward Mirzoyan: String Quartet (1947)
Vache Sharafyan: Serenade with a Dandelion for two violins (World Premiere)
Zoltán Kodály: Serenade for two violins and viola, Op.12
Brahms: String Quintet No.2 in G Major, Op.111
For full concert information, see No.34 in the listings below, or click:
C. USC Thornton School of Music – Free
SZYMANOWSKI PROJECT – Songs of the Mad Muezzin
a theatrical multimedia fantasy
Saturday, September 24, 2005 – 7:00PM
Sunday, September 25, 2005 – 3:00PM
USC Schoenberg Institute Recital Hall
A dangerous and esoteric world of mystical-erotic desire found in the
song-cycle “Songs of the Mad Muezzin” by the Polish composer KAROL
SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937) is explored in a collective project between
students of USC’s Schools of Music, Theatre and Cinema & Television,
and the Polish Music Center. Film installation, projected slides,
abstract paintings, and classical music are combined to create an
experimental alternative to the traditional recital presentation of
the classical voice cycle.
The SZYMANOWSKI PROJECT was conceived by Russian-born tenor TIMUR
BEKBOSUNOV, a graduate student at USC studying voice with GARY
GLAZE. Read about Timur and the other USC artists involved with the
Szymanowski Project by clicking:
Admission is free, but reservations are required. For full concert
information, see No.16 in the listings below, or click:
Newsletter Contact: Jim Eninger
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 21 2005
ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER APPRECIATES UAE’S BALANCED FOREIGN POLICY
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The delegation
headed by Doctor Sultan ben Mohammad al-Kasimi, the emir sheikh of
Sharzha and a member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), was received on September 20 by the RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian.
Expressing satisfaction at Armenia’s current relations with many Arab
states, including the UAE, the sides pointed out such achievements
registered in recent years as the activization of high-level mutual
visits, the signing of several dozens of agreements on cooperation in
various spheres, the existing mutually beneficial cooperation within
the framework of international organizations, and the holding of
regular diplomatic consultations. They underlined that the friendship
and cultural and trade links between the Armenian and Arab peoples
that have deep historical roots are greatly conducive to the
development of bilateral relations and international contacts.
A. Margarian appreciated the balanced foreign policy conducted by the
UAE at both the regional and international levels.
The interlocuters indicated education, science, culture, tourism, and
the export of agricultural products as the most perspective spheres
regarding the relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister
expressed a confidence that the current visit of Sultan al-Kasimi, as
well as Sharzha Culture Days being held now in Armenia will become a
new stimulus for developing the cooperation and promoting the
cultural, scientific and educational contacts between the two
countries and allowing their peoples to better understand each other.
A. Margarian attached importance to the establishment of the Arab
Cultural Center in Armenia, expressing gratitude to Sultan al-Kasimi
for his willingness to participate in its financing. He also thanked
the emir of Sharzha for allocating a land area in Sharzha in 1995 for
the purpose of building an Armenian church, which has been the only
one in the UAE so far.
According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, the
sides also addressed the issue of opening the UAE’s embassy in
Armenia. Noting that Armenia opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi as far
back as 2000, A. Margarian expressed a hope that the UAE’s government
will also establish its embassy in Yerevan in the near futiure,
especially as a land plot has already been allocated for this purpose
by the Armenian side.

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 21 2005
ARPI VARDANIAN: OUR DUTY AS AMERICAN CITIZENS IS TO MAKE OUR
GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The American
people’s perception and understanding of problems related to
genocides, including the Armenian Genocide, is continuously
increasing thanks to the activities carried out by the Armenian
organizations in the US. Arpi Vardanian, Regional Director for
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh of the Armenian Assembly of America
(AAA), told this to NT correspondent, while commenting on the
adoption on September 15 of a resolution on the Armenian Genocide by
the Commission of Internatinal Relations of the US House of
Representatives.
She underlined that progress has been registered in the adoption of
the resolution on the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress. The above
mentioned commission approved the resolution by 40 votes to 7 – such
a result has not been registered since 2000 when 24 commission
members voted in favor and 11 ones – against.
Arpi Vardanian found it difficult to say when the House of
Representatives will hold a discussion on the resolution, since the
process involves several stages. According to her, it is envisaged to
finish the discussions of all drafts by late 2005, and it is not
ruled out that the process will be completed in October, but taking
into consideration the experience of the previous years, it is quite
possible the terms will be extended.
Arpi Vardanian was appreciative of the American Greek community’s
position on the issue. She reminded that a few years ago, the AAA
initiated the creation of the Central and East European Coalition tha
involves 15 organizations representing national minorities and unites
20 mln Americans. “Today there exists an understanding on the
Armenian Genocide issue, the minorities should help each other.”
Arpi Vardanian pointed out that in the event the resolution is not
adopted, the AAA will continue its work until the Armenian Genocide
is recognized and approved by the US government. “It is our duty to
our ancestors, and as American citizens to make out government
recognize the truth, one should never be afraid of truth,” Arpi
Vardanian stressed.

