Charlottesville Daily Progress, VA
Thurs., Mar. 17, 2005

All about finding a niche

By Kate Andrews / Daily Progress staff writer

March 17, 2005

Standing in front of a sizzling professional oven, P.J. Forbes shed her
sweater.

She had eight hours of material to get through in 45 minutes Wednesday
afternoon, and things were going to get hot in this kitchen.

`I am compulsive, I am neurotic, I am a workaholic,’ Forbes announced to an
audience seated on wooden chairs. `This is an exceedingly competitive field.
Everybody thinks they can write a cookbook.’

Some of the junior leaguers and others in the crowd were a little taken
aback, given the innocent-sounding topic of `Community Cookbooks.’

Just as the prospective cookbook writers learned, you’ve got to find your
niche – a lesson learned by the Virginia Festival of the Book’s organizers.
The 11th annual festival started Wednesday and continues through Sunday.

In one afternoon, a participant could hear heart-rending poems about a
parent’s death, wild tales about Beethoven and Schumann and truths about the
cut-throat world of cookbookery.

Charlotte Matthews, a Piedmont Virginia Community College professor and
poet, read a `love poem to the men who mow the county graveyards’ at a
Gravity Lounge gathering of authors published in the `Tough Times
Companion.’

The mowers get paid per graveyard, which could encourage slipshod, hurried
work, but the men take pride, said Matthews, who noticed them at a church in
Free Union.

As Matthews read poems and listened to others, she minded her 6-year-old
daughter Emma, who slipped backstage for a moment to play with a drum stand.
As a baby in her tick-tock swing, Emma was `my first audience,’ Matthews
said.

She recalled one thing a student had said to her: `Reading my poetry gives
me a another chance to feel real.’

At Mona Lisa Pasta, audience members were a little slow to arrive, but a
couple dozen soon settled in to listen to Forbes, who oversaw the creation
of two cookbooks for the Junior League of Norfolk/Virginia Beach.

There are three all-important factors in writing a cookbook, she said: Is it
readable? Does it teach you something new? And do the recipes work?

People want short, easy-to-understand lists of ingredients, with serving
instructions, substitutions and photos. Lots of photos.

But pictures get expensive, budding cookbook writer Karen Beaver fretted,
and few people get advances from publishers for their cooking manuals. `It’s
really hard to think of the money it takes to get it published.’

Still, she has hopes for publishing her Armenian cookbook one day, including
recipes from friends’ grandmothers and stories from the land.

>From the pasta store to New Dominion Book Shop, the aroma shifted from
garlic and tomatoes to the powdery scent of aging books.

British cellist Steven Isserlis, enunciating his words carefully, described
Wolfgang von Beethoven’s flat, with scattered furniture, half-eaten food,
coffee spilled inside his piano and `an unemptied chamber pot in plain
view.’

The bear-like composer got irritated in a restaurant one night and threw his
beef soup in the waiter’s face, prompting Isserlis’ title, `Why Beethoven
Threw the Stew: For Musical Youths.’

The gray-haired crowd was older than the writer’s targeted audience, but
most were headed across the Downtown Mall for Isserlis’ concert with the
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival.

There was only a brief period between book signing and tuning up, leaving
the busy Isserlis, in his own words, `panicked.’

But not too panicked to reveal his next book’s title: `Why Handel Waggled
His Wig.’

Contact Kate Andrews at (434) 978-7261 or [email protected].

PanArmenian News
March 16 2005

ARMENIA RE-ELECTED UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBER

16.03.2005 04:40

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is re-elected member of the UN Commission
on Human Rights. As reported by Regnum news agency, addressing the
Commission 61st session Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh problem, specifically, the right of
Armenians for self-determination. In his speech the Armenian FM said
remarked, “Ironically even as societies have learned to support the
victims of domestic violence, we have not yet graduated to offering
the same support to victims of international or government violence.
At best, the world watches silently as the victims attempt to defend
themselves, and if somehow, against great odds, they succeed, then
the world quickly pulls back, as the state loudly cries foul and
claims sovereignty and territorial integrity. Just as the perpetrator
of domestic violence loses the moral right to custody, so then, does
a government that commits and promotes violence against its own
citizens lose its rights. It is in such instances that the notion of
self-determination is significant and legitimate.” Summing up his
thoughts the minister noted `for us, defense and protection of human
rights is not an abstract principle. It is the difference between
survival and annihilation. We believe it is the same for many in the
world.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EARTHQUAKE IN ARMENIA

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 March 05

The eastern department of the RA National Service for Seismic Defence
reported earthquake 20 km southwest of the town of Vardenis, Armenia
on March 13, at 07:02 local time. The earthquake measured 5 on the
MSK-64 scale.

