North County Times, CA
Dec 26 2004
News briefs from around the state
By: Associated Press
GLENDALE — The American Armenian International College has donated
12,500 hard-to-find Armenian books to the library here in hopes the
city’s Armenian population will read them.
The donation places the library among those with the largest
Armenian-language collections in the country, according to library
experts. The books include hardcover volumes with titles and mandalas
imprinted in gold fleck and pocket-sized paperbacks by the
“Shakespeare of Armenia,” author Hovhannes Tumanian.
The trustees wanted to find a home for the books close to a
significant Armenian population, and Glendale seemed the logical fit,
said Jack Jandegian, vice chairman of the college’s board of
trustees. The college is based in La Verne.

More than one-third of Los Angeles County’s nearly 153,000 Armenians
live in Glendale, which has the second-largest population of people
of Armenian descent of any city in the country, behind Los Angeles.
The volumes include stories about King Argishti I, who lived in the
8th century B.C.; books about generals, colonels and soldiers who
fought in the Red Army during the Russian Revolution and anthologies
of Armenian poetry.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF RUSSIA
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24. ARMINFO. Thursday, Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Razov
and Russian Presidential Assistant for Education and Science Jakhan
Poliyeva discussed structural reforms of CIS.
The press-service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reports that the
decision on the reforms was made in September, 2004 during CIS Summit
in Astana. Then the CIS signatories were instructed to submit their
proposals on the issue to Chairman of the CIS Council of FMs. The
initiative was advanced by Kazakhstan.
The present visit of Razov to Armenia is following up the Dec 7-8
Moscow consultations of the CIS foreign ministries who adopted a
protocol saying that economic cooperation continues to be a priority
for the CIS but an increasing attention is being given to the fight
against international challenges and humanitarian interaction.
Razov told Oskanyan about the generalized approach of some CIS
countries to the structural reforms which concern mostly the CIS
administration and are aimed to enhance its efficiency. Poliyeva
told Oskanyan about the initiatives to raise cooperation efficiency
in culture, education and science that might be contributive to
the scientific-technical progress and cultural development of the
CIS countries.
Oskanyan reconfirmed Armenia’s commitment to take part in drafting the
CIS structural reforms and adopting specific decisions. He noted that
the current processes in the CIS should be considered in this context.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA TO ALWAYS BE IN CAUCASUS: RUSSIA’S AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24. ARMINFO. Russia has been, is and will be in
the Caucasus, says Russia’s Ambassador to Armenia Anatoly Dryukov.
The US activity in the South Caucasus is not a secret. The last NATO
Istanbul Summit declared that South Caucasus and Central Asia are
priority regions for NATO and its members. This is a big paradox –
the moment Russia starts asserting its interests in the post-Soviet
area the West begins to cry that this is neo-imperialism even though
Russia belongs to this region. While the interests of the countries
situated thousands km away are taken absolutely calmly.
“Russia is a Caucasian state and nobody will manage to drive it
northward of the Caucasian Mountains,” says Dryukov.

4,107 ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM AZERBAIJAN NATURALIZED IN ARMENIA IN 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24. ARMINFO. 4,107 Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan
have got Armenian citizenship in 2004, says the head of the migration
and refugees department of Armenia Gagik Yeganyan.
This is half of the previous year’s index – 8,287.
1,577 of the naturalized refugees live in Yerevan, 739 in Ararat,
473 Kotayk, 312 Syunik, 303 Gegarkunik, 160 Armavir, 160 Lori, 135
Vayots Dzor, 108 Tavoush, 101 Aragatsotn, 39 Shirak.
68,766 refugees have refused to accept Armenian citizenship since 1999.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: ARMENIA IS RUSSIA’S PARTNER BOTH ON INTERNATIONAL ARENA AND IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23. ARMINFO. Armenia is Russia’s partner both on
the international arena and in the South Caucasus. President of Russia
Vladimir Putin stated during the press conference.
As regards other spheres of relations, for example, the economic
relations, Vladimir Putin said they are developing well. “In this
aspect Armenia has taken not bad steps towards, and Russia – towards
Armenia, I mean the settlement of all our difficulties and converting
them to relevant investments. We would like the governments of
both countries acted more intensively and reached great successes”,
Vladimir Putin said.

Foreign citizens not granted refugee status in Armenia in 2004
Arminfo,
24 Dec 04
Yerevan, 24 December: Refugee status was not given to foreign citizens
in Armenia in 2004, the head of the Migration and Refugees Department
under the Armenian government, Gagik Yeganyan, told journalists today
while summarizing this year’s work and projects for 2005.
He said that in 2004, 193 foreign citizens, including 162 Iraqi
citizens of Armenian origin and 31 citizens of other states applied
to the Migration and Refugees Department for asylum. None of the
applicants was given refugee status. Eighty-five Iraqi citizens
received temporary asylum, but applications from other citizens are
being considered. Overall, in 2003-2004, 225 Iraqi citizens applied
to the Migration and Refugees Department for refugee status in Armenia.

Ways for National Unity Explored
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2004
The Movement for Azerbaijan organized a national forum, “National
unity and civil solidarity”, under the “There is no Azerbaijan without
Karabakh” motto at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Wednesday.
Chairman of the Movement executive committee Sabir Azeri said that his
entity, along with the “Amal” Movement of Intellectuals, “Aghridagh”
Charity Society and the Confederation of Caucasus Non-governmental
Organizations, adopted an appeal on November 30 calling the authorities
and opposition for national unity.
The document was signed by over 200 NGOs, while the opposition
Azerbaijan Democratic and the Great Structure Parties voiced their
position on the appeal, he said. Azeri said that the forum was
attended by representatives of Musavat, Popular Front, Ahrar and
National Independence Parties. Azeri expressed his disappointment
with the fact that neither the authorities, including the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party, nor any other opposition parties have expressed
their position on the appeal.
The participants stressed the need to establish a civil society to
achieve national unity. They also proposed to set up a commission to
develop a strategic plan for national unity and a public ‘national
trust government’ comprising elders, representatives of political
parties and public organizations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LAKE SEVAN LEVEL 41 CM UP IN 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24. ARMINFO. The level of Lake Sevan has risen
by 41 cm to 1.897 meters in 2004. 1 cm rise implies 12.5 mln c m of
water,0 says Environment Protection Minister Vardan Ayvazyan.
He says that in the last three years Sevan’s level has risen by 1.35
meters. 149.835 mln c m have been released from the lake this year
against with 243.19 mln c m poured into it from the Arpa-Sevan canal.
This year ecological inspectors have seized 8,000 illegally fished
sigs against 100,000 ones in 2002. Fishing on the lake has been banned
since Nov 25 to allow fish to reproduce itself.

Agence France Presse
24 décembre 2004 vendredi 7:49 AM GMT
Turquie/UE: Boutih (PS) distingue “les questions légitimes” et “la tactique”
PARIS 24 déc 2004
Malek Boutih, membre de la direction du Parti socialiste, a fait la
distinction vendredi entre “les questions légitimes” et “la tactique”
sur la question de l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union européenne.
“Il y a des raisons légitimes qui peuvent porter un vrai débat”, a
déclaré Malek Boutih sur iTélé, mais il y a aussi “des raisons
tactiques”.
Parmi les premières, il a cité le problème des “droits de l’Homme,
des minorités, de la reconnaissance de Chypre, de la tragédie
arménienne”, “on a le droit de prendre du temps sur ces questions
là”, a-t-il reconnu.
Pour les secondes, il a reproché à “certains d’instrumentaliser la
question de la Turquie pour faire un peu peur sur l’Europe”, citant
“des gens comme M.de Villiers (Philippe de Villiers, président du
Mouvement pour la France, ndlr), pour qui l’Europe, c’est pas assez
bon pour nous, mais c’est trop bon pour les Turcs”. “On se demande
pour qui l’Europe est faite”, a-t-il ajouté.
“Je prends le pari que les Turcs relèveront tous les défis et qu’ils
auront une chance de rentrer dans l’Union européenne”, a-t-il dit,
“mais ça, on jugera dans l’avenir”.
–Boundary_(ID_xEdaD3RZBPk5l1NlTYXBOw)–

40 APPLICANTS CHOSEN FOR WORKING IN QATAR
ArmenPress
Dec 24 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS: The government-affiliated department
for refugees and migrants has shortlisted 23 hospital nurses and 27
programmers from a pool of hundreds of applicants who are likely to
travel to Qatar to get there high-paid jobs for at least one year.
The head of the department, Gagik Yeganian, told a news conference
today the final decision will be made by a Qatar official who is
going to visit Yerevan soon to conduct interviews with each of the
applicants.
The Qatar side will pay their travel expenses along with providing them
with housing. The recruiting was made in accordance with a bilateral
agreement. The applicants must be fluent in English and have at least
a three-year experience.