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network
(CENN)

Weekly Digest
September 21, 2005

NEWS FROM GEORGIA

Action On Struggle Against Poverty
Source: PrimeNews Agency, September 10, 2005

Activists of the movement “Future without Poverty” will hold an action in
Tbilisi on Saturday within the frameworks of the international day “White
belt”. <; more US SIGNS $295.3M COMPACT WITH GEORGIA AS PART OF MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE Source: "Sarke", September 13, 2005 A compact on disbursing $295.3 million to Georgia as part of the Millennium Challenge program was signed yesterday as <; more GEORGIA HOPES TO RECEIVE $600M FROM INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Source: Information Agency "Sarke", September 14, 2005 Apart from $295.3 million, the US has disbursed to Georgia under the Millennium Challenge program the Georgian government hopes to receive up to $600 million in loan from international financial institutions. <; more Officials Laud Millennium Challenge Aid Agreement Source: The Messenger, September 14, 2005 The signing of the Millennium Challenge agreement for USD 295.3 million in aid to Georgia underlines the continuing and strengthening relationship between Georgia and the United States, officials from both countries said Monday. Speaking at the signing ceremony for the new aid agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the agreement, the largest so far from the new U.S. aid program, "represents America's long-term commitment to Georgia's future success." "Our partnership will only continue to grow stronger <; more NEWS FROM Azerbaijan HEALTH MINISTRY OF AZERBAIJAN: "THERE WAS NEVER BACTERIOLOGICAL WEAPON IN AZERBAIJAN" Source: "Azertag", September 7, 2005 Health Ministry of the Azerbaijan Republic is rather surprised upon the information disseminated in mass media on allegedly presentation by Azerbaijan to the United States of the samples of bacteriological weapon, the Ministry's spokesman told AzerTAc. <; more AZERBAIJAN TO CELEBRATE WORLD TOURISM DAY Source: "Azertag", September 13, 2005 Within the frameworks of the World Tourism Day, an exhibition dealing with domestic tourism will be held in Baku October 1. Over 50 travel agencies and hotel owners will take part in the exhibition to be held at the Baku Business Center <; more news from Armenia SEVAN THREATENING THE TREES Source: A1plus, September 7, 2005 Today the session of the RA Forests Repair and Development Fund Trustee Council took place which was presided over by the President of the Council, RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. <; more GERMANY ALLOCATES 2.2 Million EUR TO ARMENIA FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT "BIO-DIVERSITY AND NATURE PROTECTION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION" Source: ARMINFO, September 9, 2005 German Government has approved 2.2 million EUR to Armenia for implementation of a program "Bio-diversity in the South-West of Armenia" and "Protection of bio-diversity in Javakheti through transboundary cooperation." A relevant agreement was signed today by Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia Vardan Ayvazyan and Representative of German KfW bank in Armenia Karapet Gevorgyan. <; more ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE Source: Armenian News Agency "A1plus", September 14, 2005 Today in New York UN General Assembly 60th session high-level meeting started. Heads of Governments of more than 170 countries participate in the summit, including the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. On September 13 Andranik Margaryan met the (MCC) heads temporary executive director
<; more International News UN agencies team up to promote eco-friendly, development-oriented tourism Source: UN Dispatch, September 7, 2005 With massive growth in tourism predicted in the coming years, two United Nations agencies have teamed up to produce a set of guidelines to help governments around the world to promote a sustainable tourism that spreads prosperity while avoiding harm to the environment and local communities. For the first time, the UN World Tourism Organization ( <; WTO) and the UN Environment Programme ( <; UNEP) have <; combined their efforts < ly_digest_21_9_05_en.html> more

The environment matters
Source: WWF News, By Claude Martin, September 9, 2005

Many of us in the conservation world are concerned that the natural
environment – as the fundamental provider of life on this planet – seems to
have dropped off the international community’s radar screen in the lead up
to the UN-hosted World Summit.

