AZERI LEADER NOT RECEIVED WELL AT NATO SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL – PAPER
Azadliq, Baku
29 Jun 04,
headlined “Ilham Aliyev receives cold reception in Turkey” and
subheaded “Saakashvili overshadows him again”
A NATO summit began in Istanbul yesterday (28 June) but the heads of
state and government arrived on 26 June. A “NATO at a turning point”
conference was held on that day and those who attended the summit took
part in it as well.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his counterparts came to
Istanbul on 26 June. However, the way he was welcomed and the attitude
to him during NATO meetings was different. Unfortunately, in a
negative sense. It was clear at the Istanbul summit that unlike
democratic governments, authoritarian regimes, especially the ones led
by weak leaders, are treated with disrespect.
Ilham Aliyev was greeted at the airport by the Turkish transport
minister, whereas the president of neighbouring Georgia, Mikheil
Saakashvili, was met by the Turkish deputy prime minister and foreign
minister, Abdullah Gul.
Moreover, during the summit it was plain to see that US President
George Bush and other influential heads of government treated
Saakashvili better than Aliyev.

–Boundary_(ID_rdHFipy0wmh4KtjQioA/pg)
Content-typ e: message/rfc822
From: Karen Sarkavagyan
Subject: Armenia Tree Project Celebrating 10th Anniversary
Armenia Tree Project office, Yerevan
Tel: 553069 or 569910
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Armenia Tree Project Celebrates its 10th Anniversary with an Open Air Gala
Concert at Garni Temple
The Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia
(NCOA) under the direction of Aram Gharabekian are pleased to announce an
Open Air Evening Gala Concert at the historic site of Garni Temple, one of
the oldest historical landmarks in Armenia, built in the 1st Century BC. The
upcoming concert is in celebration of ATP’s 10th Anniversary of regreening
Armenia. President Robert Kocharian, U.S. Ambassador John Ordway and other
high-ranking government officials, ambassadors and foreign officials have
been invited to the event. Representatives from dozens of local and
international organizations who partner with ATP will be present at the
concert.
The Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 during Armenia’s darkest and
coldest years with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by protecting
Armenia’s environment. Funded by contributions from Diasporan Armenians,
ATP has planted and rejuvenated 530,000 trees at approximately 500 sites
ranging from Gumri to Goris. Two state-of-the-art nurseries, founded in the
refugee villages of Karin (Ashtarak area) and Khachpar (Masis Area) not only
provide 40,000 – 50,000 trees annually for community tree planting all over
Armenia, but are also a major source of employment for these refugee
villages. Another vast nursery has been established this year for providing
over one million trees annually for reforestation of the devastated
landscape in Vanadzor. Although we have accomplished much since 1994, our
work in protecting and restoring Armenia’s forests has just begun.
In 2003 ATP launched a Sustainable Mountain Development Project in the
refugee village of Aygut in the Getik River Valley in Gegharkounik Marz.. In
this program of mountainous reforestation, ATP is creating a model of
partnering with the villagers and with other international and local
organizations to combat the linked problems of poverty and natural resource
degradation. Among the contributors to date are USDA/MAP, World Food
Program, Heifer International, Project Harmony, ORRAN, Boghosian Education
Center, the Peace Corps and Satsil. ATP is expanding to all 13 villages in
the Getik River Valley, this year including the second village in the
Valley, Dzoravanq. The sub-projects being implemented include the Backyard
Nursery Project, through which villagers generate income by growing
seedlings in their backyards for reforestation, the Milk Collector Project,
Backyard Orchard Rejuvenation and Ecological Education Programs in the
schools.
Never before in history have Armenia’s forests been so close to extinction.
With only 8 % of forest cover left, down from 12% in 1990 and 25% at the
beginning of the 20th century, the World Bank estimates that the last of our
trees will be gone in only 20 years at the current rate of cutting. 81.9%
of Armenia’s land faces the danger of desertification (National Report on
the State of the Environment 2002). The future of Armenia’s forests, climate
and biodiversity rest in our hands. The actions we take now for combating
deforestation will save Armenia from the path it is on toward
desertification. The Armenia Tree Project is energizing the nation’s youth,
educating the Armenian public and the Diaspora about the nature of the
problem and possible solutions and joining forces with like minded
organizations and individuals to meet the common goal of greening Armenia
and reversing the dangerous and destabilizing trend of environmental
degradation.
–Boundary_(ID_rdHFipy0wmh4KtjQioA/pg)–

Ha’aretz, Israel
June 29 2004
6 comments on the situation

By Yoel Marcus

1. One of the Israeli government’s favorite hobbies over the
generations has been freaking out the public from time to time. At
the moment, it has decided to distribute Lugol to all residents
living in the vicinity of the nuclear reactors in Dimona and Nahal
Soreq. This pill is meant to protect them against radioactive fallout
in the event of a leak, and it is supposed to be on hand in every
household, like gas masks. The question is why, all of a sudden, do
we need them. Has there been a leak that no one told us about? Israel
has always been evasive about its nuclear capacity. So what’s going
on? What gives with these pills? Are we getting ready for a nuclear
war, or just the mega-attack we’ve been obsessing over? Come to think
about it, once the gas masks from the last panic are being recalled,
why not use the opportunity to distribute Lugol to everyone? In any
case, the concerned citizen should be able to walk into the nearest
pharmacy and pick up a bottle. I’ve got a good brand name: Vanunu
Forte.

2. The media recently reported a new invention: a chair with hidden
electrodes that turns into a polygraph machine without the person
sitting in it noticing a thing. If this is true and the chair is on
the market, we should consider buying some for the Knesset, the
government conference room and the living room at Sycamore Ranch. Who
knows? Maybe we’ll catch someone telling the truth.
3. If we hadn’t seen it with our own eyes on live TV, we might have
thought it was a Yatzpan comedy skit. Arafat, dressed to the nines in
his uniform and insignia, festively announced to the world that he
was declaring a hudna – a cease-fire – for the entire period of the
Olympic Games in Greece. On the one hand, it’s not clear what one
thing has to do with the other. On the other hand, it’s beyond me why
he is so anxious to show that he’s a chronic liar. Because if he can
turn the flame up and down as he sees fit, Israel is right in saying
that he orchestrates terror from his seat in the Muqata and nothing
is done without his okay. “If he can get the violence to stop, then
let him do it right now – not for the sake of sports but for the sake
of our lives here.” I had to hear this sentence twice for it to sink
in that the speaker was not Sharon but Yossi Beilin, the last of the
Arafat groupies.
4. Avraham Burg’s decision to quit the Knesset to go into private
business shows that the man is not leadership material. He belongs to
a band of aspiring middle-aged politicians who are good talkers but
lack stick-to-it-iveness. There is no more important asset for a
politician aiming for the top than patience. Britain is a classic
example in this department. Leaders don’t drop down from the sky:
they climb up from below. Parachuting straight to the summit hasn’t
been very successful in this country. Netanyahu and Barak, both
airlifted leaders, suffered a crash landing and resigned from the
Knesset only to try again. As Golda Meir and Pinhas Sapir told Moshe
Dayan when he was an up-and-coming Mapainik: “Patience, young man.
Biology will do the trick.” Dayan was unconvinced. “In that respect,
I can’t rely on you,” he said. But for Dayan’s partner, the
indomitable Shimon Peres, biology is operating in reverse. He’s
beating all the ambitious young `uns and marching toward a unity
government at the age of 81.
5. Dennis Ross, head of the Jewish Agency Institute for Jewish People
Policy Planning, says that the decisions of the Israeli government
don’t take the Jews of the Diaspora into account. He wants official
representatives of the Jewish people to be involved in the
decision-making. Very nice. First let them immigrate to Israel and
serve in the army. Dear Abbys we have aplenty.
6. Turkey, butcher of the Armenians and oppressor of the Kurds,
doesn’t like Israel’s policy in the territories – so much so, that it
has ordered its ambassador in Tel Aviv to return to Ankara for
“consultations.” Now Israel is urging its tourists in Turkey to pack
their bags and come home for consultations. I would say that’s a
fitting diplomatic response, wouldn’t you?

Framingham Metro West Daily News, MA
June 29 2004
Bond of ‘brothers’ can’t be broken
By Jeff Adair / News Staff Writer
Dr. H. Martin Deranian can’t help but compliment Cameron Fersch.

“He’s done very well in his life,” he says.

“Martin has always said that,” replies Fersch, as if he’s heard
it a million times before.

“It’s true. I really believe that,” said Deranian, 81. “His life
could have gone any way. It could have been the people…”

“Breaking into people’s homes,” said Fersch, finishing the
sentence with a chuckle.

Talking to the pair, it’s obvious they have a mutual respect for
one another. They sound like best buddies. They sound like old
childhood friends.

That’s not exactly right.

For 39 years, Deranian, a Shrewsbury dentist, and Fersch, owner
of Cameron Tile Co. in Holliston, have maintained a friendship.

They talk on the telephone or get together on a monthly basis
for lunch.

They first met in Worcester when Fersch was an angry
11-year-old. He grew up poor in a broken home. His father, who was
physically violent and psychologically abusive, deserted Fersch’s
mother and four children. His mother suffered from depression and
several years later, when Fersch was in his late teens, he stopped
her from committing suicide. She succeeded on a second attempt.

“There was no love. There was no real sense of intrinsic
self-worth provided by either parent,” he said.

Deranian and his wife were unable to have children, so he signed
up to be a big brother with the then-newly launched Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Worcester County.

The two were matched. It was Fersch’s second. He bombed out on
his first match when his mentor got angry on a bowling outing when
Fersch purposefully threw the ball when the changer was down.

“We immediately seemed to strike it off,” Deranian recalled. “I
took you for ice cream.”

Looking over a bunch of notes he has kept on Fersch over the
years, Deranian recalled the lad as bright but with a very negative
attitude. He never spoke of his father. He was cynical, he said.

“I did’t trust people,” said Fersch. “It took me a long time to
get over that.”

The two went camping, to the movies, to the airport and the
science museum, and they often ate out.

Ben Ticho, longtime executive director of Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Worcester County, which is merging with the MetroWest
office, has known the two friends for years.

“It’s an amazing relationship,” he said, noting that while it’s
the oldest ongoing match in the area, he heard of a man in New York
whose friendship with his mentor goes back to before World War II.

Fersch describes his relationship with Martin as a lifeline.

“One of the things about Martin that made him so important in my
life, you can probably see, he was not judgmental,” he said. “He
always saw how things could have been.”

Two years ago, Fersch signed up to be a big brother and now
mentors Malakahai Pearson, 9, of Framingham.

“I really have no experience with children. I’ve learned about
setting limits,” he said.

Deranian, who still works in dentistry and recently wrote a book
on Armenians in Worcester, glowed from ear to ear like a proud
grandfather as Fersch talked about his relationship with Pearson.

“Isn’t this what we’re supposed to do in life?” said Fersch.
“Isn’t this what it’s all about?”

BBC News
Last Updated: Monday, 28 June, 2004, 16:01 GMT 17:01 UK
Turkey’s unrequited EU love
By Oana Lungescu
BBC correspondent in Istanbul
Two years ago, Turkey won the Eurovision song contest with a tale of
unrequited love.
In many ways, it echoed the country’s own unsuccessful bid to woo the
European Union since 1963, when it signed an association agreement that
promised eventual membership of the bloc.
Things began moving in 1999 when Turkey was officially recognised as an EU
candidate, and especially after the election of the Justice and Development
Party (AKP) government in 2002, which quickened political reforms to an
unprecedented pace.
Earlier this month, Turkish state television began broadcasting in Kurdish,
the language of a sizeable minority in this country of 67 million.
On the same day, the government released four Kurdish activists, including
human rights award winner Leyla Zana, who had spent 10 years in jail after
trials deemed unfair by the EU.
Turkey’s new government is working hard on reforming its image
Over the past 18 months, the government has passed nine reform packages,
including a ban on the death penalty, a zero-tolerance policy towards
torture in prisons, and curtailing the interference of the military in
politics, education and culture.
“I am impressed – because starting with the constitution, they’ve changed a
lot of laws,” says Murat Celikan, a human rights activist who writes a
regular column in the daily Radikal.
“To give one example, two years ago, a radio was banned for one year for
airing a song in Kurdish and in Armenian. Now the state television has
Kurdish programmes – so that’s a great change.”
The EU has also welcomed the reforms, but it wants them implemented across
this vast country by local police, judges and bureaucrats. So far,
implementation is uneven, especially in the provinces and the Kurdish areas
in the south-east.
“It will take time because I am sure that the security forces especially are
not yet well informed about those changes. If you want to make a
demonstration in Istanbul or in an eastern province like Diyarbakir, the
procedures are still different – not by law, but because of implementation,”
says Murat Celikan.
Investor wariness
The prospect of EU membership, coupled with IMF-inspired reforms, have also
brought greater stability to the crisis-prone Turkish economy.
Huge shopping centres are full of young people in search of the latest
trends. The economy is growing, while inflation has fallen to single-digit
figures for the first time in decades.
It will be a big, almost the biggest country, it will be pretty much the
poorest country in the EU and it’s located in quite a difficult strategic
security position
Kirsty Hughes
Analyst
But foreign investors remain wary of Turkey. In 2002, they invested only
$300m (£164m), 10 times less than in Hungary, a country whose entire economy
equals that of Istanbul.
Cem Duna, a leading member of the influential Turkish businessmen and
industrialists association Tusiad, has this explanation.
“Hungary is a member of the European Union and has been a candidate for the
past 10 years or so, this was the main reason why this happened. Now Turkey
can easily amass up to $10-15bn (£5.5-8bn) foreign direct investment per
annum once it is on the same track, with the same finality in sight.”
Meanwhile, Turkey remains poorer than the 10 countries of central and
southern Europe that have just joined the EU, with living standards at about
a quarter of EU levels.
Muslim giant
But in terms of population, it is as big as all of the 10 put together.
If it were to join around 2015, it would become the second biggest country
in the EU after Germany.
Is the EU ready to admit such a large poor country, which also happens to
border on Iraq and Syria?
Kurdish rights have improved as Turkey tries to gain EU entry
Kirsty Hughes is the author of a recent study on the implications of Turkish
EU membership.
“It will be a big, almost the biggest country, it will be pretty much the
poorest country in the EU and it’s located in quite a difficult
strategically security position,” she says.
“But when you actually look at what does that mean for joining the union,
what it means for its economic policies, for its budget, for how it votes to
make decisions, then all those things start to look manageable.
“For instance, it would have about 15% of the votes in the EU Council,
that’s slightly less than Germany has today in the say of how to run the EU.
In budget terms it would cost about as much as the ‘big bang’ enlargement
that we’ve just had.
“Now again, that’s not cheap, but it’s about 10% to 15% of the EU’s budget
so it’s not as shocking as if you said it’s going to be half the budget. It
does have a lot of implications for EU foreign policy, but I think those
will have to be taken as they come.”
Strategic
For Guenter Verheugen, the European enlargement commissioner, Turkey’s
strategic position straddling Europe and the greater Middle East is an asset
rather than a drawback.
EU politicians face one of the toughest decisions they have ever had to
take. If they say no to Turkey, they risk alienating a key ally in the
Muslim world with unpredictable consequences. If they say yes, they may
upset many voters at home who are already unhappy about where the EU is
going
At a recent conference in Brussels, he warned that the EU would make a
tragic mistake if it stopped or reversed the process of democratisation in
Turkey by denying it eventual membership.
“The eleventh of September 2001 marks a far-reaching change in our strategic
thinking. Since 11 September, the question of the relationship between
Western democracies and the Islamic world is one of the most important
issues in the first decade of the 21st Century.
“The question – which role will Turkey play in the organisation of that
relationship – can be very crucial. Personally, I am convinced it will be
crucial.
“And the process of reforms in Turkey has a meaning far beyond the borders
of that country. It has a meaning for the whole Islamic world, because it
demonstrates that there’s no contradiction between the universal values of
human rights, democracy, the state of law and a country with a Muslim
population and Muslim background.”
EU decision
In October, Mr Verheugen will issue a progress report on Turkey which will
form the basis for the decision of EU leaders.
While the report is widely expected to be positive, public opinion in
France, Germany, Austria and elsewhere is becoming increasingly reluctant to
accept a further enlargement of the EU, especially to include a large Muslim
nation like Turkey.
Since the Netherlands will be holding the EU’s rotating presidency in the
second half of the year, I asked Ben Bot, the Dutch foreign minister (and a
former Dutch ambassador to Turkey) how worried he is about the lack of
public support among Western voters?
“Perhaps there has been a lack of proper communication and now there is, I
think, an unjustified fear of Islam, which is perhaps understandable in the
context of terrorism and so on, but which is not justified – because I think
that the situation in Turkey is completely different.
“They also forget that Turkey has been a member of Nato, of the Council of
Europe, that it has helped the West during all these years, also during the
Cold War, has been a staunch ally.
“And so, it’s in itself astonishing that people all of a sudden are against
Turkish participation, whereas we think that Turkey would be a very valuable
member of the EU. It will take a long time, that I agree, it will certainly
take many, many years of negotiations before they fully comply with all the
criteria.”
Indeed, in 10 years or so from now, the EU will be a very different union,
and Turkey will be a very different country.
But come December, EU politicians face one of the toughest decisions they
have ever had to take.
If they say no to Turkey, they risk alienating a key ally in the Muslim
world. But if they say yes, they may upset many voters at home who are
already unhappy about where the EU is going.

A1 Plus | 14:08:04 | 29-06-2004 | Official |
ARMENIANS IN ISTANBUL
On June 28 morning Turkey’s Industry and Trade Minister Ali Joshqan met the
Armenian delegation, which arrived in Istanbul to partake in NATO Summit.
Armenian delegation head, FM Vardan Oskanyan met Turkey’s Vice Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gule in Istanbul’ Congress and
Exhibition Center where NATO Summit passes.
Issues regarding bilateral relations, situation in the region and the
present process of Karabakhi conflict settlement were on the agenda.
Stressing importance of such meeting both parts agreed upon continuing the
direct dialogue.
On June 28 evening Armenian, Turkish and Azerbaijani Foreign Affairs
Ministers met. They discussed the situation in Southern Caucasus, exchanged
thoughts on developments in the region, like expansion of European Union,
enrollment of Caucasus states in EU “New Neighborhood” and the new
approaches of NATO to Caucasus.
Ministers also referred to Karabakhi conflict settlement, especially in the
light of the meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs on June 21 in
Prague.

Pictorial Gazette, CT
June 29 2004
>From Armenia, a novel product

By: Jason Fell 06/29/2004

ESSEX – “It’s really amazing how a couple bucks and a little
confidence can change the lives of people that live across the
world,” says Peter Kwasniewski.
He should know. Kwasniewski has dreamed up a business that not only
benefits the owners, but a number of families in a mountain village
in Armenia.
Peter just launched Peter K Designs, an online business retailing
designer belts and dog collars, which are hand-stitched by Armenian
women from the village of Noembrayan, in the country’s northeast
corner. The unusual partnership was conceived after Peter and his
wife Stephanie returned from a two-year stint in Armenia with the
Peace Corps.
It happened like this. While working with the villagers – Peter as a
business consultant and Stephanie as an English teacher-trainer –
they noticed that a number of women and girls were exceptionally
skilled in the art of petit needlepoint and embroidery, which is
similar to cross-stitching only the stitches are much smaller. The
women would try to sell 6-by-11-inch embroidery designs – which took
about 150 hours to make – to foreign merchants who occasionally
traveled through the village looking for craft items. If the women
were lucky, they’d get $4 for each item. Sometimes the merchants
would just take the work, promising to pay later but would never
return.
Armenia is a country about the size of Maryland and is located in
southwestern Asia, just east of Turkey. Since gaining independence
from the former Soviet Union in 1991, villages across the country
have been struggling to maintain normal living standards.
“When the Soviets left Armenia, they took with them the knowledge of
running everyday operations,” Peter explained. “The Armenians didn’t
know anything because they never had to. Everything was done for
them.”
Noembrayan, where Peter and Stephanie worked, is located near the
border with Azerbaijan. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, has also contributed to
the country’s economic and social decline. According to recent
studies, 50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line,
while the unemployment rate is about 20 percent.
“There’s a lot of anger and frustration there,” Stephanie said,
“especially with the men. Many of the jobs available now, culturally,
the men are not allowed to do. Men can’t run a shop or work in a
restaurant. Many sit around the village all day or play backgammon. A
number of men have moved out of the country, mainly to Russia or the
United States, in hopes of finding work. The women are left trying to
provide for their families.”
Peter and Stephanie were impressed not only by the craftsmanship of
Noembrayan women but also their strong work ethic.
“These women would do anything to make money,” Peter said. “Somehow I
knew this was an unfinished part of my life. I knew their struggles.
I wanted to do something to not only ensure they wouldn’t be
exploited but also to put a significant amount of money in their
pockets.”
And help is precisely what he’s doing. Even before they returned to
Essex, Peter and Stephanie began selling the embroidered rectangles
to friends in the United States, who framed them as works of art. The
couple soon discovered, however, that the market for these was
limited. So they decided to develop a new business strategy.
Friends Bob and Eva Potts introduced Peter to Cecil Lyon, owner of
Leather Man Ltd. in Old Saybrook, producer of a nationally known line
of embroidered belts. Lyon suggested having the embroidery put on
belts. Peter liked the idea, feeling belts had better commercial
possibilities, because the designs were unique.
Having maintained relationships with the villagers, Peter employs 85
women – he hopes to someday employ 200 to 300 – to make the
needlepoint for the belts and dog collars. He supplies them with the
materials and pays them for their work once he receives it. Then
Peter will purchase the finishing materials, the leather straps and
brass findings and buckles, from Leather Man. Finally, all components
will be sent to Cindy Layton of Cindy’s Loft in Deep River to be sewn
together.
“Since I haven’t sold anything yet, I’ve fronted a lot of my own
savings to pay these women,” Peter said with a laugh. “But I know the
women are happy to have the work. They’re competing with each other
since the pay is by far better than what they’re used to.”
The belts and dog collars will be available exclusively online. They
come in a variety of motifs, including cities of the world, golfing
and sailing and can be monogrammed with up to three initials.
According to Peter, the industry standard for embroidered belts is 17
stitches per inch, but his are 24 stitches per inch, or 576 stitches
per square inch.
“These belts are finer than other belts available now,” Peter said.
“The detail is fabulous.”
Although the Web site is up and running, the belts and collars have
not yet been finished. Peter hopes to be able to start filling orders
within a couple weeks. He expects to sell each belt for $165 and each
dog collar for $60.
“If I’m helping these women to save money to send their children to
college or to put food on the table, that makes me happy,” Peter
said. “I’m hopeful this will start working out very soon.”
For further information about Peter K Designs, either call 767-3176
or log onto

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 29 2004
Oskanian: It is Premature to Expect Immediate Re-opening of
Turkish-Armenian Borders
Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers discussed the ways to
normalize relations between the two countries in a meeting held on
the sidelines of the NATO summit in Istanbul on Monday, Agence France
Press reported.
Vardan Oskanian of Armenia said he was `very satisfied’ with the
meeting he held with Abdullah Gul of Turkey where the major item on
the agenda was opening the Turkish-Armenian borders.
However, Oskanian said it would be premature to expect an immediate
re-opening of the borders.
Turkey closed off its gates to Armenian in 1993 in response to the
latter’s occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories. As a precondition
for opening of the borders and establishing of diplomatic
relationship with Armenia, Ankara demands that Yerevan release the
occupied Azeri territories, stop its efforts to gain an international
recognition of a so-called genocide of Armenians by Turks in early
20th century and give up territorial claims against Turkey.
According to ANS, a private TV channel in Baku, Turkish premier Recep
Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan reiterated the preconditions on Monday.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 29 2004
Gul Says EU, NATO Keen to Stabilize Caucasus
Baku Today 29/06/2004 13:24
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Monday said both NATO and
the EU are keen to stabilize the conflict-torn Caucasian region,
Agence France Press reported.
According to the report, Gul said following a meeting with his
Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian in
Istanbul that the three had agreed to hold further trilateral
meetings later in the year.
Armenia’s Oskanian reportedly said, referring to the enlargement of
the EU and NATO: “We need to shape a new strategic vision for the
Caucasus so that we can keep pace with the developments around us.”
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Mamedyarov added: “We will try to do our
best to bring peace and stability to the region.”
Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported that the sides decided to
continue their trilateral meeting in September.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 29 2004
Musavat Leader Meets U.S. Ambassador
Isa Gambar, leader of Azerbaijan’s main opposition Musavat (Equality)
party, has met with the U.S. ambassador in Baku, Rino Harnish,
opposition daily Yeni Musavat reported on Monday.
During the meeting Gambar and Harnish discussed issues relating to
Azerbaijan’s current political situation, the state of democracy,
human rights and political prisoners in the country as well as
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Azerbaijan-NATO relationship, among
others. No further detail of the meeting was given in the report.
Sulhaddin Akbar, one of the deputy Musavat chairmen arrested
following last October’s riots in Baku who was later released, also
attended the meeting, according to Yeni Musavat.