NUMBER OF DISEASED WITH INFECTIONS, TRANSFERRED IN SEXUAL WAY, INCREASED IN ARMENIA BY 48% FOR LAST 6 YEARS
ARMINFO News Agency
September 18, 2006 Monday
The number of diseased with infections, transferred in a sexual
way, has increased in Armenia by 48% since 2000, the Director of the
Scientific-Medical Center of Dermatology and STI (sexually transferred
infections), professor Karen Babayan told ArmInfo correspondent.
Talking of a small number of those diseased with syphilis (the
intensive indicator of the morbidity has reduced from 8.5% to 2.6%
per 100,000 of population), the professor noted the venereal diseases
have got the tendency to go in a hidden form, as a result of which
the potential carriers of syphilis or gonorrhoea do not suspect of
their disease. K. Babayan informed a growth of morbidity among the
under-age is observed in Armenia the recent years, which arouse an
anxiety concerning the fact that the infections, transferred in a
sexual way, negatively reflect the reproductive function of the young
organism.

NKR PRESIDENT ARKADY GHOUKASYAN: DECLARATION OF NKR INDEPENDENCE BY KARABAKH PEOPLE HAS BECOME TURNING STAGE IN HISTORY OF ALL ARMENIANS
ARMINFO News Agency
September 18, 2006 Monday
Declaration of NKR Independence September 2, 1991, by Nagorno Karabakh
people has become a turning stage in the history of all Armenians,
NKR President Arkady Ghoukassyan, said in his today’s speech at the
Third Plenary Session of All-Armenian Forum “Armenia-Diaspora”.
According to him, the main value of the acquired independence is the
belief in own forces, a belief that the tasks set can be effectively
solved by joint efforts. The Diaspora, together with Armenia, is
solving today a very serious task of the international lobbing of
Nagorno Karabakh. Effectively implementing large-scale investment
projects, the Diaspora and Armenia have increased the NKR economy to
a qualitatively new level, A. Ghoukassyan said.

AZERI PRESIDENT URGES TURKEY TO JOINTLY CRUSH ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA
ARMINFO News Agency
September 18, 2006 Monday
During the X Congress of Friendship, Brotherhood and Cooperation of
Turkic States and Organizations, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev urged
Turkey to jointly crush the Armenian propaganda.
He said that instead of withdrawing its troops from Azerbaijan Armenia
is laying territorial claims against Turkey. “It is time for Turkic
states to pool their political, diplomatic, legal and military efforts
to crush the Armenian propaganda. We will not allow them to create
second Armenian state in the territory of Azerbaijan. We will liberate
our occupied territories and Azerbaijan and Turkey must cooperate
to this end, first of all, on a Diaspora level. We must oppose the
Armenians’ activities not only in Azerbaijan and Turkey but all over
the world,” Aliyev said.

ARMENIAN PM: IN NEXT 5 YEARS ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT WILL FOCUS ON VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT
ARMINFO News Agency
September 18, 2006 Monday
In the next five years the Armenian Government’s priority will be to
develop villages, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan said
during the 3rd Armenia-Diaspora Conference while presenting the
Government’s poverty reduction program.
He said that in the last few years Armenia has shown high economic
growth but there is inequality between the capital and the regions.
So, the Government will do its best to reduce poverty in the regions
by 6% a year down from present 41%. Margaryan said that 1 mln people
live in the regions or 35% of the total population. Special attention
should be given to borderline regions. First of all, it is necessary
to prevent migration from the region.
Margaryan said that the $235.65 mln Millennium Challenge Program will
greatly contribute to the development of Armenia’s regions as a big
part of the money will be spent on repairing roads and irrigation
systems in rural areas and on crediting and advising farmers.
Margaryan urged the Diaspora to take an active part in the program.