This is an alarming realization as natural resources and the environment are
being degraded and destroyed at record pace.
<; more Flood-Water Sampling Chemical Data Available Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 11, 2005 The Environmental Protection Agency in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality today posted data from New Orleans flood water chemical samples collected <; more Europe's environmental future demands more action in key sectors Source: European Environmental Agency, 11 September, 2005 Policy makers must better integrate environmental issues across EU policies Existing policies alone will not be enough to save Europe's environment from extensive environmental change in the long term, according to a new report released today by the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen. <; more EU bio-fuel target 'incompatible with biodiversity targets' Source: Eco-portal news, 12 September, 2005 Delegates at last week's European Conference on Climate Change and Biodiversity, organized in Oxford shire by English Nature, were told that the EU's target of 5.75% bio-fuels for transport <; more New funding to sustain rivers and wetlands Source: Environmental News Agency, September 12, 2005 The Environment Agency published (on September 9) proposals to increase the cost of licenses to abstract water from rivers and groundwater in England and Wales. The increase would create a fund to enable the Agency to revoke historical rights to water which need to be revoked or limited to prevent damage to the environment and compensate abstractors whose rights are revoked. It will also meet the costs of new responsibilities assumed by the Environment Agency under the Water Act 2003. <; more US Agency Approves Private Nuclear-Waste Facility Source: Planet Ark, September 12, 2005 Washington - US regulators Friday approved a private firm's plan to store tens of thousands of tons nuclear waste above the ground on an American Indian reservation in Utah. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the license to Private Fuel Storage to store the radioactive waste on the reservation of the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians, about 50 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. <; more Canada Doesn't see Breakthrough at Post-Kyoto Meet Source: Planet Ark, September 13, 2005 Ottawa - A major Montreal meeting charged with starting to draft a successor to the Kyoto climate change accord is unlikely to produce a breakthrough, a senior Canadian official said on Monday. <; more Clean Air agreement with nation's largest hazardous waste operator Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 13, 2005 The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services that is expected to enhance calculating and reporting on benzene emissions from North America's largest operator of hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities. This settlement involves ten facilities in eight states. It confirms the proper industry standard for compliance <; more Environment: Why Is the Ozone Hole Growing? Source: Inter Press Service News Agency, September 13, 2005 A huge ozone hole has developed over Antarctica for the second year running, exposing southern Argentina and Chile to high levels of damaging ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. <; more Black Sea turns cleaner Source: Bulgarians News Network, September 13, 2005 Sofia - The Black Sea has gradually become cleaner in the past few years, according to observations of the Oceanology Institute of the Bulgarian Science Academy, state TV informed Tuesday. <; more Environmental effect on diseases could be underestimated Source: European Environmental Agency, 13 September, 2005 The current way of analyzing connections between environment and health attributes only 2-5% of European mortality and morbidity to environmental factors. However, this so-called "burden of disease" approach is likely to be flawed, according to EEA executive director Professor Jacqueline McGlade who spoke today at the 2005 conference of the UK Health Protection Agency at Warwick University. <; more Two for the price of one: save water, serve people Source: WWF News, 13 September, 2005 Gland, Switzerland - As Heads of State meet in New York for the World Summit, a new report from WWF shows a strong link between environmental improvement and economic development that can no longer be ignored. The report - Freshwater and poverty reduction: Serving people, saving nature - analyses projects in Brazil, Colombia, China, and South Africa, demonstrating dramatic improvements in the livelihoods of poor local communities where WWF-supported conservation projects are in place. The projects show that <; more World's Largest Hippo Population Almost Gone - WWF Source: Planet Ark, September 13, 2005 Johannesburg - An aerial survey shows what was once the world's largest hippo population in the Democratic Republic of Congo is being poached to extinction, conservationist group WWF International said on Monday. <; more Two Decades of Protecting the Ozone Layer to be Marked Source: UNEP's press release, September 13, 2005 International Ozone Day to mark the signing of Montreal Protocol on 16 September Vienna Convention to Celebrate Two Decades of Protecting the Ozone Layer on 21 September "An extraordinary success story - but saving ozone layer an unfinished business," says UNEP. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and governments around the world are preparing to celebrate two key milestones <; more Oil Leasing Proposed for Remote Chukchi Sea Source: Planet Ark, September 15, 2005 Anchorage - New expressions of industry interest have prompted the US government to propose oil and gas leasing in the Chukchi Sea, a remote but potentially energy-rich area between northwestern Alaska and northeastern Siberia, officials said Tuesday. The Minerals Management Service, an agency of the Interior Department, said it will start planning for a Chukchi lease sale to be held in late 2007 or early 2008. It would be the first lease sale in the region since 1991. <; more REGIONAL FORUM ON COMBATING ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME FORMED Source: Planet Ark, September 15, 2005 Experts from a range of international agencies, meeting in Bangkok, have agreed to set up a Regional Forum to be facilitated by UNEP ROAP to help curb the trade of environmentally hazardous chemicals as well as natural resources and endangered species in the region. The Forum allows access to information <; more NGO News NGOS MARK GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST WASTE AND INCINERATION Source: IISD Reporting Services, September 9, 2005 A group of NGOs has organized a week of awareness-raising activities on waste issues. The network challenges governments to adopt and implement policies that will prevent waste <; more NGOs Oppose Veterinary Department Chief Source: The Georgian Times, September 19, 2005 Some Georgian environmentalists are concerned over the shutdown of state-run veterinary services across Georgia. They blame Jambul Maghlakelidze, Chairman of the Veterinary Department of Georgia, of withholding information about the process. Maghlakelidze, who signed the order to liquidate the services on July 1, 2005, dismisses these charges as `groundless'. According to a protest letter from the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), the order to shut down state-owned veterinary bodies <; more Legal News Environmental laws fall by the wayside Source: the Daily Star: By Raed El Rafei September 14, 2005 Many companies ignore the need for EIA studies or pay lip service to their implementation. One need only take a look at the over-urbanized slopes crunched by quarries or take a dip in the sea where water and waste co-exist to realize protecting the environment is not a priority in the land of the cedars. The continuous proliferation of projects that do not respect environmental standards makes one wonder why laws drafted for the protection of the environment in 2002 have not yet been implemented. <; more New Publication European Environment Outlook - EEA Report No 4/2005 Source: European Environmental Agency, 11 September, 2005 Protecting our environment is a key element in ensuring sustainable livelihoods for today's and future generations. Indeed, the most recent Euro barometer surveys show <; more Fundraising Opportunity The CEE Fundraising Achievement Award 2005 The Civil Society Development Foundation Hungary (CSDF Hungary) and Fundraising Competence Group GmbH introduce a new award for celebrating fundraising success stories of the recent years and promoting best practices of the emerging nonprofit sectors in Central and Eastern Europe. <; more Announcement TACIS FUNDED PROJECT intends to recruit 2 experts to assist the EU Source: "24 Saati" ("24 Hours"), September 15, 2005 "Legal Advice in Support of Reform of the Social Protection and Health Care Sectors" The recruited experts will be responsible for preparing analysis according to the defined project objectives and criteria. (in years) <; more Tender Announcement - Invitation for Bids Source: The Georgian Times, September 19, 2005 Specific Procurement Notice Georgia Municipal Development and Decentralization Project II Improvement of Gori Water Supply System Loan/Credit No. 3701-GE Contract/ Bid No. GOR/201 This invitation for bids follows the general procurement notice for this project that appeared in Development Business No. 657 of June 30, 2005. Georgia has received a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) toward the cost of the Municipal Development and Decentralization Project II, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this credit <; more ANNOUNCEMENT - Partner to finance a Project Source: The Georgian Times, September 19, 2005 LTD 'IKATO' seeks a partner to finance a project (G-689 Natural Biopreparation from Georgian Plants). The project has been subject to expertise at the ISTC. <; more ************************************************* *********************** Subscribing Information CENN lists are created to maintain e-mail discussions of Caucasus Environmental NGO Network members. CENN has been distributing information since 1998. All the published digests and bulletins issued in both English and Russian languages present incredibly rich environmental information base that give the reader the whole picture of the environmental process taking place during the recent 5 years in the South Caucasus region as well as abroad. To subscribe or unsubscribe from CENN mailing list service, please send an email to [email protected] and place the “subscribe” or
“unsubscribe” command as the first line of the message body.

If you would like the information about your organization and activities to
be distributed via the CENN mailing lists (the current number of CENN
mailing list members represents 11049), if you want your voice to be heard
around the world, please send your information at the following email:
[email protected]

For more information about the program, please visit CENN web-page:
<; CENN INFO Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) Tel: ++995 32 75 19 03/04 Fax: ++995 32 75 19 05 E-mail: [email protected] URL: