Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJAN ONE OF MOST AGGRESSIVE STATES IN WORLD

DeFacto Agency
May 22 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 22.05.08. DE FACTO. Azerbaijan has occupied the 101st place
in the Global Peace Index-2008, becoming one of the most aggressive
countries. To note, the Global Peace Index is made by independent
Institute for Economics and Peace and analytical department of The
Economist British magazine.

Experts estimate each state by 24 criteria – relations with neighboring
states, number of soldiers dislocated abroad, etc. 140 countries have
been considered by the experts.

According to the research’s results, Island has been recognized as
the most peace-loving country. Norway, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland
have also been included in the list of ten peace-loving states.

Estonia has turned to be the most peace-loving states among post-Soviet
countries and occupied the 35th position. Latvia is 39th; Lithuania
41st. Armenia has not been included in the rating.

SEX AND THE CITY PLAYS CASH AND CARRIE AT M&S
Nicola Copping

The Times
May 23, 2008
UK

She brought us skyscraper Manolos, nameplate neck chains and
super-size-me corsages. They brought us bumper pack knickers and
Magic Shaper Shorts.

Patricia Field and Marks & Spencer? Hardly a fashion match made in
heaven but, come October, the Sex and the City stylist will launch
a 35-piece, one-off fashion range in Your M&S.

This is a retail coup that even the Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green
couldn’t get his mitts on. "I wanted to get involved with a brand
that really understood women of all ages," asserts Field, who at 66
still sports miniskirts and hair the colour of chilli powder. And
she couldn’t have chosen better than Sir Stuart Rose’s mother ship,
whose advertising campaign stalwarts Twiggy, Erin O’Connor and Lily
Cole have long established themselves as emblems of its "something
for every woman, at every age" ethos.

Field’s exuberant style may threaten to pierce the M&S safety
net. However, the American stylist claims that her look started off
simple: "In my early teens, I wore jeans every day. I always dressed
simply; my hair is my only wildness." Born in New York to Greek and
Armenian parents, Field’s independent sartorial streak developed in
the face of her mother’s time-consuming professional life. "I made
my decisions very young, I never asked permission. This upbringing
is where my style starts."

Aged 24, Field opened her first fashion store in Manhattan’s Greenwich
Village. Three years later she was restless. She began to make
"things that we weren’t finding out there". In the early Nineties,
moving into film and television styling, Field made a life-changing
contact. Hired as a stylist on the set of Miami Rhapsody in 1995,
she encountered Sarah Jessica Parker. Three years later and the way
was paved for fashion’s most beloved character, Carrie Bradshaw.

Field’s eclectic approach to clothes was one powerful cog in the Sex
and the City machine. The sparky characterisation was mirrored by the
whimsical, memorable and, at times, eye-watering outfits. Carrie’s
puff-balls, Samantha’s shoulder pads and Charlotte’s prom dresses
burned an indelible mark on to women’s wardrobes. "Sex and the City
changed the way that women dress," Field cried. And she was right.

She won two Emmy awards, and an Academy award nomination in 2006
for The Devil Wears Prada. More recently she cast her eye back to the
fabulous four in the film version of SATC. Still based in New York, and
living large, she chooses to do so as a singleton but dates "primarily
women, but not exclusively". But can Britain’s women really be the
next Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda? Yes. Field made the best
of four very different women on set, four personalities that made up
the everywoman. How many times have you asked yourself which one you
are most like? In October, Patricia Field will help you find out.

GLOBAL PEACE INDEX 2008: AZERBAIJAN ONE OF MOST AGGRESSIVE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.05.2008 14:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Most countries in the world are performing better
against key measures of peacefulness compared with last year,
according to the latest rankings of the Global Peace Index(GPI),
now in its second year.

This year the Index has been expanded to rank 140 countries – from
Afghanistan to Zimbabwe – according to how peaceful they are, both
domestically and how they interact with the outside world.

Azerbaijan ranks 101, thus entering the list of the most aggressive
countries of the world. Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania –
are the most peaceful among the post soviet republics, the Financial
Times reports.

The Index is constructed from 24 indicators of external and internal
measures of peace including UN deployments overseas and levels of
violent crime.

Iceland, making its first appearance in the Index, tops the
rankings. Countries in Scandinavia have also emerged as among the
most peaceful countries on the planet with Denmark (2) and Norway
(3) scoring very highly. New Zealand (4) and Japan (5) – the only
member of the G8 in the top ten – complete the highest ranked. The
United States held virtually steady at number 97, dropping one slot
from last year’s rank of 96.

But other nations, including Angola (110), Indonesia (68) and India
(107), have demonstrated the greatest improvements compared to last
year’s Index.

Based on a direct comparison of the 121 countries measured in the GPI
2007 to GPI 2008, a majority of the individual indicators have seen
slight improvements. On average, scores for level of organized conflict
(internal) and violent crime, political instability and potential
for terrorist acts have all improved marginally. In contrast, the
world’s armed services have grown on average per country, as has the
sophistication of its weaponry.

Other key findings: small, stable and democratic countries are the
most peaceful – 16 of the top 20 are western or central European
democracies; the G8 fared very differently: Japan (5), Canada (11),
Germany (14), Italy (28), France (36), UK (49), United States (97),
Russia (131); Iraq is the lowest ranked country on the Index (140).

RESCUE BRIGADE TO BE SENT TO CHINA

Panorama.am
19:10 20/05/2008

Today the Minister of Emergency State Mher Shahgeldyan received
Mrs. Konsuelo Vidal the permanent coordinator of the UN. Nino
Antanadze, head of the UN disaster management group, Tatev Koloyan,
the assistant of UN coordinator, Edik Barseghyan, the director of
Armenian rescue service, and the deputy directors of the rescue
service Aram Tananyan and Nikolay Grigoryan.

According to the press service of the ministry, Mrs. Vidal
congratulated the minister for the appointment, presented the projects
implemented with the rescue team and discussed the perspectives of
the future cooperation.

Minister Shahgeldyan mentioned that the formation of the ministry
is the proof to the fact that the Government pays attention on the
current field. "We are not just aimed to form a strong power which
could be treated as the sequence of Spitak earthquake but to the first
in the regional countries. Armenia has been providing aid to Georgia,
Russia, Turkey, Iran, India and Thailand in different disasters. Today
we are ready to send rescue teams to China," said M. Shahgaldyan.

‘GENOCIDE’ BOOK DROPPED FROM READING LIST IN CANADA

Today’s Zaman
May 19 2008
Turkey

A petition campaign launched by Turks living in Canada against a
recent decision in Toronto to include in school curricula the study
of an alleged genocide of Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman
Empire has eventually yielded a result, with the book being pulled from
the recommended reading list of a new Toronto public school course.

Some 11,000 petitions have been collected in the online petition
campaign. In January, the Unity Group, consisting of several Turkish
NGOs in Canada, said that the course would put at risk the lives
of Turkish and Muslim students in high schools. The group called on
authorities to reverse the decision to include the course, created
by one of the largest school boards in Canada, the Toronto District
School Board, in the 2008-2009 curriculum.

Barbara Coloroso’s "Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide"
was originally part of a resource list for the grade 11 history course,
"Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity," set to launch across the
Toronto District School Board district this fall. The book examines
the Holocaust, which exterminated 6 million Jews in World War II;
the Rwandan slaughter of nearly 1 million Tutsis and moderate Hutus
in 1994; and the killings of Anatolian Armenians at the beginning of
the last century.

"But a committee struck to review the course decided in late April
to remove the book because ‘a concern was raised regarding [its]
appropriateness. … The Committee determined this was far from a
scrupulous text and should not be on a History course although it
might be included in a course on the social psychology of genocide
because of her posited thesis that genocide is merely the extreme
extension of bullying,’ according to board documents," The Globe and
Mail, an English-language Canadian daily, reported on Friday.

GREAT BRITAIN TO CONTINUE ACTIVITIES IN ARMENIA, AMBASSADOR SAYS

ARKA
May 16, 2008

YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. Great Britain has no intention to break off
activities with Armenia, but further bilateral cooperation mainly
depend on the country’s internal political situation and economic
progress, UK Ambassador to Armenia Charles Lonsdale said during his
meeting with RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian.

The Ambassador assured the Premiere Great Britain is ready to assist
Armenia in the implementation of joint programs with European Union
(EU) and World Bank (WB).

Ambassador Lonsdale stressed the necessity for the balanced regional
development program in the country.

In his turn, Sargsian assured the British Ambassador that his
activities in Armenia will contribute to Armenian-British cooperation
development. To foster democracy, Armenia stipulates for serious
programs and activities to settle topical issues, the Prime Minister
said.

Sargsian was not content with the Armenian-British trade turnover
and set a stress on economic cooperation development.

Armenian-British trade turnover increased by 51.7% to $45.1mln in 2007.

Armenian exports to Great Britain last year totaled $2.8mln against
7.6mln in 2006. British imports to Armenia rose 91.2% to $42.3mln in
the reporting period.

Thanking the Ministry of International Development of Great Britain
for carrying out social reforms in Armenian regions, Sargsian said
Armenia plans to launch new cooperation programs.

The Prime Minister informed the British Ambassador the new concept
of civil service is under way. He said Armenia expects technical
assistance from Great Britain to implement this program. The Premier
assured the Ambassador Armenia will do its best to sign an agreement
with Great Britain on preventing double taxation. This may become
a serious impetus to bilateral economic cooperation, according to
Sargsian.

The participants to the meeting also discussed issues on regional
development and Armenian-Turkish relations. Sargsian confirmed that
Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without
any preconditions. He said Great Britain can play a crucial role in
this issue.

Armenian-Turkish border has been closed since 1993 on Turkey’s
initiative. This caused $500mln worth annual damage to Armenia’s
economy.

DAVID BOYAJIAN AWARDED FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO STRUGGLE AGAINST ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 15, 2008

WATERTOWN, MAY 15, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The Massachusetts
Governor’s Council issued a resolution honoring Newton resident David
Boyajian for his role in the campaign against the Anti-Defamation
League’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. The corresponding resolution
of the House was introduced by Marilyn Petitto Devaney, a Governor’s
Council member and Watertown Town Councilor.

AMBASSADOR OF TURKMENISTAN IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA
May 15 2008
Armenia

On May 14 the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Mr Tigran Torosyan received the newly appointed ambassador
of Turkmenistan to Armenia Mr Shohrat Jumayev.

The Ambassador informed the NA President about the ongoing political,
economic reforms in Turkmenistan and ensured the friendly attitude of
his country and his people and the wish of deepening relations in all
spheres with Armenia. Mr Jumayev especially stressed the raising of the
economic ties to political high level relationship and the development
of inter-parliamentary cooperation, and in this context the creation
of the inter-parliamentary friendship group. The Ambassador expressed
willingness to do as much as possible during his term of office
to make closer the traditional ties of two states and peoples. He
thanked the NA President for attending the inauguration ceremony of
the President of Turkmenistan, considering his visit to Ashgabat as
a display of respect. Remembering the disastrous earthquake years ago
the Ambassador noted with gratitude that the capital city was restored
with the efforts of the Armenian builders. As a result of the ongoing
reforms in the country, the Ambassador ensured that a great place was
given to the organization of competitions, and the Armenian builders,
who would like to use their rich experience in Turkmenistan, would be
gladly received in Ashgabat. Touching upon the educational problems
Mr Jumayev stressed that 60 young people get education in Armenia.

Mr Tigran Torosyan congratulated the Ambassador upon his appointment
and expressed hope that the mission will be marked by the development
of inter-state and inter-parliamentary relations, and expressed
willingness to promote the success of the steps taken by the Ambassador
directed towards the deepening of cooperation. Referring to raising
the economic ties to the level of political relations, the NA President
noted that the economic development of the two states would create new
opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. The establishment
of the inter-governmental commission was highlighted, which will give
opportunity for the fulfillment of concrete programmes. In order to
make closer the inter-parliamentary relations Mr Torosyan noted that
till the end of the spring session a parliamentary friendship group
would be set up in the National Assembly. The creation of such group
in the parliament of Turkmenistan and the mutual visits will promote
the development of inter-parliamentary relations. Ensuring his warm
attitude towards the Turkmen people the NA President noted that the
ongoing reforms in the country were visible also in foreign policy,
and the development of relations with certain countries and the
European Union would create new opportunities for cooperation.

During the meeting other issues were also discussed.

FIRST LONDON-YEREVAN TV BRIDGE HELD BETWEEN LAWYERS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The first London-Yerevan TV bridge
held between Armenian and British lawyers, as Ruben Sahakian, the
Chairman of the RA Chamber of Lawyers, explained, is implemented
under a program aimed at assisting Armenian lawyers in the issue of
introducing more literate, high-quality complaints to the European
Court. "It is a unique way of exchanging experience, which will
reduce the financial expenditures," the Chamber Chairman said adding
that there is already an agreement to develop similar cooperation
with lawyers of France and Belgium. R. Sahakian also said that on
May 12 the RA Chamber of Lawyers uniting 718 lawyers will become an
observing member of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe
(CCBE) (only country-members of the European Union can become a full
member of it), representatives of that international lawyer structure
will visit Armenia in September. R. Sahakian expressed satisfaction
with the fact that soon the Armenian Chamber of Lawyers, in its turn,
will be able to assist its Karabakh colleagues, to hold seminars with
a number of post-Soviet countries.

The TV bridge was held within the framework of the memorandum of
cooperation in the spheres of human rights and permanent law education
signed between the British East-West Centre organization and the RA
Chamber of Lawyers in January 2007.

All technical means for holding the TV bridge were got with the
financing of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland in RA. The program was worked out with the joint
efforts of the latter, the British East-West Centre, and RA lawyers in
consideration of the proposals of lawyers having introduced complaints
to the European Court of Human Rights. The program’s goal is to be
in a direct contact through Internet with London lawyers specialized
in the issue of applying to the European Court, to hold with them
discussions of Armenian lawyers’ questions regarding concrete cases.

Among the seven questions raised during the TV bridge was, in
particular, the question of whether the relatives of Murad Bojolian
sentenced with the accusation of espionage can introduce a claim
of additional compensation of expenditures to the European Court,
negligence in connection with institution of a case against a lawyer,
the issue of applying to the European Court with the basis of violation
of the reasonable terms of case examination, and the bases and details
of applying to the European Court in connection with other cases.

The case on the fact of dismissing a YSU political science lecturer for
expressing an anti-governmental position was also touched upon. In this
connection the British specialists expressed an opinion that the basis
of Article 6 of the Convention, the right of fair judicial enquiry,
would be liable if we had a person carrying out a state function:
according to the British specialists, a lecturer does not carry
out a state function. On the occasion of the case they can apply to
the European Court with the basis of Article 10 of the Convention,
freedom of expression.

KARABAKH CONFLICT IS NOT RUSSIA’S LEVER ANY MORE – RUSSIAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Trend News Agency
May 13 2008
Azerbaijan

"Since long time the Karabakh conflict has no more been the Russia’s
lever for Azerbaijan," Russian political scientist Aleksey Malashenko
said on 13 May during the video bridge devoted to the current
Azerbaijani-Russian relations.

"Just the opposite, the conflicting countries use the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict to exert the pressure on Russia openly stating that they
would join the West if Russia does not stir up its efforts to settle
this conflict," Malashenko said.

According to the political scientist, the conflict must be solved
internally by both the conflicting sides.

"Azerbaijan unambiguously does not hope that Russia will support it
in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, but we still hope that Kremlin
realizes its responsibility not only for its own country but also for
the huge area with which it has tight historical and cultural ties,"
Azerbaijani political scientist Rashad Rzaguliyev said.

"Baku has not created any illusions for itself that Nagorno-Karabakh
problem may be solved at once, but further advancement is possible
and very urgent," Azerbaijani political scientist Rasim Musabeyov said.

"Success may be achieved trough adequate actions. Azerbaijan is a very
important partner for Russia in terms of security, energy cooperation
and provision of stability in the region," Musabeyov added.