??.
15-03-2005

NKR MINISTRY REFUTED NEWS ON SKIRMISH

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 March 05

The news agency `Arminfo’ informed that the NKR Ministry ofDefence
refuted the Azeri mass media report on a skirmish allegedly taken
place last night on the frontier near Aghdam. Commenting on the
reports spread by the Azerbaijani news agency TURAN, the spokesperson
of the Defence Ministry of Karabakh said it was a recurrent
provocation of the Azeri mass media.

PANARMENIAN.NET.
15-03-2005

Interfax
March 16 2005

Georgian minister, Abkhaz president likely to meet in Moscow

MOSCOW. March 16 (Interfax) – Georgia’s Minister for Separatist
Conflicts Giorgi Khaindrava said he will probably meet with Abkhaz
President Sergei Bagapsh in Moscow.

“A meeting with Bagapsh is quite possible in Moscow,” Khaindrava told
the press ahead of a regular meeting with the co-chairmen of the
Joint Control Commission on the Georgian-Ossetian settlement.

While commenting on Bagapsh’s recent statement to the effect that the
leaders of the four breakaway republics Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria might meet soon, he said: “What
comments can I provide on plans to organize a separatist movement?”
“I regret that this policy is continuing. I don’t think it will bring
any benefits to Russia,” he said.

Kommersant
Today is Mar. 17, 2005 09:50 AM (GMT +0300) Moscow

Armenia Exchanges Electricity for Iranian Gas

//With the Help of Gazprom and RAO UES of Russia

Friendship of nations

Yesterday, Gazprom Deputy Chairman of the Board Alexander Ryazanov promised
the Armenian President Robert Kocharyan during their meeting in Yerevan to
begin the construction of Armenian section of the Iran-Armenia pipeline, so
Razdan thermoelectric power plant could receive Iranian gas. On the same day
RAO UES of Russia Deputy Chairman of the Board Andrey Rappoport promised to
assist in finding means to build the fifth block of the Razdan power plant.
Representatives of two Russian monopolies were supposed to persuade the
Armenian president that Russia would help secure its power supply, in view
of the upcoming visit of President Vladimir Putin to Yerevan.

Iran-Armenia pipeline, length 140 km, including the reconstruction of the
currently functioning Kadjaran-Yerevan pipeline is estimated by $220
million. Armrosgazprom (45 percent owned by Gazprom) became the
subcontractor to construct the 41 km on Armenia’s territory a week ago. Iran
committed to supply Armenia 36 billion cubic meters of gas in the next 20
years.

Yesterday, the parties confirmed the agreement on gas to be directed from
Iran to Razdan power plant in return for electricity according to the rate
of 1 million cubic meters of gas to 3 million kilowatt-hour. Alexander
Ryazanov said that construction in Armenia will begin on April 1. In
response, Kommersant source in Armenian presidential administration said
that Kocharyan suggested Gazprom to finance reconstruction of the gas
pipeline currently active on the territory of Armenia. The possible ways of
Gazprom’s participation in the project are not being publicized.
Nevertheless, it is known that the finances for the whole project ($220
million) have not been drawn yet. Therefore, there remains a possibility
that Gazprom may count on a share in the future property.

Earlier, RAO Chairman of the Board Anatoly Chubais said that the power
holding was looking at the possibility of participating together with
Gazprom in the construction of Iran-Armenia pipeline. That is why
negotiations between the head of the Federal Grid Company and RAO Deputy
Chairman of the Board Andrey Rapport are not accidental. The Federal Grid
Company press service announced yesterday that no concrete decisions had yet
been made.

All offers of the Russian business before Putin’s visit to Yerevan,
scheduled for March 25th, are aimed at convincing the Armenia president of
the fact that Russia will support all large-scale projects that would secure
power supply to the Republic. It looks like in exchange for that the
Russians will want a guarantee of preservation of the military base near
Yerevan, where the Russian military could relocate in case of withdrawal
from Georgia.

