Category: News

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Aug 10 2004
AZERBAIJAN, EGYPT: COOPERATION EXPANDING
[August 10, 2004, 20:11:42]
Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Azerbaijan Cihan Amin
Mohammad Ali on 10 August met the foreign minister of Azerbaijan
Republic Elmar Mammadyarov on the occasion of ending of her
diplomatic mission.
Ambassador Cihan Amin Mohammad Ali expressed gratitude for rendered
assistance during her activity in the Republic and for efficient
cooperation, noting that the friendly and brotherly relations between
Azerbaijan and Egypt would further expand, the foreign ministry said.
Ms. Cihan Amin Mohammad Ali stated that she is eyewitness of
development of the people of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani statehood
during her four years of activity here.
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated that he adheres strengthening and
expansion of the friendly and business relations, effective
cooperation between the two countries. Noting that the Arab Republic
of Egypt is an influential country in the Islamic world, the Minister
expressed gratitude that Egypt supports fair position of Azerbaijan
in the international organizations, in particular, in the
Organization of Islamic Conference, in fair settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict.
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov wished to ambassador Cihan Amin Mohammad
Ali success in her future diplomatic activity.

UEFA.com
Aug 10 2004
Minasyan takes U21 role
Vardan Minasyan has been named coach of the Armenia Under-21 side,
just one week before the start of their UEFA European Under-21
Championship qualifying campaign.
Rapid rise
Injury brought Minasyan’s playing career to an end last season,
whereupon he took an assistant coaching role at FC Pyunik. Before the
start of this season Minasyan took charge of the Armenia U19s, before
subsequently being asked to replace Mihai Stoichita as head coach at
Pyunik.
New challenge
A man in demand, Minasyan will now combine his job at Pyunik with his
U21 duties. Armenia’s qualifying campaign starts on 18 August away to
F.Y.R. Macedonia. Finland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic,
Romania and Andorra are their other Group 1 opponents.

Times of Oman, Oman
Aug 10 2004
Fatma storms into quarters

By Our Sports Reporter
MUSCAT – Oman’s talented Fatma Al Nabhani sailed into the
quarterfinals of the 20th International Tennis Federation Junior
Championship, which began in Damascus on Monday.
According to information received from the Oman Tennis Association,
Fatma Al Nabhani, who is seeded seventh in the tournament, defeated
Syria’s Ranim Mkahal 7-5, 6-3 to book her place in the last eight
round.
She will now take on Egypt’s Rana El Derwy in the quarterfinals.
Second-seeded El Derwy got the better off Line Ghannam of Syria 6-1,
6-0.
Top seed Wing Yau Ven Chang of Hong Kong sailed into the
quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Syria’s Dalia Hosamo and will
take on Syria’s Dima Al Saadi, the eighth seed in the next match.
Al Saadi survived a second set scare before beating Ukraine’s
Valentyna Romanenko 6-1, 7-6 (9-7).
The others to reach the quarterfinals were fourth-seeded Lara Al
Samman of Syria, fifth-seeded Manushak Khanyan of Armenia and third
seeded Doris Waari of Romania. Al Samman beat Syria’s Lara Tlass 6-0,
6-0, Manushak beat Syria’s Sara Makee 6-3, 6-3 and D. Waari defeated
Mira Tlass 6-1, 6-0.
Meanwhile, the Oman Tennis Association has sent three players with a
coach for an external camp in Burundi. The camp will last until
August 23.
The three players are Sharifa Al Bakry, Muhatassin Al Fadhi and Sabra
Al Bakry. Madny Al Bakry accompanies the trio as coach.

Eurasianet Organization
Aug 10 2004
IRAN-AZERBAIJAN RELATIONS: ON A BETTER FOOTING AFTER KHATAMI’S BAKU
VISIT
Shahin Abbasov: 8/10/04
A recent visit by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to Azerbaijan
seems to have put bilateral relations on a better footing. However,
the Iranian leader’s trip did not succeed in resolving the
fundamental issue separating the two nations: the territorial
division of the Caspian Sea.
Khatami held talks in Baku with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham
Aliyev, and other top officials during his August 5-7 visit. It was
the Iranian chief executive’s first trip to neighboring Azerbaijan
since his election in 1997 – evidence of the chill that has marked
bilateral ties since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Besides the Caspian question, the issue of ethnic Azeris in Iran has
been a significant source of tension. Geopolitics has also come into
play: Azerbaijan has been wary about Iran’s strong economic and
political ties with Armenia, while Tehran has been suspicious of
Baku’s close relationship with the United States.
Upon his arrival in Baku, Khatami spoke of “great opportunities and
tremendous potential for the development of bilateral relations.”
Aliyev expressed similar sentiments, and accepted an invitation to
make a state visit to Iran at a time to be determined. The most
significant development to arise from Khatami’s visit was an Iranian
commitment to allow Azerbaijan to open consular offices in Tabriz, a
hub for ethnic Azeris living in northern Iran.
There are an estimated 30-35 million Azeris in Iran, most of them in
northern areas of the country. The pending opening of an Azerbaijani
consulate in Tabriz has generated hope in Baku that the Iranian
government is adopting a more tolerant stance towards ethnic Azeris
in Iran.
In addition, Khatami reiterated Iran’s commitment to Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity, effectively signaling that Tehran supported
Baku’s negotiating position in the stalled Nagorno-Karabakh peace
talks. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
In a follow-up development, Iran’s Export Development Bank extended a
$75 million loan to improve the power grid in the Azerbaijani exclave
of Nakhichevan, which straddles the Iranian frontier, the Bilik
Dunyasi news agency reported.
Azerbaijan, in turn, has expressed support for Iran’s participation
in a transit system connecting Europe and Asia, known as TRACECA.
Baku additionally endorsed the creation of a tripartite railway and
road network, involving Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. Such projects
could potentially be of enormous economic benefit for Iran by opening
new export routes.
As widely anticipated, Khatami’s visit was unable to produce a
breakthrough on the Caspian Sea question. Iran and Azerbaijan have
long been unable to agree on a formula to divide the sea. The
bickering at some points has even threatened to turn violent. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The lack of a deal has
hampered the development of the region’s ample natural resources.
[For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
During his Baku visit, Khatami tried to stir hope that a near-term
breakthrough was possible. Yet no participants in the stalemated
Caspian Sea talks have given any indication of making a significant
concession. Iran believes the five Caspian littoral states should
receive equal 20 percent shares of the sea. Azerbaijan, along with
Kazakhstan and Russia, favor a formula that would leave Iran with
roughly a 13 percent share. Turkmenistan’s stance in the process has
proven hard to pin down.
Despite the lack of progress on the Caspian issue, state-controlled
media in Azerbaijan generally trumpeted Khatami’s visit as a success.
“There is great potential to develop Azerbaijani-Iranian relations in
all fields,” said a headline in the August 7 edition of the official
Khalq Gazeti.
Some observers say that bolstering bilateral ties marks a pragmatic
step for both sides. Azerbaijan of late has expressed frustration
with Western institutions, in particular the OSCE Minsk Group, over
the lack of progress on a Karabakh settlement. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive]. Closer Azerbaijani-Iranian ties, or at
least the appearance of such, could be a way to get Minsk Group
members, especially the United States, to push harder for a Karabakh
settlement, some Azerbaijani officials believe. The Bush
administration has been keen to promote Iran’s diplomatic isolation.
[For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. “Rapprochement with
Iran would allow Azerbaijan to create great potential for political
maneuvering vis a vis the West,” said a commentary published by the
Zaman newspaper.
Other Azerbaijani experts, meanwhile, feel that Iran desperately
needs friendlier relations with Baku. “Khatami realizes very well
that from a geopolitical point of view, Iran is currently in a
situation with no prospects,” said a commentary published by the
Zerkalo daily. [See related story] “Iran is sliding into a dangerous
area of geopolitical isolation.”
Editor’s Note: Shahin Abbasov is a freelance contributor to
EurasiaNet. He also serves as the deputy editor-in-chief of the Echo
newspaper in Baku.

Agence France Presse
Aug 10 2004
Armenian-claimed enclave conducts military exercises

AGDAM, Azerbaijan (AFP) Aug 10, 2004
The armed forces of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh
Tuesday ended a military exercise on the borders of Azerbaijan that
Armenian Defense Minister Serj Sarkissian said was aimed at keeping
the peace.
Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave in the heart of
Azerbaijan, was the scene of a civil war in the 1990s that ended with
a ceasefire in 1994 that left the enclave in Armenian hands. The war
displaced a million civilians and left some 35,000 people dead.
Azerbaijan still claims the territory.
Sarkissian, who watched the maneuvers, said “these exercises are
aimed at keeping the peace.” He added it was important to keep a
regional power balance.
“The armed forces of Armenia are the guarantors of the security of
Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said. “It is nobody’s secret that the army of
Nagorno-Karabakh cannot assure the defense of the territory on its
own.”
The Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces mustered some 2,000 men and a few
helicopters and artillery pieces for the week-long exercise.
“The threat of war exists as long as the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
is not resolved,” said Armenian army chief of staff Mikael
Arutiunian.
The exercises followed a statement by President Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan that his country would make no compromises with Armenia
over the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
The statement appeared to mark a hardening of Azerbaijan’s stance
over the conflict.
“We cannot react positively to calls on us to make compromises. On
questions of our territorial integrity we will never make any
compromises,” Aliyev said last month.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Aug 10 2004
Third Volume Of Armenian-french Relations In Ottoman Documents
Published
ANKARA – The Prime Ministry Directorate General of State Archives
published the third volume of the book entitled ”Armenian-French
Relations in Ottoman Documents”.
The book includes a number of documents proving collaboration of
Armenian people with France against Turks between 1920 and 1922.
Prime Ministry State Archives Director General Yusuf Sarinay
undertook project management of the book.
The book also includes a number of documents both in French and
Ottoman languages proving extreme maltreatment committed by Armenians
who were among French soldiers against civilians in the places
occupied by French soldiers.
Among the documents, there is an urgent telegraph about killing of
two Muslim woodcutters by Armenian soldiers in southern province of
Maras.
The book also gives place to several documents saying that Armenian
soldiers attacked Muslim civilians in southern provinces of Antep,
Urfa and Maras.

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 10 2004
CSTO WILL NOT JOIN PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN SOUTH OSSETIA
MOSCOW, August 10 (RIA Novosti) – The Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan) adopted a concept for peacekeeping activities, CSTO
Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha told a press conference in
Moscow.
“We have adopted a concept for the CSTO’s peacekeeping activities,”
he said, “which stipulates the formation of peacekeeping potential by
common consent of CSTO member states.”
He said that the concept permitted peacekeeping contingents to be
trained according to a single system and for roles to be distributed.
“We plan to use this peacekeeping potential under the UN aegis in
CSTO territory and worldwide at the UN request,” he noted.
He stressed that the organization must not join the peacekeeping
operation in South Ossetia now. “Previous decisions must be
implemented to settle the conflict,” he added.
Mr. Bordyuzha said that the Georgian president’s statements were
“very contradictory.” “It is impossible to put them together to see
his [the Georgian president’s] position,” he said and added that
today, nobody wanted a repetition of when the Caucasus was hit by
Georgian-Abkhaz, Georgian-Ossetian, and Armenian-Azeri interethnic
conflicts ten years ago. “New politicians lack our experience but
they should understand that if a conflict is unleashed there is no
way back,” he emphasized.
Summing up the results of the recent exercises of the CSTO’s joint
rapid deployment forces in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the secretary
general said that his organization was concerned about the
developments in Afghanistan. “Presidential elections will be held in
Afghanistan on October 9 and,” he noted, “therefore, the remaining
Talibs and Al Qaeda terrorists have become active.”
“As for the situation in Central Asia, I am not concerned about it,”
he added.
Mr. Bordyuzha said that the strength of the joint rapid deployment
forces met the present-day tasks and that the forces were ready for
an operative response to regional developments.
According to him, the 11 battalions are perfectly trained and can
fulfill all tasks set by the CSTO leadership.
Presently, the CSTO command is ready to give a proper and rapid
response to the possible aggravation of the situation, Mr. Bordyuzha
said.
“We need 1.5-2 hours to make a decision on the use of force in case
of local aggravations,” he said. “Servicemen can be deployed in this
area in several hours.”
In his words, a plan of the joint rapid deployment forces’
development until 2010 has been worked out and stipulates common
equipment and armament for the armed forces and their transfer to the
contractual basis, the secretary general reported.
“In my opinion, the best way is to form a single brigade of rapid
deployment forces under single command. We hope to accomplish this
goal in the future,” he concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zerkalo, Azerbaijan
Aug 10 2004
ANTI-ARMENIAN RHETORICAL `COMPETITION` CONTINUES IN BAKU
BAKU, 10.08.04. Azeri officials continue their barrage of threats,
demands and complaints directed at Armenia and NKR. Just in the last
week, spokesman for the Azeri Defense Ministry Ramiz Melikov promised
to do away with the Armenian state in `25 to 30 years` and
incorporate its territory into Azerbaijan. `This people has been a
nuisance for its neighbors and has no right to live in this region,`
Melikov said.
The Defense Ministry spokesman predicted that the `world Armenian
cabal` would face certain ruin. Not just yet, however, as the senior
official in the ruling New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmedov dismissed the
human rights criticism of the New York-based Human Rights Watch,
alleging that it was under Armenian influence.
Also last week, the Azeri government, which continually threatens to
unleash a new war in Karabakh, protested the holding of annual
maneuvers of the Karabakh Army. The Azeri Central Election
Commission, widely chastised for rubber-stamping the dynastic power
transfer in Azerbaijan last year, protested the holding of a
competitive municipal election in Karabakh. The state-controlled and
scandal-plagued Football Federation of Azerbaijan, in its turn
complained about the plans for holding a soccer competition in
Karabakh.
With aggressive rhetoric continuing unabated, a public opinion poll
conducted in 2003 and published last month found strong public
support for peace in both Azerbaijan and Armenia. 97 percent of
Armenians and 93 percent of Azeris surveyed said they desired peace,
while 74 percent of Armenians and 46 percent of Azeris want
inter-ethnic relations re-established. Significantly, there is
greater support for reconciliation among the Azeris displaced by the
war (80 percent) than the general population. The American University
in Washington, DC funded the study.

Noyan Tapan, Armenia
Aug 10 2004
HAMLET GASPARIAN: `MILITANT APPEALS OF AZERBAIJAN ONLY DEEPEN
YEREVAN, 10.08.04. RA Foreign Ministry considers inadmissible
Azerbaijan`s last attempt to disguise its non-constructive position
in achievement of a long peace. Hamlet Gasparian, the Spokesman of RA
Foreign Ministry, emphasized this in the August 6 press release while
commenting upon the statement spread on August 4 by the Foreign
Ministry of Azerbaijan in connection with the military exercises held
in Nagorno Karabakh. `Azerbaijan`s militant statements, doscontent
with peace, legal, democratic elections of the Nagorno Karabakh
people or disdainful statements regarding fulfilment of the right of
self-determination by it only deepen the atmosphere of mistrust and
cynicism,` the press release said. The Spokesman of RA Foreign
Ministry mentioned that despite of unsuccessful comment of the Azeri
side, Armenia is always ready to participate in the efforts of the
international organizations is the region, in particular, in the
forthcoming exercises within the framework of the `Best Joint Effort
– 2004` program of NATO, as well as to continue being involved into
the negotiation process on peace settlement of the conflict.

Noyan Tapan, Armenia
Aug 10 2004
NKR LEADERSHIP EXPRESSES PERPLEXITY ON OCCASION OF STATEMENT OF CE
STEPANAKERT, 10.08.04. `The NKR leadership thinks that the election
of the government bodies of all the levels on the basis of the
principles of democracy is an important step on the way to the
construction of the free democratic society.` It is mentioned in
comments of the press service of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in connection with the statement of Secretary General of the Council
of Euorpe Walter Schwimmer on the inadmissibility of the holding of
the NKR local elections. Reminding that W. Schwimmer comes up not for
the first time with such statements, in which the holding of the
elections in Nagorno Karabakh is condemned, the comments express
perplexity in connection with the fact that it is not clear how the
elections may negatively influence the process of the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict, because it is obvious that only the legitimate
power may bear the responsibility for the entrusted territories and
has necessary authorities for carrying on peaceful negotiations on
the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. `The NKR for over 10
years has lived as a sovereign state, which bears no relation to
Azerbaijan and independently organizes its life in the territory that
historically belongs to the Armenians of Karabakh. An impression has
grown up in us that all the international structures that come up
with such statements render political support to the regime, which
unleashed the large-scale war against Nagorno Karabakh and doesn`t
refuse from the attempts to aply force against the NKR. Meanwhile,
according to many independent experts, Nagorno Karabakh takes the
lead over Azerbajan on the level of its democracy,` reads the
comments of the press service of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.