LONDON FASHION WEEK OPENS WITH CELEBS, CATWALKS AND CONTROVERSY OVER SKINNY MODELS
By Katie Fretland, Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
September 18, 2006 Monday 5:19 PM GMT
Ultrathin models walked the runways at London’s Fashion Week on Monday,
opening the weeklong event with a clear rejection of arguments that
waiflike young women should not be permitted to showcase designs.
Despite a ban on superskinny models imposed by Spanish organizers at
their fashion week in Madrid, slinky women in London were ready to
flaunt the spring and summer collections of designers such as Julien
Macdonald, John Rocha and Zandra Rhodes.
The British capital was hoping to recapture a bit of bling and ditch
its reputation as the poor cousin of more glamorous events in New York,
Paris and Milan, Italy.
“We are not a traditional capital for fashion, but we are a very
creative crucible,” said Stuart Rose, chairman of the British Fashion
Council, which organizes London’s twice-yearly Fashion Week.
Paris-based Garen Demerdjian, a Lebanese-Armenian designer, presented
a layered look with shorts and skirts over long leggings, high cinched
belts and leather jackets.
His models, stone-faced with tangled hair, walked slowly down the
catwalk sporting hues of brown, green, apricot, black and silky white
amid flashing lights and trancelike music.
Later, John Rocha presented a collection of cropped cargo pants,
silk shirts and parkas in shades of black, ivory, stone and khaki.
On Tuesday, designer Bella Freud was set to relaunch iconic 1960s
label Biba, pioneer of caftans and flamboyant scarves.
A-list stars including Beyonce and Alicia Keys were expected to attend
the Emporio Armani catwalk show Thursday. U2’s Bono was expected to
be on hand to help launch Armani’s Red collection, which will give
a portion of its profits to help fight AIDS in Africa.
Kate Moss added star power by sitting in the front row at a pre-event
show for British retailer Topshop on Sunday, alongside its billionaire
owner Philip Green.
A debate over whether models were too thin has raised London Fashion
Week in the headlines, with a government minister’s calls to follow
Madrid’s lead and ban extremely thin models from the catwalk.
“The fashion industry’s promotion of beauty as meaning stick-thin
is damaging to young girls’ self-image and to their health,” Culture
Secretary Tessa Jowell said Saturday.
Rose dismissed calls for a ban as “a knee-jerk reaction,” but said
the debate was a legitimate one and that he would discuss the issue
with colleagues. Fashion Week canceled its opening photo shoot to
avoid giving the issue more publicity.
“I think that it’s a debate that will happen all in good time, and
all opinions are welcome,” said supermodel Erin O’Connor.
The event, which runs through Friday, has long been known as a venue
for seeing cutting-edge work from creative, young British designers,
while the big fashion houses tend to showcase their wares in New York,
Paris or Milan.
This year, though, there is an air of excitement around the
spring/summer collections from designers including Jasper Conran,
Paul Smith and Betty Jackson, and new talents such as 23-year-old
Christopher Kane.
On the Net:
London Fashion Week:

AZERI PRESIDENT URGES UNITY AMONG TURKIC COUNTRIES
Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
18 Sep 06
Kemer/Antalya, 18 September: [Passage omitted] “Turkic world can only
be strong if it acts in unity”, said Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev who took the floor at the 10th Turkic Societies Friendship,
Brotherhood and Cooperation Congress in Mediterranean city of Antalya,
on Monday [18 September].
Aliyev said that Turkic republics were founded after collapse of
Soviet Union and they established serious and sincere relations with
Turkey, adding that these republics have now been transformed into
major economic powers.
He also preached that Turkic republics should boost their relations
and cooperation with Turkey.
Noting that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is a proof showing how
relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are important, Aliyev said
that there are other projects which will be implemented within the
same framework.
Regarding the anti-Turkish and anti-Azerbaijani activities of the
Armenian lobby, Aliyev reminded that Armenians, who keep Azerbaijani
lands under occupation, also demand territory from Turkey.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan will not allow an Armenia to be established
on Azerbaijani territory.

BELGIAN COMMENTARY WARNS AGAINST “POLITICAL TERROR” FOLLOWING POPE SPEECH
De Standaard, Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium
18 Sep 06
A little while ago it was the Muhammad cartoons in a Danish
newspaper. Now it is one sentence, taken out of context, made by Pope
Benedict XVI in a theological speech. Once again angry demonstrators
who have listened to the pope about as much as they looked at the
cartoons are marching in the streets. In the Palestinian territories
and elsewhere, Christian churches are being attacked.
But the pope, via a citation from the 14th century, simply referred
to a historical fact. After its creation, Islam did indeed spread
for centuries by means of the sword. But Islam, which is always
demanding apologies, finds its own conquests perfectly normal. Even
secular Turkey refuses to say a word in apology for the genocide of
the Armenians.
Some believe that the pope should have been more careful. In practical
terms, given the unintended consequences of his words, they are
right. The dialogue between Christendom and Islam he is seeking is now
further away than it was before he spoke. But that is not the crux
of the issue. The crux of the issue is the form the protest against
his comments is taking. The violence that is accompanying it makes
all dialogue impossible.
Who is this Islam with which dialogue is needed? The dictators of Iran,
Pakistan or Syria, or the Arabian royal households? Also, dialogue
is only fruitful if, as the pope said yesterday, the difficult issues
are not brushed aside.
Dialogue with Islam to date has all been in one direction. The West,
or Christendom, always has to turn the other cheek. Iranian President
Ahmadinezhad can spout hate and claim that the United States/Israel/the
Jews are the real perpetrators of the 11 September attacks. The West
must be open to living together with Islam. Indeed.
But a section of the Muslim world itself denies the very notion of
tolerance and the equality of other religious communities.
Over recent days Muslim leaders have again repeatedly stated that
real Islam is peaceful. Good. So then it is high time that this real
Islam stood up to be counted. Where are the fatwas condemning Usamah
Bin-Ladin, against all who sow hate and terror in the name of Islam?
Where, save for a few exceptions, are the Muslim states that are
internally peaceful and modern?
It is ominous to again be hearing in the debates that when we speak
we must take account of the “expected reactions” in the Muslim world.
In other words, you can only criticize and satirize those who cannot
respond. But we must limit freedom of speech when it comes to opposing
those who organize mass protests and/or violence. That is not dialogue,
that is ceding to intimidation. Against this development we must draw
a line in the sand, with all due respect for the beliefs of others. On
the other side of this line, political terror begins.

