Tehran Times, Iran
Aug 21 2004
Festival of Iranian wedding ceremonies seeking sponsor
Tehran Times Culture Desk
TEHRAN (MNA) — The director of the Sa’dabad Historical and Cultural
Complex announced here this week that the Peyvand Festival, which
aims to showcase Iranian wedding ceremonies of various ethnic groups,
is seeking a sponsor. Mohammad Abdol-Alipur said that 1.8 billion
rials will be needed to organize the festival, adding, `If an Iranian
sponsor can not be found, the festival might look for a foreign
sponsor and hold the festival in a European country.’
Festival organizers want to use the event to introduce people to the
local dance, music, and traditions of wedding ceremonies in different
regions of Iran, such as the Gilaki wedding ceremony of northern
Iran, the wedding ceremony of Bushehr in southern Iran, which
features local music played on kettledrum and bagpipe, the wedding
ceremony of Loristan in western Iran, which features local music
played on kamancheh (Iranian fiddle), the Azeri wedding ceremony’s
lezgi dancing, the local costumes of the Kohkiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad
wedding ceremony, and Gerayli, the Qashqai wedding ceremony, in which
the groom hunts a ram while local music and dances are performed.
The wedding ceremonies of Iran’s Zoroastrians and Armenian and
Assyrian Christians will also be featured at the festival.

AZG Marmenian Daily, Armenia
Aug 20 2004
“IF THE ARMENIANS WISH, THEY CAN CONQUER AZERBAIJAN”
While in Baku They Are Hopeful That “in the Coming 25-30 Years There
Will Be No State Called Armenia in the Southern Caucasus”
“‘How to liberate the occupied territories?’ This question is likely
to be put forward in each family of Azerbaijan. It is impossible to
liberate the Nagorno Karabagh and the neighboring regions without
military actions. There has been no case in the military history when
the conquered territories were voluntarily liberated,” the recent
issue of Baku’s Zerkalo wrote. Ramiz Melikov, Press Speaker of Azeri
Defense Minister, stated recently that “there will be no state called
Armenia in the South Caucasus in the coming 25-30 years, as today’s
Armenia was founded on the Azeri historical territories and in near
future these lands will be controlled by Azerbaijan.” Melikov didn’t
specify how they are going to conquer Armenia.
President Ilham Aliyev and the supreme military officials state in
public that the Azeri army is more efficient than the Armenian one
and if the peaceful negotiations yield no results, Azerbaijan will
have to solve the issue of Nagorno Karabagh and the neighboring
territories under Armenia’s control through military actions. It’s
worth mentioning that Baku has been consistently trying to solve the
issue through military actions since 1998, when the new stage of
Karabagh struggle began.
Vladimir Kazimirov, Former Special Russian Ambassador of OSCE Minsk
Group, wrote in one of his recent articles that the sides in conflict
had many opportunities to stop the war, to set up ceasefire even in
1992. He states in his article that the Azeri side was violating the
ceasefire mainly, hoping to solve the conflict through war, making
all the Armenians leave the territory.
Kazimirov said that in June of 1992, there appeared an opportunity to
stop the military actions on the front line and open the OSCE Minsk
conference, but Abulfaz Elchibey put forward a precondition, i.e. the
Armenians should leave Shushi and Lachin. On May 8 and 18 the
Karabagh forces liberated Shushi and took control over Lachin
corridor, securing land connection between Armenia and Karabagh.
Kazimirov, who implemented a mediator’s mission in the region for 47
times, recollects that in July, 1992 the Karabagh side agreed to
signing ceasefire, but Elchibey was stubborn, and only in the spring
of 1993, when the Karabagh forces took the control over Kelbajar, the
pro-Turkish Baku government gave consent for ceasefire.
One shouldn’t forget that Elchibey once promised to wash his feet in
the Sevan waters. It’s worth mentioning that the Azeri armed forces
conquered almost the half of Karabakh’s territory in the summer of
1992.
In June of 1993, the Azeris and the Karabagh people began direct
negotiations that helped make a ceasefire for a while. But Heydar
Aliyev, who came to power in Baku through military revolution, wanted
to regain the lost through military action. Again the Azeris began
refusing the settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict through
negotiations. On July 23 the Karabagh forces took the control over
Aghdam, the neighboring dwelling places, a number of hills of
military meaning. Only after all these steps the Azeris stopped
bombing Stepanakert.
Notwithstanding the obvious military benefits, the Karabagh side
through the Russians’ mediatorial efforts again gave the consent to
stop military actions and set up a ceasefire on July 24, the very
next day after conquering Aghdam. Azerbaijan secured the ceasefire
for several days, but it broke the agreement afterwards. As a result,
the Karabagh forces took control over Fizuli, Jebrail and Kubatlun in
the August of 1993.
Two secret meetings took place between Heydar Aliyev and Robert
Kocharian in Moscow in the autumn of 1993. In this period Aliyev was
engaged in settling the problems of inner character, he made legal
the results of the military-state revolution that took place several
months ago and occupied the post of Azerbaijan’s leader. Few days
after the inauguration the Azeri armed forces began the military
actions again. Hundreds of the Armenian soldiers were killed as a
result of the large-scale attack in Kelbajar’s direction in winter.
But the failure didn’t last long. The Karabagh forces began a
large-scale attack and Azerbaijan lost at least 2000 soldiers in few
days.
In the April of 1994, the Karabagh forces were ready to conquer
Tartar, Bardan and Gianjan and reach Georgia’s border. The Azeri were
made to set a ceasefire. It took place in Bishkek, May. This
ceasefire is being secured till now with some violations.
By the way, the American Boston Globe daily dedicated a publication
to the Nagorno Karabagh Issue. The reporter of the daily cites the
words of Mamedov, Azeri Major, who was dwelling on the situation in
Azerbaijan fighting against Armenia and Azerbaijan. He says:” If the
Armenians wish, they can conquer the whole Azerbaijan.”
The militant statements made by the Baku officials should be paid
attention. As soon as Azerbaijan becomes certain about the
possibility of settling the issue through applying arms, the war will
begin. Anyway, the events of 1991-94 testify to this.
By Tatoul Hakobian

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 20 2004
PRESIDENT PUTIN INSISTS ON COMPROMISE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
SOCHI, August 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin
argues that conflicts in the South Caucasus are to be settled through
compromise.
“Awareness of a need for normal relations between people who live in
the region will hopefully overcome political ambitions, and we will
solve these problems on the basis of compromise,” he told a Sochi
news conference after a meeting with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan.
The Russian President described the situation in the South Caucasus
as complicated. “We have inherited a lot of conflicts,” he said,
“These conflicts are muffled, but burst out here and there, which is
a concern to us.”
Mr. Putin said that Russia was ready to mediate in and guarantee the
results of a settlement of the lingering Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Russia is ready to act as a mediator and a guarantor if there is
demand for our efforts and the parties to the conflict are willing
[to let Russia in],” he said.
“We have discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. No breakthrough
decisions have been made – today’s discussion was just about search
for additional measures to maintain the dialogue,” the Russian
president added.
He emphasized that, importantly, “the sides have revealed their
willingness to seek a compromise.” According to Putin, both Armenian
and Azeri presidents would embrace a compromise.
He also said he intended to visit Armenia.
“Robert Kocharyan has invited me to visit Armenia. I will pay a visit
early next year, the exact date will be adjusted through the Foreign
Ministry,” he remarked.
As to the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, the only possible option,
according to the Russian President, is to negotiate.
“To sit at the table to negotiate is the only possible way out,” he
said.
“One has to be good at negotiating and to have enough political will
to deliver on what has been agreed upon, [not to let it happen when]
a commission agrees on something in the morning, and on the same
night officials of the same state that is represented in the
commission dismiss the agreement,” Mr. Putin said.
The Russian President said he hoped all participants in this process
would reveal enough political maturity and solidity in their peoples’
best interests.
According to him, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili also
regarded a decision to cancel South Ossetian autonomy as a mistake.
“As we talked with Mr. Saakashvili, [he said] he thought these
decisions about South Ossetia, made in the early 1990s, had been a
mistake. So I said nothing unexpected,” Vladimir Putin said in
comment on his remark about the Georgian-Ossetian conflict at
yesterday’s news conference on his meeting with Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchma.
In those remarks, Mr. Putin described Georgia’s decision to cancel
autonomous status for South Ossetia and Abkhazia as “stupid.”

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 20 2004
RUSSIA TO TREAT CSTO MILITARY ALLIANCE ON PAR WITH DOMESTIC
PARTNERSHIP: PUTIN
SOCHI, August 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is willing to treat military
partnership with other countries on the Collective Security Treaty
Organization on a par with partnership ties within the country,
reassures President Vladimir Putin.
He made the statement at a news conference he and President Robert
Kocharyan of Armenia were addressing after today’s summit in Sochi,
Russia’s Black Sea coastal spa.
The State Duma, Russia’s lower parliamentary house, will debate the
prospects. The Kremlin is ready with a respective resolution, which
implies all exports/imports within the Treaty Organization proceeding
from Russian domestic prices, said President Putin.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization brings together six
post-Soviet countries-Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan.
Mr. Putin spoke about Russian-Armenian economic partnership, too.
Thus, several Russian industrial companies intend to invest a total
$26 million to update the Armenian-based Armenal Co.
Power industrial partnership is an essential aspect of bilateral
ties, added Russia’s President.
President Kocharyan, in his turn, approved current trends and
developments in bilateral economic contacts. They became much more
diversified within the preceding two or three years, and capital
investment is on an upswing, he said.
The President highlighted 600 presently available Russian-Armenian
joint ventures, and stressed an increasing Russian corporate
participation in Armenian business.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian-Turkish trade tops 50m dollars per year
Mediamax news agency
19 Aug 04
YEREVAN
Yearly trade between Armenia and Turkey is 50-60m dollars, in spite of
the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the
closed border, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in
Yerevan today.
Thus “Armenian-Turkish relations today have a rather unusual
character”, the minister said, according to Mediamax news agency.
The issue of recognition of the Armenian genocide in 1915 is a
component part of Armenian-Turkish relations, however Yerevan does not
consider it a prior condition for normalization, said Vardan Oskanyan

Paper slams USA’s “double standards” towards Azerbaijan
Zerkalo, Baku
18 Aug 04
Azerbaijan is becoming a testing ground for the super powers, as
Russian MPs express concern at possible US plans to base troops there,
an article in an Azerbaijani daily has said. Despite the USA’s
statements on supporting Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, “Baku can
sacrifice its interests for Washington, but Americans could not care
less about either Azerbaijan or the Karabakh dispute,” the article
concluded. “Uncle Sam is interested only in Caspian oil and elbowing
Russia and Iran out of its interest areas.” The following is an
excerpt from A. Rasidoglu’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on
18 August headlined “Uncle Sam’s double standards” and subheaded “Baku
may sacrifice its interests for Washington, but no appreciation is
worth waiting for”; subheadings inserted editorially:
The search for ways of settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
depends not on the Minsk Group co-chairs, but on the governments of
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Trend news agency has quoted the US
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann, as saying.
Asked about the illegitimate municipal elections in the so-called
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, as well as the command and staff exercises
in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, Mann said that “The Department of
State has already answered your question. I am reiterating deputy
spokesman Adam Ereli’s words at a briefing. We do not recognize
Nagornyy Karabakh as an independent state. The USA supports
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. We do not believe that these
elections will have a negative effect on the Minsk Group’s
activities.”
Touching upon the impact of these steps by the Armenian side on the
collapse of the negotiation process, Mann said that ” Events
dissatisfying this or that side will always crop up in the region.”
“The responsibility of all the sides involved in the Minsk Group
activities is not to deviate from the negotiations and from taking
further the peace process. Let me explain why we are doing this and
why Azerbaijan and Armenia are doing this. The sides are not in the
negotiations process for the sake of politeness or for the sake of
observing some norms. We are all proceeding from our national
interests. Therefore, I believe that President Ilham Aliyev’s decision
to participate in the negotiations is correct and is based on
Azerbaijan’s national interests,” he said.
Speaking of the long-term US position on the Karabakh process, Mann
stressed that the settlement of the conflict should take into account
the wishes of all the inhabitants in the region. “The Minsk Group does
not support any of the sides. The international community has
recognized the conflict and decided to support the negotiations and
mediate them. The international community has not authorized the Minsk
Group to act as an arbiter. Our mandate from the international
community does not envisage this. It says we should work as much as we
can to find a common ground between the two sides and ensure real
discussions,” the diplomat underlined.
Passage omitted: BTC pipeline
Russia concerned at US troop deployment plans
It is interesting that the diplomatic gestures of the American
co-chairman coincided with US President George W. Bush’s statements,
who officially announced the biggest ever redeployment of troops since
the Cold War. About 70,000 servicemen will leave their bases in Europe
and Asia. The head of the White House disclosed the details of this
plan at a traditional meeting with veterans of overseas wars in
Cincinatti, Ohio during the night of 17 August, Baku time.
Passage omitted: Bush’s details about troops deployment
Earlier, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld detailed the US
intentions in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Ivanov,
while General Charles Wald named the countries, which could host US
military bases, among which there was Azerbaijan, too. Rumsfeld said
that the US troops in Europe would be reduced by two-thirds.
Passage omitted: details of troops reduction
In turn, the military contingents in the territories of the USA’s new
allies in Asia and the former Soviet countries will be slightly
increased.
Passage omitted: details and reaction in the USA
Bush has equally alarmed Russian political analysts and
officials. “Our concerns are grounded,” the head of the International
Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma lower house of parliament
, Konstantin Kosachev, told Ekho Moskvy radio station. “We still have
to be sure that new threats will not be created for Russia following
redeployment of the US military bases. But, there is no ground for
panic yet,” he explained.
He said that the talk is now about the deployment of US troops in
Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania and it does not cause
fear. Granted that, as Kosachev noticed, “Americans say that it is
being done to fight terrorism and the bases will be directed towards
the south. But, if the deployment of military bases in Hungary,
Bulgaria and Romania is movement towards the southeast, the appearance
of military bases in Poland is movement to the east,” he told
Interfax.
If we talk about deployment of contingents in the Baltic nations, this
will certainly secure US interests, something that cannot please
Russia. “Russia should negotiate with the countries in the Caucasus
and Central Asia, which could potentially be a place for American
bases, for non-deployment of these bases,” the deputy says. He is also
convinced that only the refusal to host American troops could allow
countries like Moldova and Georgia to “ensure their security”.
Passage omitted: Russian Defence Minister Ivanov’s comments
Russian media say that if the USA happens to redeploy its troops in
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the operation will start not
earlier than four to six years. Probably, these deployments and
generally all military decisions will be discussed at a meeting of the
heads of defence and security committees of CIS parliaments in
October.
“And within the framework of the meeting we will certainly discuss
relations between the CIS and NATO,” the chairman of the Committee on
Security and Defence Issues of the Russian Federation Council, Viktor
Ozerov, said. In any case the former Soviet nations will still have a
lot of time to decide whom to establish blocs with when American bases
approach Russian borders.
USA does not care about Azerbaijan
So, Azerbaijan is becoming a testing ground for super states. Whether
it will positively affect the settlement of the Karabakh dispute is a
matter of time. But, as is seen from Steven Mann’s statements,
Washington is again applying double standards to this
issue. Azerbaijan is a partner of the USA, while Armenia is Russia’s
vassal. But, Uncle Sam is little concerned over these nuances. It
turns out that Baku can sacrifice its interests for Washington, but
Americans could not care less about either Azerbaijan or the Karabakh
dispute.
Uncle Sam is interested only in Caspian oil and elbowing Russia and
Iran out of its interest areas. The Azerbaijani people is unlikely to
agree to this degrading accord… ellipses as published

Azeri pundit says Saudi report of anti-US plot targets Iran
Ekho, Baku
20 Aug 04
Excerpt from N. Aliyev and Z. Alakbarov report by Azerbaijani
newspaper Ekho on 20 August headlined “Iranian secret services uncover
conspiracy against US citizens in Azerbaijan?” and subheaded “This has
been reported by an influential Saudi newspaper published in London”
Al-Qa’idah terrorists and representatives of the Iranian radical
revolutionary guard were going to perpetrate a series of terrorist
attacks on American citizens in Azerbaijan. The plot has been thwarted
by the Iranian secret services controlled by the reformist forces in
the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This sensational report has been carried by the influential and
informed Saudi newspaper published in London Asharq Al-Awsat quoting
informed sources in the Iranian secret services.
Passage omitted: background information about the newspaper
The newspaper says, quoting sources close to the Iranian secret
services, that the conspiracy was discovered after the secret services
had laid their hands on the correspondence between Al-Qa’idah, the
Iranian revolutionary guard and the so-called Al-Quds brigade. After
that, the Iranian secret services started tapping telephone
conversations of a senior official from the office of Iran’s spiritual
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene’i. It transpired that he was actively
communicating with a high-ranking Al-Qa’idah member in Iran.
The investigation uncovered a “sensational conspiracy”. Members of
Al-Quds, Al-Qa’idah and the revolutionary guard had planned to kill US
military and intelligence personnel working in several
countries. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the terrorist operation was
to take place first in Azerbaijan. Besides our country, Armenia and
Turkmenistan were mentioned as well.
The newspaper has also established the main purpose of the planned
killings. Terrorists were planning to involve Iran in a direct
standoff with the USA and the countries bordering on Iran in the
north.
It is noteworthy that the US and Iranian embassies in Azerbaijan have
refused to provide a comment on Asharq Al-Awsat’s report. The US
embassy, for example, said that the diplomatic mission does not
provide comments on issues connected with the security of US citizens
abroad. As for the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry, it has no
press office and one cannot obtain comments on any issue there.
According to the director of the Centre for study of terrorism and
asymmetric threats, Cahangir Aras, there is really a standoff between
the reformist and conservative blocks in the Iranian
administration. However, according to Aras, “their confrontation has
not yet reached a point where one power-wielding entity could be
openly opposed to the other”.
Aras believes that although Asharq Al-Awsat is indeed a well-known and
informed edition, the newspaper has frequently been accused of
deliberately spreading misinformation, the reasons of which can only
be guessed.
At the same time, the director of the centre said that suggestions of
possible contacts between the Iranian revolutionary guard and
Al-Qa’idah were quite interesting and that different sources had
speculated on this idea.
“However, reports like this one are not substantiated by facts, which
reminds us of similar accusations of the Saddam Husayn regime of links
with Al-Qa’idah. Therefore, the Asharq Al-Awsat report is just another
volley in the information war against Iran,” the expert said.

Putin discusses diamonds, aluminium with Armenian leader
RTR Russia TV, Moscow
20 Aug 04
Presenter We have just received footage of Vladimir Putin’s meeting
with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan. Referring to the main areas
of cooperation between the two countries, the Russian head of state
noted the good development of relations in the political sphere and in
a number of other sectors. At the same time, however, Vladimir Putin
proposed to his Armenian colleague that they discuss certain
problematic issues, notably the reduction in two-way trade.
Putin There are certain things which cannot fail to worry us. I have
in mind the reduction in the level of trade during the first half of
the year. I am sure you would like to discuss this topic as well. As
we know, there is a simple reason for this. It is the very low degree
of diversification in our relations. It took only one enterprise to
close for modernization, reducing the delivery of one type of
commodity, for overall trade to contract sharply and immediately.
Kocharyan The main trade item exported from Russia to Armenia is
diamonds, but the liberalization of the diamond market has led to some
bumpy patches in relations.
Putin It appears that the enterprise –
Kocharyan Armenal Armenian Aluminium .
Putin Yes.
Kocharyan Yes. The modernization programme for Armenal is such that,
after it is completed, the volume of production will simply double.
Putin Yes.
Kocharyan It will be at a completely different level.
Presenter Vladimir Putin also said Russia would fully meet the
Armenian Defence Ministry’s request for training of specialists at
Russian colleges. The Russian head of state specified that about 150
Armenian servicemen would be able to study in Russia this year.

PUTIN TO VISIT ARMENIA NEXT YEAR
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
20 Aug 04
Sochi, 20 August: Russian President Vladimir Putin is to visit Armenia
next year. “(President) Robert Kocharyan has invited me to Armenia at
the start of next year,” Putin told a joint news conference. “It will
be my pleasure,” he added.
The Russian president said the date of the visit would be coordinated
through Foreign Ministry channels at a later date.

ARMENIAN LEADER IMPRESSED BY PUTIN’S RAPID RESPONSE PHONE CALLS
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
20 Aug 04
Sochi, 20 August: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is pleased with
his talks with his Russian counterpart and particularly with the speed
and efficiency with which decisions were taken.
“During the talks, Vladimir Putin made operational telephone calls to
his ministers and issued instructions,” Kocharyan said. “I think this
prompt style is very effective,” the Armenian president said.
For his part, Vladimir Putin confirmed that he had telephoned Prime
Minister (Mikhail) Fradkov, Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin and
Transport Minister Igor Levitin during the talks. “It was possible to
do so,” Putin said with a smile. “Bearing in mind the opportunities
created here not just for the press but for presidents too,” he said
by way of clarification, casting his eye over the new press centre
opened at his Bocharov Ruchey residence this month.