A few hours before the meeting with the president, Rapport passed the
technical and economical offer of RAO regarding the construction of the
fifth block of Razdan power plant, completed before March 15, to the Energy
Ministry of Armenia. Razdan power plant produces 20 percent of all Armenia’s
electrical energy. It should be financed by the scheme of project financing,
however, in case of approval of the offer, RAO is willing to help find
investors.

by Artem Erkanyan, Yerevan; Natalya Grib

Russian Article as of Mar. 17, 2005

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MEETING OF THE DELEGATIONS OF THE CATHOLICOSATE OF ALL ARMENIANS AND THE
CATHOLICOSATE OF THE GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA

Azg/arm
17 March 05

Under the auspices of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia, a meeting of delegations of the
Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Catholicosate of the Great
House of Cilicia took place on March 4-5 in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin with the goal of the prosperity of the sacred mission of
the Armenian Church and the further strengthening of internal
solidarity. The purpose of the meeting was the preparation of a draft
agenda with the theme of “The Imperative for the Renewal of the
Armenian Church”.

The delegation members representing the Catholicosate of All Armenians
were:

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian (Chairman)

His Grace Bishop Mikael Ajapahian (Secretary)

Mr. Rafael Papayan

Mr. James Kalustian

The delegation members representing the Catholicosate of the Great
House of Cilicia were:

His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan (Chairman)

His Grace Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Secretary)

Mr. Yervand Pamboukian

Mr. Arsen Danielian

Rev. Fr. Vahram Melikian recorded the minutes of the meetings.

On Friday, March 4, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, received the two delegations in the
Mother See. His Holiness gave his Pontifical blessing to the members
of the delegations andspoke of his and Catholicos Aram I’s
expectations of the meeting. ArchbishopOshagan Choloyan conveyed the
warm greetings of love of His Holiness Aram I and the filial respect
of the participants to His Holiness Karekin II.

Following the Lord’s Prayer and a reading from the Holy Bible (1
Corinthians 12:12-26), the meeting commenced, the result of which was
the preparation of the draft agenda.

Consisting of nine agenda items, it includes the primary spheres of
the identity, life and witness of the Armenian Church:

1. The canonical condition of the Armenian Church – ecclesiological,
administrative and canonical refinement.

2. Christian and Armenian education, evangelical mission and
preservation of spiritual and cultural values.

3. Liturgical and ritual life.

4. Preparation of clergy and reactivation of monastic life.

5. Ecumenical and Inter-religious relations.

6. Positions on modern social and moral issues.

7. Relations between Church and State; relations between Church and
Social Institutions.

8. Pursuit of the rights of the Armenian people.

9. Use of modern technologies.

Each aforementioned topic was discussed in detail as an initial step
for the further overall analysis and adoption of appropriate
measures. The meetings were conducted in a warm atmosphere of
Christian love, for the vigorous accomplishment of the multifaceted
mission of the Armenian Church in the Homeland and the Diaspora.

At the end of the meeting it was decided that the draft agenda will be
presented to His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians; and
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, for
their consideration and filially petitioning them for the commission’s
work to proceed.

Armenian premier dismisses deputy emergencies chief

Arminfo
16 Mar 05

YEREVAN

Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan today dismissed the deputy
chief of the emergencies department of the Armenian government, Ashot
Akopyan, the press service of the Armenian government has told Arminfo
new agency.

Akopyan was dismissed from his post at his own request in connection
with his retirement, the emergencies department told our Arminfo
correspondent.

Armenia keen on developing military ties with Lithuania, Lebanon

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
15 Mar 05

[Presenter] Lithuania will train military specialists for Armenia.

The agreement on training the Armenian servicemen in the Military
Academy of Lithuania signed by the Armenian and Lithuanian Defence
Ministries today was recognized as complying with the Armenian
Constitution. An appropriate decision was made by the Armenian
Constitutional Court today.

Presenting the document, Armenian Deputy Defence Minister Lt-Gen Artur
Agabekyan said that Armenia had assumed a number of commitments within
the NATO’s Partnership for Peace Programme. Trained specialists are
necessary to meet them.

[Agabekyan, captioned] The Armenian-Lithuanian agreement has already
yielded results. Some Armenian servicemen have already been trained at
the Lithuanian Baltic Defence College. Another serviceman is involved
in the Armenian peace-keeping mission in Iraq at the moment.