NKR PRESIDENT THINKS OSCE MINSK GROUP THE MOST EFFECTIVE IN PEACE DEAL
Panorama.am
16:48 18/09/06
Arkadi Ghukasyan, president of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, told
reporters today NKR authorities think Azerbaijan’s attempt to change
the format of negotiations is a regular propaganda. “I think Azerbaijan
will not reach its aims because its primary goal is to draw mediators’
attention away from the talk process,” Ghukasyan indicated.
In his words, Nagorno Karabakh is ready both for face-to-face talks
with Azerbaijan and for the discussion of relating issues within
international structures. Ghukasyan thinks the talk process is the
most effective in the format of OSCE Minsk Group. In case of slight
destruction from this format, problems are created in the process. “If
we want to regulate the process, we must keep to the present format,”
NKR president said.

NO REAL OPPOSITION IN GEORGIA – ETHNIC ARMENIAN PARTY LEADER
ArmInfo, Armenia
Sept 18 2006
Yerevan, 18 September: “We cannot officially take part in local
government election since the Virk party has not been registered with
the Ministry of Justice,” the leader of the party, which stands for
the ethnic Armenians of the [Javakhetia] region [in Georgia], David
Rstakyan, has told Javakhk-Info news agency.
Despite this, Georgia’s current electoral code is more democratic and
allows the Virk to nominate its candidates in some constituencies in
Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda, Tsalka, Akhaltsikhe and other districts of
the country.
Describing the current composition of political forces in Georgia,
Rstakyan said: “There is no real opposition in the country although
there are such political parties as the New Right and the Industry
Will Save Georgia party in the parliament along with the governing
National Movement. As for the Justice Party of Igor Giorgadze and
the anti-Soros movement, the president has simply taken care of them.”
Rstakyan said that there is no real opposition in Georgia today.

AZERI LEADER URGES TURKIC STATES TO “START OFFENSIVE” ON ARMENIAN LOBBY
ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri
18 Sep 06
[Presenter] All Turkic states led by Turkey and Azerbaijan should start
an offensive on the Armenian lobby. The creation of a second Armenian
state should not be allowed on occupied Azerbaijani territories,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said at the 10th friendship,
brotherhood and cooperation congress of Turkic states and societies,
which is being held in Turkey’s Antalya. We are now over to Antalya
for more details. Ayaz Nizamioglu, a special ANS correspondent in
Antalya, is on the line. Hi Ayaz.
[Correspondent, by phone] Hello Anar. I want to say that the
Azerbaijani president’s speech at the congress ended approximately
10 minutes ago. He made numerous statements. I want to mention the
first one. He said that all Turkic states led by Turkey and Azerbaijan
should start an offensive on the Armenian lobby and that we would not
allow the creation of a second Armenian state on occupied Azerbaijani
territories. President Aliyev, who is attending the congress, also
said that Armenia and the Armenian lobby supporting it in the world
did not recognize Turkey’s borders and rejected the proposal to open
the archives of the Turkish government. In this way, they want to
introduce the so-called Armenian genocide to the world. In any case,
this will not be allowed and justice will be administered. Therefore,
Turkic states should shift their tactics from defence to attack. The
president added that one of the ways of struggling against the
Armenian lobby was to conduct forums of Turkic-speaking states in
Europe and other regions. This will give the Turkic-speaking states
a chance to fill the world in on their fair positions. The head of
state reiterated that Azerbaijan would liberate its lands from Armenian
occupation in any case and this would happen sooner or later. Touching
on the importance of the event, Aliyev said that relations between
the main leading members of the congress, Turkey and Azerbaijan,
were developing at the highest level and this should serve as an
example to all Turkic states.
Quote – we want the Turkic world to be united. The development of our
ties further strengthens every Turkic state. Our historical roots,
ethnic origin and national traditions draw us closer.
The Azerbaijani president also spoke about the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
[oil] and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum [gas] pipelines and said that they
were the whole Turkic world’s major projects. The Turkic states will
have a say in the world in a clearer and more determined manner with
these projects. At the end of his speech, Aliyev proposed to hold
the next congress of Turkic-speaking states in Azerbaijan.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress