Author: Nadirian Emma

PanArmenian News Network
July 27 2005

TBILISI BLAME RUSSIAN SECRET SERVICE OF COMPLICITY TO TERRORIST ACTS
IN GEORGIA

27.07.2005 05:36

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The terrorist act in the Georgian town of Gori
February 1, 2005 and three diversions were committed by a criminal
grouping headed by officer of the Russian secret service Anatoly
Sosiyev, Georgian Minister of Interior Vano Merabishvili stated. In
his words, July 17 all the members of the criminal grouping,
Ossetians in origin, were arrested in Tskhinvali region. They all
pleaded guilty. To remind, a blasting assembly exploded near the
police building. As result, hree Georgian policemen were killed and
about 30 people were wounded. According to the Minister, the same
grouping committed diversions at Kartli 2 power line and detonated
one of the oil pumps of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
Merabishvili expressed hope that Russia will assist in detaining the
leaders of the criminal grouping.

Le Temps
26 juillet 2005

Le chef de la diplomatie turque prend la Suisse pour cible;

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN. Le Département fédéral des affaires étrangères se
dit «surpris» par les critiques d’Abdullah Gül.

Rebelote. Le ministre des Affaires étrangères turc, Abdullah Gül,
critique à nouveau la Suisse pour ses enquêtes pour négation du
génocide arménien. L’interrogatoire de Dogu Perincek, chef du Parti
des travailleurs turcs, mené vendredi à Zurich, est à ses yeux
inacceptable, a-t-il fait savoir ce week-end et lundi dans plusieurs
médias turcs. La Turquie ne peut pas accepter que de telles actions
soient dirigées contre un représentant d’un parti politique national,
estime-t-il. Abdullah Gül n’a pas encore réagi officiellement auprès
du gouvernement suisse, que ce soit via l’ambassade de Suisse en
Turquie, ou via celle de Turquie à Berne, assurait lundi le
Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE). Le DFAE se dit
toutefois «surpris» par les propos du ministre relayés par la presse.

Dogu Perincek a déclaré vendredi lors d’une conférence de presse à
Glattburg (ZH) que le génocide arménien était un «mensonge des
impérialistes». Ceci dans le cadre de la commémoration du Traité de
Lausanne, qui a délimité les frontières de la Turquie moderne en
1923. Ces propos ont valu au chef de parti d’extrême gauche d’être
entendu dès le lendemain par le juge d’instruction de Winterthour,
pendant plus de deux heures.

Dogu Perincek est déjà sous le coup d’une enquête pénale dans le
canton de Vaud pour des propos similaires tenus en mai dans sa
capitale. Il a récidivé lors de la manifestation de dimanche à
Lausanne. Un autre Turc est sous le coup d’une enquête pour négation
du génocide arménien: l’historien Yusuf Halacoglu. Le Ministère
public de Winterthour a ouvert une enquête contre lui en mai pour un
discours tenu une année auparavant. Un acte qui provoqua déjà l’ire
d’Abdullah Gül. L’ambassade turque à Berne fut alors chargée de faire
part de son indignation au DFAE.

Une certaine nervosité plane donc à nouveau sur les relations entre
la Suisse et la Turquie. En mars dernier, le ministre des Affaires
étrangères turc avait pourtant fait preuve d’une certaine ouverture
en recevant Micheline Calmy-Rey, après plusieurs épisodes tendus dont
la reconnaissance du génocide arménien par le Grand Conseil vaudois
qui avait poussé les autorités turques à déclarer la conseillère
fédérale persona non grata. Abdullah Gül avait notamment déclaré être
prêt à mettre sur pied une commission indépendante d’experts «pour
élucider les événements de 1915», initiative saluée par Micheline
Calmy-Rey. Le voilà apparemment moins disposé à faire cet effort. Ces
nouvelles tensions interviennent alors que Joseph Deiss, ministre de
l’Economie, se prépare à effectuer un voyage en Turquie en septembre.
Aucune date n’a toutefois encore été fixée.

Lraper Church Bulletin 26/07/2005
Contact: Deacon Vagharshag Seropyan
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970, 517-0971
F: +90 (212) 516-4833, 458-1365
[email protected]
<;

COLLECTIVE BAPTISM ON KINALI ISLAND

Photos: ;NewsCode=N000000770&Lang=ENG

On the occasion of the Feast of Our Ancestor St. Gregory the
Illuminator’s sons and grandsons, 16 children were baptized at once in a
group ceremony held in the afternoon of Saturday, 16 July 2005.

In the ceremony, which was led by His Beatitude Mesrob II, the Patriarch
first spoke generally about the inner meaning of baptism and then
described how the 16 children belonged to Armenian families who had
emigrated to Istanbul from remote rural areas and thus had not yet been
baptized. With permission from the parents, their teachers had prepared
the children for baptism and had found them godfathers. After the
children and their godfathers said together the Nicene Creed and
listened to the reading of the Holy Gospel, they processed to the
baptismal pool in the church garden.

His Beatitude the Patriarch poured Sacred Myron into the baptismal pool
to the accompaniment of the hymn, “Arakelo Agavno.” He then asked the
godfathers what they wished from God and from God’s Holy Church. The
godfathers declared in unison that they wanted faith, hope, love, and
baptism, to be baptized and to be justified, to be cleansed of sin, to
be saved from evil powers, and to serve God.

The children one by one then entered the baptismal pool from the West
and were baptized by Father Tatul Anusyan. As they emerged from the
pool, His Beatitude anointed them one by one with the Holy Myron.

The baptised children then dressed in new white clothes, and the
ceremony continued. Father Garabed Terziyan brought the children to the
Holy Altar where they prostrated before the sacred elements and took
Holy Communion.

The group baptism concluded with a blessing from Patriarch Mesrob and
the Lord’s Prayer said in unison. After the ceremony the group baptism
was celebrated with tea and the sharing of a baptismal cake, which all
the children joined.

The baptised children and their godfathers are as follows:

Minas Demirci (b 1992) – Aras Nalbantgazaroglu
Lori Demirci (b 1992) -Daniel Antikacioglu
Yeraz Kaz (b 1992) – A. Murat Emirzeoglu
Ani Kaz (b 1992) – Aram Kalenderoglu
Azad Demirci (b 1994) – Khacik Tasci
Srpuhi Kaz (b 1994) – Raffi Bilal
Sant Demirci (b 1995) – Sant Markaroglu
Meline Matosoglu (b 1996) – Isak Tahmincioglu
Mane Ebrahamoglu (b 1996) – Isak Tahmincioglu
Talar Kaz (b 1997) – Levon Sadyan
Zulal Ebrahamoglu (b 1997) – Sercan Akdag
Markrid Alyanak (b 1998) – Herman Toros
Burak Yigitkurt (b 2000) – Sarkis Erlevent
Naira Alyanak (b 2000) – Rupen Dervogormyaciyan
Jbid Yigitkurt (b 2001) – Yeprem Gez
Hagop Kaz (b 2002) – Raffi Sadyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 24, 2005 Sunday 10:29 AM Eastern Time

Suspected attacker on Bush unrelated to Armenia – premier

By Tengiz Pachkoria

TBILISI

Georgian police carry on the investigation of the May 10 attempted
attack on U.S. President George Bush in Tbilisi.

Suspect Vladimir Arutyunian, 27, admitted tossing a grenade. He is
charged with illegal weapon and premeditated murder of a Georgian
Interior Ministry officer. The Tbilisi city court authorized his
three-month arrest pending trial on Saturday.

On Sunday a team of the U.S. FBI opened the basement of a house on
the Tbilisi outskirts where the suspect lived. The basement was
sealed by Georgian police. Presumably, the suspect made grenades in
that basement. Results of the search have not been announced.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli hopes that the police will
soon finalize the investigation. He said he would not discuss the
Arutyunian situation with visiting Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian.

Meanwhile, Margarian said that the Arutyunian case was not related to
Armenia. “I do not know why Arutyunian did that, but I know that he
is a citizen of Georgia and his actions are unrelated to Armenia and
the Armenian people,” he said.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
22. Juli 2005

An interview with Genocide researcher Mihran Dabag:
A milestone: Brandenburg forces the German-Turks to remember their
past

Ein Gespräch mit dem Genozidforscher Mihran Dabag;
Ein Meilenstein; Brandenburg zwingt die Deutsch-Türken zum Gedenken

Eine Handreichung für die Lehrer an den Schulen Brandenburgs soll den
türkischen Genozid an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915 für den
Geschichtsunterricht aufbereiten. Was steht in der Handreichung?

Die Handreichung, gemeinsam vom Landesinstitut für Schule und Medien
Brandenburg und dem Institut für Diaspora- und Genozidforschung an
der Ruhr-Universität Bochum erstellt, umfaßt neben einer Bestimmung
des Begriffs “Genozid” didaktische Hinweise zur Thematisierung von
Völkermord im Schulunterricht sowie Darstellungen von Völkermorden im
zwanzigsten Jahrhundert. Dargestellt werden der Völkermord an den
Hereros, die Genozide in Kambodscha und Ruanda, zudem werden die
Gewalt im Stalinismus und die postjugoslawischen Kriege
problematisiert. Ein etwas umfangreicherer Beitrag ist dem Völkermord
an den Armeniern gewidmet, nicht zuletzt wegen seiner Vorgeschichte
und seiner engen Verwobenheit mit der europäischen, insbesondere der
deutschen, Geschichte.

Gab es politische Einflüsse bei der Abfassung dieser
Lehrerhandreichung?

Ich würde in diesem Falle einer politischen Einflußnahme kein großes
Gewicht zumessen. Etwas ungewöhnlich ist vielleicht, daß der
Darstellung des Genozids an den Armeniern eine “Offizielle
Stellungnahme des Türkischen Generalkonsulats Berlin” nachgestellt
ist. Es sollte jedenfalls nicht übersehen werden, daß das Land
Brandenburg mit dieser Schrift einen Schritt getan hat, den ich als
vorbildlich bezeichnen möchte.

Wird in der Handreichung herausgestellt, warum das armenische
Schicksal für Europa und sein Verhältnis zur Türkei, aber auch für
die Erinnerung an den Holocaust von Bedeutung ist?

Diese Verbindungen werden in der Handreichung noch nicht hergestellt.
Aber sie ist der erste Versuch in der Bundesrepublik, das Thema
Völkermode und staatliche Gewaltverbrechen für den Unterricht
systematisch zugänglich zu machen.

Wann werden die anderen Bundesländer den ersten großen Völkermord im
zwanzigsten Jahrhundert in den Schulbüchern ausführlicher behandeln?

Erfreulicherweise wird diese Forderung von unterschiedlichen Seiten
unterstützt. Meines Wissens beabsichtigt das Land Brandenburg, einen
solchen Vorschlag in die Kultusministerkonferenz einzubringen. Dies
ist sehr zu befürworten, weil insbesondere in Westdeutschland die
Schulklassen einen multikulturellen Charakter haben, mit
unterschiedlichem Erfahrungshintergrund und entsprechenden
Geschichtsbildern. Dies betrifft natürlich auch Schüler mit
türkischem Migrationshintergrund, deren Geschichtsbild von der
offiziellen, nationalistisch geprägten Geschichtspolitik der Türkei
bestimmt wird. Dieses findet auch in den türkischen Medien und
Organisationen in der Bundesrepublik Multiplikatoren. Die
Thematisierung des Völkermordes an den Armeniern in den Schulen kann
insofern einen kritischen Umgang mit der eigenen Geschichte
befördern, der Fragen an die eigenen Eltern und Großeltern aufwirft
und somit einen Beitrag zur weiteren Integration leisten kann.

Die Fragen stellte Michael Jeismann.

Gegen die falsche europäische Vergeßlichkeit: Mihran Dabag.

Foto Dieter Rüchel

Georgian Admits Tossing Grenade Near Bush, but Provides No Motive
By C. J. CHIVERS
Published: July 22, 2005

New York Times
July 22 2005

MOSCOW, July 21 – The man arrested Wednesday night in Georgia after
a shootout with the police admitted on Thursday to throwing a hand
grenade near a stage where President Bush was addressing a huge public
rally in May, two senior Georgian officials said.

The grenade did not explode, but sullied a presidential visit to
Georgia, a small post-Soviet nation on the Black Sea, during which
Mr. Bush embraced the country’s tilt toward the West and gave a speech
about the advance of freedom and democracy.

The suspect, Vladimir Arutyunian, 27, told doctors who are treating him
for gunshot wounds that he had hurled the grenade, Interior Minister
Vano Merabishvili and Gela Bezhuashvili, the chairman of Georgia’s
National Security Council, both said in telephone interviews.

Mr. Arutyunian’s motive was not immediately clear, but the initial
impression of investigators was that he bore some unspecified
animus toward the United States and that he had acted alone, Mr.
Merabishvili said.

The two officials said they expected the investigation to gain
more clarity once officers were able to interview the suspect. Mr.
Arutyunian was under guard on Thursday in a hospital in Tbilisi. His
injuries were not regarded as life-threatening.

A search of his apartment had turned up more grenades, Russian
military manuals and, according to Guram Donadze, the Interior
Ministry spokesman, a Russian-language copy of “The Day of the Jackal,”
a novel about a plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle.

Mr. Arutyunian, an unemployed Georgian citizen of Armenian descent, was
arrested at the apartment he shared with his mother on the outskirts
of Tbilisi on Wednesday night after a shootout in which he was injured
and one Georgian officer was killed.

Mr. Merabishvili said Mr. Arutyunian was a member of a separatist
party that supported the deposed leadership of Ajaria, a region
formerly out of Georgia’s federal control that rejoined the nation
last year under pressure from President Mikheil Saakashvili.

But he said it was not clear what influence, if any, separatist
politics may have had in the incident. It was also not immediately
clear where the suspect obtained the grenades and the assault rifle
he fired at the police.

The arrest capped an intense week for Georgian security officials, who
released photographs of the suspect on Monday and offered a reward of
more than $80,000 for information on his whereabouts. The photographs
showed a clean-shaven young man in a black jacket and dark glasses.

Mr. Bezhuashvili said the photos had been discovered after a joint
investigation by the Georgian authorities and the United States, in
which officers reviewed every obtainable photograph or video taken
in the crowd, as well as satellite imagery.

Once the pictures were released, Mr. Bezhuashvili said, the tips
leading to Mr. Arutyunian began pouring in, and he was promptly
arrested. He had recently grown a beard.

The American Embassy in Tbilisi released a statement calling the
joint effort “a model for international law enforcement cooperation.”

SYNOPSYS AND SEUA TO OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING CLASSES

Pan ARMENIAN Network, Armenia
July 21 2005

21.07.2005 05:36

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A microelectronics distance learning class is
planned to be opened at the State Engineering University of Armenia
(SEUA) with the support of well-known Synopsys Company. SEUA Rector
Yuri Sargsyan stated it in a conversation with a reporter of .am
edition of PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, arrangements over the idea
are already made today, however negotiations to count the expenses
are under way. He noted all study materials will be open to access,
so as not only students, but also everyone interested can study them.
~SOur institution already has much experience in distance learning.
Cisco Regional Academy with its Gyumri branch, where education and
attestation processes are held distantly, is an example of that,~T the
Rector said. It should be noted that this is not the first cooperation
program between the SEUA and Synopsys. The Interdepartmental Chair of
Microelectronics and automated Systems was formed earlier. Synopsys
Corporation is one of world leaders of chip and microelectronic
systems production and design. Synopsys has its representations in
60 countries of the world. The Corporation has been organizing its
education program since 1986.

VISIT OF OSCE MISSION MAY FAVOUR RESOLUTION

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
18 July 05

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Youri Merzlyakov (Russia), Bernard
Fassier (France) and Stephen Mann (USA), visiting the region on these
days, met with the top officials of Nagorno Karabakh Republic and
Baku, and continued the talks on Karabakh resolution in Yerevan.
During the press briefing the foreign minister of Armenia Vartan
Oskanian pointed out the importance of the mediation of the co-chairs
in the process of settlement of the Karabakh issue and noted that
this particular visit and the meeting of the co-chairs with the
president of Nagorno Karabakh Republic may bring about progress in
the peace process. “We attach great importance to their
visit,” said V. Oskanian. Once again he confirmed that the
Armenian party will work with the Minsk Group only. “We do not
need additional actors on the stage,” he said. In reference to
the current stage of the negotiations the foreign minister assured
that though little but there is progress. According to him, “It
is a challenge for every one of us to be able to use this progress to
the point and keep going ahead. We will carry on with our
constructive talks, knowing for certain where we are going to and
what principles we ought to follow.” The principles are known to
everyone: determination of the status of Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
provision of security, shared border between Karabakh and Armenia set
down in a document. It should be noted that the government of Armenia
has announced on a presidential level for a number of times that
there are three fundamental principles: Karabakh cannot remaining
within Azerbaijan; it must share border with Armenia; guarantee for
security must be provided. There cannot be any compromise on the part
of Armenia in these three principles. And as the diplomats state, the
talks are currently grounded on these three principles which also
underlay the talks in Key West. The only novelty in the present stage
of negotiations is the proposal of holding a double referendum 10-15
years after signing of the agreement to decide the status of
Karabakh. By the way, the Azerbaijani politicians have declared that
“for Azerbaijan the referendum on independence would mean losing
Karabakh”. Although official Baku perceives all the negative
prospects of the referendum, according to them, it has no other
choice: “The West seeks for a peace agreement.” One of these
politicians, Vafa Guluzadeh, according to the agency Turan,
commenting on this proposal, stated that the Azerbaijani government
should not agree to it. The Armenians, he said, have once had a
referendum and they will doubtless vote again for independence.
“A referendum in the occupied territories is impossible and
attempts in this direction are doomed,” said politician Eldar
Namazov. Anyway, time will show whether the referendum will take
place in 10 or 15 years and what its results will be. Only we should
note that the Minsk Group co-chairs have also abstained from comments
on the abovementioned proposals on determination of the status of
Nagorno Karabakh. As to the new proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen, according to the Russian co-chair, the parties should
not wait for the mediators to come up with new proposals, emphasizing
that there had been certain proposals on their part before the Warsaw
meeting, which are now being discussed. According to Merzlyakov, they
will continue preparing the ground for the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict together with the conflict parties. “We have a good and
practical disposition. I think, this visit will be useful for the
further process of talks,” said the Russian diplomat. The next
meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan Oskanian
and Mamedyarov is appointed on August 22 in Moscow where on the eve
of Kocharian-Aliev meeting in Kazan the ministers will discuss
certain issues concerning the current stage of the talks.

CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.
18-07-2005

AJAX: Ajax work on conditioning in De Lutte

Ajax, Netherlands

July 19 2005

As they had done many years before, Ajax went to De Lutte, a small
village in the East of Holland, for a training camp. This year, they
team worked very hard on their conditioning and the side played four
matches against amateur clubs.

Every day the squad ran a few kilometres in the woods before
breakfast. And around mid-morning, Ajax started a hard training
session, which usually lasted more than two hours.

Ajax were still without Hatem Trabelsi, Angelos Charisteas, Hedwiges
Maduro, Ryan Babel, Urby Emanuelson and Kenneth Vermeer, who were
all given extra time off because they played on longer in the summer
break with their national teams.

The three new signings, Markus Rosenberg, Olaf Lindenbergh and Edgar
Manucharyan took part in all the activities Danny Blind and his staff
had put on the schedule. Manucharyan had a difficult time keeping up,
but the young Armenian pulled through. When he left on Thursday to join
his national team to take part in the European Championship Under 19,
he was given a warm send-off by his new teammates.

After a day of working on stamina and strength, it wasn’t always
easy for the Ajax players to find their rythm in the friendly matches
against some of the top amateur sides in the country. Ajax narrowly
escaped an embarrassing draw against WHC in Wezep when Nourdin
Boukhari made it 4-3 in the final minute on Monday. The other goal
scorers were Yannis Anastasiou, Rasmus Lindgren and Tom de Mul.

On Tuesday, Ajax kept Quick’20 in Oldenzaal from scoring. The team
from Amsterdam again scored four times. Boukhari, Nicolae Mitea,
Nigel de Jong and Zdenek Grygera all found the net.

The team had no match scheduled for Wednesday. Thursday saw Ajax
facing HHC in Hardenberg. For the first time Ajax went into the
dressing room at halftime facing a deficit: 1-0. In the second half,
the professionals restored the order. Markus Rosenberg made his first
goal for Ajax and through goals by Tomas Galasek, Daniël de Ridder,
De Jong and Mitea, Ajax won 5-1.

Blind gave his players Friday afternoon and evening off. ,,We have
worked really hard this week”, said the coach. Ajax left De Lutte
on Saturday morning and travelled to Rjinsburg.

This time, there had been no early-morning training sessions and
runs through the woods. And Rijnsburgse Boys refused to play an
ultra-defensive style. The result was the first real football
demonstration of the season: 0-12. Rosenberg scored three goals,
Julien Escude, who has been named captain by Blind, converted two
penalty kicks, De Ridder scored twice as did De Jong, and Lindgren,
Boukhari and Anastasiou all chipped in one goal apiece. Mauro Rosales
made his first minutes after his ankle operation.

The second training camp starts Wednesday, when Ajax travel to
Germany. The team will play test matches against Fortuna Sittard and
Arminia Bielenfeld.

July 19 2005

Azeri officials in north, but no sign of direct flight By Jean Christou

A GROUP of eight Azeri officials arrived in the north at the weekend
but an expected flight from Azerbaijan yesterday failed to materialise.

The delegation, consisting of eight parliamentarians, arrived on
Sunday in the north via Istanbul, in order to attend the celebrations
of the Turkish invasion, due to he held tomorrow.

Hadi Recep, a deputy in the delegation, in a statement in Turkey said
that it was the first time that a delegation from Azerbaijan visited
the ‘TRNC’ and added that it was an important step for them.

Two more delegations from Azerbaijan are expected to visit the north.
The first of these two visits is being organised by the Azeri Ministry
of Economic Development between July 22 and 27. The second will be
a group of businessmen, members of the Union of Azerbaijan-Turkey
Businessmen, due to visit the north between July 28 and 31 to assess
the possibility of investment as well as the bilateral trade.

Reports in the Turkish pres yesterday also referred to the direct
flight that was to be operated between Azerbaijan and the north by
private airline IM-AIR. Sources in the north said the flight that
had been due in yesterday would not be flying in after all.

Referring to the current visit by the Azeri delegation, Turkish Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan said it was the first step on the road to
recognition. “I believe that more visits will be paid in the future,”
he said. “We have heard about this first step they are taking. We
are happy about that. We thank our Azerbaijani brothers very much.”

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said the Greek Cypriot side
was rumoured to have threatened retaliation by organising flights to
Nagorno-Karabakh. “But they will fail,” he said.

Talat said this was just the beginning and that he expected the US to
be next to take the step. “After the Azeri, next in line is America,”
Talat said.

“This will happen eventually. The Greek Cypriot side is so tough,
it does not pay any attention to the world. With EU membership,
it acquired an advantage and it thinks that it can hold on this
advantage without making any opening. Not only the USA, but Israel,
Iran and the EU member countries will start direct flights.”

–Boundary_(ID_Om72+7LLn5tZO5oSwAw4JQ)–

Russian paper says USA “piling pressure” on Azerbaijan ahead of poll

Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow
14 Jul 05

Text of Sohbat Mammadov’s report by Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya
Gazeta on 14 July headlined “Short leash for Ilham Aliyev. The
intensified US pressure on Baku is intended to take the parliament
out of presidential control”

Yesterday [14 July] saw the end of a three-day visit to Azerbaijan
by former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, now chairwoman
of the US National Democratic Institute (NDI). Ms Albright visited
Baku with the intention of familiarizing herself with the situation
in Azerbaijan ahead of the parliamentary election. She was accompanied
by Patrick Merloe, a leading expert in electoral programmes.

The US diplomat discussed the election situation in Azerbaijan with
officials, leaders of political and public organizations, journalists
and representatives of the international public. On her return to
the USA, Madeleine Albright will make a statement on the course of
democratic processes in Azerbaijan.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta was told by a well-informed diplomatic source that
the NDI chairwoman’s visit to Azerbaijan had been planned for this
autumn. But exceptional circumstances – the mounting confrontation
between the authorities and the opposition – forced Washington
officials to send an experienced diplomat to Baku early, to help
their ambassador, Reno Harnish. According to Azerbaijani analysts,
Ms Albright is carrying out a special mission, the details of which
might become clear after her meeting with [Azerbaijani President]
Ilham Aliyev.

But already we can definitely say that Washington, which has declared
the Caspian region a zone of its strategic interests, is extremely
keen to avoid the destabilization of the situation in Azerbaijan.
After all, Azerbaijan’s proven and prospective oil resources, as well
as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines, are
sure to play a significant role in the world oil market this century.

Second, Azerbaijan’s geographical location, given that the East-West
transcontinental transport corridor is being laid across its
territory, makes it a strategically important country in the region.
Ilham Aliyev is well aware of this and is trying to conduct a balanced
international policy and not to spoil relations primarily with his
closest neighbours – Russia and Iran. But this prospect appears not to
suit Washington. So, in an effort to establish total control over the
republic, the USA is piling pressure on Azerbaijani officialdom. The US
embassy in Azerbaijan is using its favourite methods in pursuit of its
strategic goals. These include generous funding of nongovernmental
organizations, political support for the pro-Western opposition
and the threat to reactivate the 907th amendment to the programme
of assistance for CIS countries, whereby Congress banned military
assistance to Azerbaijan, as a country in conflict with Armenia.

By activating these means of pressure, Washington is essentially
seeking one thing – to turn down the heat in Azerbaijan, conduct
parliamentary elections that are as fair as possible, ensure that
members of the opposition are involved in parliamentary work, and
thus take the country’s legislative body out of Ilham Aliyev’s control.

These US endeavours are bound to inspire members of the Azerbaijani
opposition. But they forget that the USA bases its relations with
Azerbaijan on its geopolitical importance, not its domestic policy.
They also forget that in intimidating Ilham Aliyev with the prospect
of a yellow revolution, Washington is prepared to flout many democratic
values for the sake of attaining its strategic goals.