[Presenter] Armenian sappers are ready to leave for Lebanon on the
defence minister’s orders, Agabekyan said commenting on the request by
the Lebanese ambassador to Armenia to send a group of sappers to
Lebanon. The ambassador made this request at a meeting with Armenian
Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan.

[Agabekyan] The Armenian centre for training sappers meets
international standards. It has all the necessary facilities and
dogs. Armenian sappers have successfully unearthed mines in Armenia’s
regions of Tavush and Syunik. They are involved in the peace-keeping
mission in Iraq at present.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 16 2005

SPEECH OF PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV
[March 16, 2005, 23:04:20]

Dear staff members of the Ministry of National Security,

Dear officers,

A few days ago, as a result of a special operation carried out by the
staff members of the Ministry of National Security a large criminal
gang was exposed, and members of the gang were arrested. The public
was informed on this. There is enough information on the
developments. I would like to note it was the largest one of the
crimes happened in Azerbaijan in the latest years. The operation
implemented by the National Security Ministry was successful and
significant. These criminals who committed heavy crimes and engaged
in numerous crimes have lived for many years in Azerbaijan with
impunity. The public of Azerbaijan was seriously concerned with these
developments, crimes and murders. This was a hard blow to our common
cause.

The socio-political stability and welfare established in Azerbaijan
last years is very important for us, and is a major condition for the
country’s successful development.

Such cruel and pitiless crimes, of course, have negative impact on
stability in the society. The professionally well-organized operation
once again showed that the state of Azerbaijan is able to defend its
citizens. The State of Azerbaijan demonstrated its strength and once
again all, including the criminals saw that we shall strictly fight
against any crime and any criminal gang.

I can tell that all the undertaken measures related to this crime
have been performed at high level. Both in investigation-inquiry and
realization processes of the operation, high professionalism was
demonstrated. In result, the hostage was freed uninjured, and at the
same time, several other crimes were revealed. I dare to say all the
measures were taken in high professional level and as a result, the
public of Azerbaijan, the people of Azerbaijan once again witnessed
that in fighting the criminals nothing and nobody can impede us.

I note this to express my personal gratitude to you. As the President
of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, on
behalf of the entire people of Azerbaijan and on my personal behalf I
extend my gratitude to you. I have no doubt personnel of the National
Security Ministry will and henceforth serve worthily to Motherland
and actively take part in maintaining safety of the nation, the
state.

In general, the national security bodies have many functions in
Azerbaijan. Taking into account that Azerbaijan is a young
independent state and as a young independent state has many problems,
and its geo-political situation, natural resources and the oil-gas
pipelines across its territory, realization of large energy projects
in Azerbaijan, we see that Azerbaijan is in the focus of numerous
forces. We should be ready for this. That is, we should be ready for
challenges of time, and from this point of view the Ministry of
National Security has exclusive importance and function. I am very
pleased that this function is successfully performed and today the
Ministry demonstrates high professionalism.

It has been for a year that staff changes happened in the ministry. I
have appointed Eldar Mahmudov as a new Minister and in this period
the done works pointed that it was a right choice. Though Eldar
Mahmudov did not work in the national security bodies until that
time, however, I knew him. I knew that he is a professional, devoted
to Motherland and state, and had no doubt that in short time he will
carry out rearrangements in the Ministry, create new atmosphere and
undertake necessary measures for our national safety. The life proved
it.

I would also to tell that the information related to the `Black Belt’
operation, this criminal gang was available in the past, too. Now,
the done work proves it. I can tell that still in 2001, the
Prosecutor General has informed the minister of national security
Namig Abbasov on this in written form. The person at the head of gang
was known. Other facts were also present to carry out operation and
launch investigation. Unfortunately, it was regarded indifferently.
Nothing was done and in result, we lost four years.

I have once stated that after this latest fact of kidnap I
commissioned the investigation to the Ministry of National Security.
Though it was not your direct function. And in the common cause of
Azerbaijan, in maintenance of stability and order in the country, of
national safety in Azerbaijan, there could not be corporative
interests. All the law-enforcement bodies should assist each other in
this cause, and jointly work. Should then the Ministry regarded this
timely and seriously, many crimes would be prevented.

In short, appointing Eldar Mahmudov to this position I knew it was a
right choice. I am very pleased that today, the people of Azerbaijan
and the public see and know it. I deem that the he will perform his
duties successfully, and do the best for the future of Azerbaijan,
for its future development, for safety of the Azerbaijani citizens.

You know that the nationwide leader of Azerbaijan people Heydar
Aliyev had particular relations towards the Ministry of National
Security. Long period of his life passed in this Ministry. He was
promoted from the lowest position in this Ministry to the highest. In
his further activity, after having been elected as the first
secretary in Azerbaijan, and later as President of Azerbaijan, he
always paid due attention to this body. He understood well the
importance of this body and knew well its activity.

This attention and today is paid. On my part, I try and shall try to
create all conditions for activity of the Ministry, to solve all the
questions related to this Ministry. I shall do it and henceforth. I
would also to note that the Ministry of National Security, this body
is very dear and native for me. I have no doubt that we all shall do
great deeds for future of Azerbaijan.

The Ministry’s material- technical base should be strengthened. We
have already done certain works in this direction. The Ministry
should gain modern equipment to prevent any possible threats for
Azerbaijan.

I reiterate that our country is experiencing important years of its
history. The ongoing processes, successful development of Azerbaijan,
successful construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan MEP, construction
of Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, of course, all we know that
will create nice opportunities for Azerbaijan. Our people, the state
will develop. Material conditions will improve. Also is not a secret
that there are circles who dislike this. First of all, it is the
Armenian lobby, Armenia’s patrons in the world, who carry our dirty
campaigns against Azerbaijan. I would also say that last years the
Ministry of National Security has not carried out any notable
operation related to the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. I have given certain instructions to Eldar Mahmudov and on
this item. He investigated and it appeared that the work in this
direction was in general very weak. Not a secret that settlement of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is priority for
Azerbaijan. We want to peacefully solve the problem. But, using all
other ways – political, diplomatic and etc. we want to find fair
solution of the question. I consider that today necessary steps are
being made and in this direction.

I reiterate that an organized world structure is fighting against us.
Our country possibly is the only country among the former soviet
republics that have to fight against purposeful and multilateral
forces.

We know the Armenian lobby has strong positions in the world. They
have great financial opportunities. Just taking this advantage, they
direct numerous politicians. We know all this. The anti-Azerbaijan
campaigns in some foreign mass media is organized and directed just
by the Armenians. Why? They want to damage image of Azerbaijan,
misrepresent out country. We know this and struggle against this. We
also should know that this lobby both politically and economically
has great influence. But I have no doubt that despite of these, the
fair cause of Azerbaijan, policy of Azerbaijan and other works done ,
the steps made in this direction, our approach to this problem will
lead to fair resolution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. I deem that the works done in this direction and made steps
will yield fruits. The works to be done by the Ministry of National
Security in this direction are also of great significance.

Dear officers,

I reiterate that many depend on your activity. Azerbaijan is to have
bright future. Azerbaijan marches confidently, and pursues its policy
independently. Collaborators of the Ministry of National Security
make their contributions to the people of Azerbaijan, to
strengthening of the Azerbaijan statehood. They are professionals,
devoted to Motherland, the state. I am pleased that as a result of
the works done in the Ministry, great successes were achieved and
many vital questions found solution. The gang of criminals that was
wanted and who threatened the society for many years has been
neutralized. This is your contribution, your victory, and the victory
of all of us.

Today I have issued some Decrees on conferment of staff members of
the Ministry. I want to present them to you. I have decreed on
conferring the rank of lieutenant general upon Eldar Mahmudov.

Chief of the Anti-terror Center Hilal Asadov has been conferred with
the rank of major general. I have also issued decrees on awarding a
group of staff members of the Ministry of National Security. The
Decree runs: `A group of collaborators of the National Security
Ministry of Azerbaijan Republic is awarded with different state
awards for expose of criminals engaged in murder, kidnap and
especially heavy crimes that last days caused serious resonance and
concern in the society, aimed at breach of rule and social order, for
high professionalism and courage shown in neutralization of the
criminals and liberation of hostage’.

I want to say that the heavy crimes committed by the gang were
uncovered. One revealed crime led to expose of other crimes of the
past, and also insidious murders were exposed. It is also important
that the crime did not remain unpunished. Now, I would begin
conferment ceremony.

***

Then, President of Azerbaijan presented high state awards to a group
of security personnel.

**
At the ceremony, also was speaking Minister of National Security
Eldar Mahmudov, deputy minister of national security Ali Nagiyev, and
others.

President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev summed up the ceremony.