VIKTOR-YUSHCHENKO: ARMENIAN ARMED UNITS SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM AZERBAIJANI LANDS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
During his visit in Azerbaijan, Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko
met with the professors and students of the Baku Slavic University,
APA reports.
He delivered a report “Foreign Policy of Ukraine” and talked about
the priorities of the country’s foreign policy.
Ukrainian President also commented on the Nagorno Garabagh conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“The conflict should be solved because of the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan. Armenian armed units should withdraw from the occupied
Azerbaijani lands in order to ensure the refugees to return to their
native lands. Nagorno Garabagh should be granted a high autonomy
through a referendum then. Ukraine is ready to deploy peacekeepers
to Nagorno Garabagh,” Mr. Yushchenko underlined.
The University students performed a show in Ukrainian.
The Baku Slavic University conferred honorary doctor of this
educational institution on Ukrainian President.

OIC INFORMATION AND PRESS MINISTERS TO GATHER IN JIDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
DELEGATION OF AZERBAIJAN WILL ATTEND THE EVENT
The Sixth Conference of the information and press ministers of the
Organization of Islamic Conference is due in the city of Jiddah of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 9 September. The delegation headed by the
head of socio-political department of Administration of the President
of Azerbaijan Republic Ali Hasanov will take part at the event.
On action, discussed are expected the questions, concerning wider use
of opportunities of press and telechannels for cultural and information
exchange among the OIC member states, events of the international
value, and also ways of more effective and coordinated realization
of propagation of peace and the humanism peculiar to Islamic religion.
At the Conference, the Azerbaijan delegation will make a number of
practical offers to provide forming of common information policy of
these countries, improvement of information exchange among mass media
with the purpose of increase in the world of authority of people of
the Islamic countries, maintenance of operative and unbiased coverage
of occurring events, bringing up to world community of the truthful
information on the facts of aggression, pressure and threat against
the Islamic countries.
The delegation of Azerbaijan is going to call ministers of the
information and press of the Organization of Islamic Conference to
support Azerbaijan in the cause of coverage and bringing up to world
community of the realities connected with the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
At the conference to last until 14 September, the conferees will
adopt a joint Declaration and communique on necessary questions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CLASSIC PEOPLE’S FRONT PARTY OF AZERBAIJAN TO ARRANGE ACTIONS ON THE OCCASION OF CAPITAL TRANSFER TO BAKU
Author: S. Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
The Classic People’s Front Party of Azerbaijan is celebrating the
jubilee of capital transfer from Ganja to Baku in 1918, Trend reports
with reference to the Party.
The decision on the capital transfer from Ganja to Baku was made
September 15, 1918. this period also coincided with Azerbaijan
liberation from Armenian occupants by Turkish Army.
The Party is arranging some events September 15 on the capital transfer
to Baku and release of other territories.
First the party members are attending Martyrs’ Alley and putting
flowers to toms of martyrs and Turkish soldiers that died liberating
the city. Then a round table will be held in the Party’s building on
this historical event.
besides, the Party assigned regional organizations in Gobustan and
Shemakha to honor the memory of the tomb of Turkish soldier Gadir
Efendi buried by Shemakha road.

YUSHCHENKO: UKRAINE IS READY TO SEND PEACEKEEPERS TO NK
ForUm, Ukraine
Sept 8 2006
Addressing students and professors of Slavic University of Baku on
Friday, Victor Yushchenko said Ukraine was ready to send peacekeepers
to Azerbaijan to help settle the lasting conflict in Nagorny Karabakh.
Ukraine believes it is necessary to recognize the territorial integrity
of the Republic of Azerbaijan and to withdraw troops from the occupied
territory, he said, President’s press office reported.
“The use of force and pressure yields no results and dead-ends the
conflict,” he opined.
The Head of State also said he believed it was important to let
refugees return to their homeland and later decide the status of the
Karabakh autonomy at a national referendum.
He said peacekeeping effort in the region could help stabilize the
situation, adding Ukraine was ready to participate under the aegis
of OSCE or the UN Security Council.
“I told Ilham Aliyev at our meetings Ukraine was ready to offer
peacekeepers to resolve the conflict,” he said.

YUSHCHENKO TAKES PART IN LAYING WREATH AT MEMORIAL OF MARTYRS’ LANE IN BAKU
NRCU – Ukrainian Radio, Ukraine
Sept 8 2006
During his two-day official visit to Azerbaijan President Viktor
Yushchenko took part in laying wreath at the memorial of the Martyrs’
Lane in Baku and observed a silence minute to honor KIAs in Nogorny
Karabakh.
He also honored the memory of Heydar Aliyev. The Ukrainian President
laid flowers at the tomb of the national leader of Azerbaijan and at
the tomb of his spouse Zarifa Aliyeva.

STRIPPED TO THE BONE
This is London, UK
Sept 8 2006
A man holds his own skin over his arm. He is brandishing a scalpel and
a pair of scissors, strongly suggesting he has just mutilated himself.
The 8ft bronze statue – Saint Bartholomew, Exquisite Pain – is the
latest work from Britain’s leading modern artist Damien Hirst.
He is joining forces with the Duke of Devonshire for a Sotheby’s
exhibition of modern sculpture at Chatsworth in Derbyshire.
St Bartholomew was one of the 12 apostles who, tradition has it,
was skinned alive in Armenia.
Hirst said of his latest creation: “St Bartholomew comes from woodcuts
and etchings I remember seeing when I was younger. As he was a martyr
who was skinned alive, he was often used by artists and doctors to
show human anatomy.”
Hirst said his work was a homage to Tim Burton’s gothic 1990 film
Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp.
“I added the scissors because I thought Edward Scissorhands was in a
similarly tragic yet difficult position,” he said. “It has the feel
of a rape of the innocents about it.”
Hirst, who sprang to fame with art consisting of dead sheep and
electrocuted insects, caused controversy in June with his 13.5-tonne
bronze statue The Virgin Mother in the courtyard of the Royal Academy.
It depicted a pregnant woman with her skin cut away to reveal the
foetus.
Francis Outred, Sotheby’s specialist for the Chatsworth exhibition,
said of Hirst’s latest creation: “It is an incredible privilege to
be able to present this breathtaking new sculpture for the first time.
“Its beautiful classical lines suit the stunning natural landscape
of Chatsworth perfectly.”
Also in the exhibition, which runs from today until 27 October, are
works by Henry Moore, Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley. All the works
will be for sale.

AZERBAIJAN-FRANCE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPED NOTABLY
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
Upon French President Jacque Chirac’s invitation, President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will make an official visit to France in
January 2007 while President of France is expected to arrive in
Azerbaijan for an official visit in the first quarter of 2007,
Foreign Ministry’s press-service announced.
The scheduled visits will allow strengthening even more the existing
relationship between the countries and peoples
Azerbaijan-France relations have seen a great progress over
recent years. In political context, high-level dialogue is underway
between Azerbaijan and France. France plays a go-between role in the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict alongside the other
two OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, USA and Russia.
As to the economic ties, the cooperation develops in aviation, energy
and infrastructure sectors. Moreover, due to the good conditions
created for the French companies involved in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline projects,
France-Azerbaijan Relations marked a new era of development.

“ZERKALO”: AZERBAIJAN REMAINS TO BE NON-FREE COUNTRY
Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
Famous international organization Freedom House believes so September
7, famous international human right organization Freedom House
published list of the most repressive world countries. The list is
made up every year, reflecting the most dictatorship-oriented regimes.
“Turan” informs that accordingly to this list, Azerbaijan is mentioned
in the list of “non-free states” along with Cuba, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Belarus etc.
No doubt this news cannot be pleasant, not only for the purpose of
reminding us that the country we call our motherland is far from
being democratic, where human rights and civil freedoms are violated.
After all, human rights are violated even in the most democratic
states of the world or they are violated on the part of democratic
states. For instance, respective international organization “Human
Rights Watch” evaluated the US President, George Bush’s speech
advocating prohibited methods of treatment of detained terrorists
as violation of basic American and international norms. However,
the problem is that we stand on the same line with such “bastion”
of democracy as Cuba, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus etc.
By the way violation of human rights on the part of USA isn’t
worth noting. Yes, USA grossly violates basic human rights but not
respecting its own citizens, neither on its own territory. Human
rights of citizens of foreign states are violated. And these rights
are violated on the territory of foreign states, not to violate laws
of USA. And we are not violating the rights of Armenians; we are
violating the rights of our own citizens.
Nevertheless we have to confess that we have been rightly defined as
“neighbor” of above “democracy bastion” countries. Let’s recall the
most recent facts.
September 7, Dashkesen city court has sentenced deputy chairman of
Democratic party, Natik Efendiyev, to 5 year of imprisonment for
illegal possession of weapon (clause 228.2, Criminal Code).
As advocate, Vugar Khasayev, informed “Turan”, court didn’t accept
any application of defense, having refused to hear witnesses.
It should be reminded here that Natik Efendiyev was arrested October
16, 2005 and accused for attempt to commit coup d’etat. However,
court accused him in accordance with clause 228.2 only.
I should stress that I have no relation or sympathy to N. Efendiyev.
On the contrary, I learnt that being chief of police office in Gandja
in 90-s of last century, this former high-rank representative of law
enforcement authorities repeatedly violated basic human rights. No
doubt that soon N. Efendiyev will be in the list of “political
prisoners” of Council of Europe. N. Efendiyev used to be arrested
and accused by our “independent” courts, and as a consequence he was
mentioned in the list of political prisoners of Council of Europe.
Later, he was released following requirements of Council of Europe.
And our “independent” courts gave him opportunity to apply to
international courts concerning violation of his right “to just
court”. In brief, our authorities themselves made N. Efendiyev constant
“client” of Council of Europe.
Yesterday representative of Office of Attorney-General declared
that it is not the time to speak of terms of presentation of “coup
d’etat organizers” case to court. It turned out that the case is
very complicated demanding investigation undertakings, including
international information exchange.
–Boundary_(ID_LwwcZUZi15OZs6NTCPwdfQ)- –

PATRIARCH KAREKIN CALLS TO COOPERATE WITH SYRIAN SCHOLAR
SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency, Syria
Sept 8 2006
YERIVAN, (SANA) – Patriarch of the Armenian Church Karekin II
underlined on Thursday importance of the current visit of the Republic
Mufti to Armenia.
“We have to seek cooperation and build ties among religions as well as
realize mutual understanding between representatives of religions,”
Patriarch Karekin said in a joint press conference with Mufti Sheikh
Ahmed Badre Eddin .
For his part, the Mufti underlined “peace is Syria’s strategic option”
saying we are in quest of realizing just and comprehensive peace in
the Middle East.
He emphasized the significance of bringing about a just solution for
the central cause of Palestine.
The Mufti denounced some forces linking of the terror phenomenon
with Islam saying, we must learn that practices perpetrated under
the religion’s name or under a nation’s name represent their doers
and not peoples; asserting that Syria was the first who suffered from
this rejected phenomenon.

TORONTO FESTIVAL EXPLORES THEMES OF WAR
By Joan Dupont International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune, France
Sept 8 2006
TORONTO It was an Indian summer day in Toronto when we trooped out
of Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” – Bollywood fun and dancing – just
before noon, Sept. 11, 2001. The festival never recovered from the
shock of that day and ground to a halt.
Today, winds and currents from around the world are blowing through
the 31st Toronto International Film Festival, which opened Friday and
continues until Sept. 16. Fallout from that day is visible in a rash of
movies that take on themes of the times – war, terrorism, executioners,
victims and outcasts – treating them either frontally or obliquely.
The Toronto festival, tucked between those in Venice and New York
and open to world cinema and dissident voices, is showing the highly
controversial “Death of a President” by the British director Gabriel
Range, a fictionalized imagining of the assassination of George W.
Bush, simulated by digital effects.
The festival’s co-directors, Piers Handling and Noah Cowan,
foreseeing criticism, issued a statement that read in part: “‘Death
of a President’ by Gabriel Range is fictional drama told in the
style of a documentary. Range, in concert with some of the finest
special effects professionals, mixes archival footage with narrative
elements to construct a highly original film; a falsified history on
what would be a tragic event. ‘Death of a President’ addresses a wide
array of contemporary issues, including the loss of civil liberties,
the ramifications of war, and ultimately critiques the overwhelming
influence and manipulation of mass media.”
On the eve of the festival opening, Handling and Cowan discussed this
and other films included in their lineup in an e-mail: “‘Death of a
President’ is a classic cautionary tale,” Cowan pointed out. “Bush’s
assassination, while harrowing, is more trigger than climax. The film
is about how the Patriot Act, especially, and how Bush’s divisive
partisanship and race- baiting has forever altered America.”
He describes another premiere, “Mon Colonel,” written and produced
by Costa-Gavras, directed by Laurent Herbiet, about 1960s Algeria,
as “an Iraq film in Algerian disguise.”
“The Bubble,” by the Israeli Eytan Fox, about a homosexual affair
between an Israeli peacenik and a young Palestinian, is a daring film
that comes to a shocking end. “The Bubble” refers to how Israelis
describe life in “cool” Tel Aviv. “The most shocking thing about
‘The Bubble,'” according to Cowan, “is its shift in tone.” The film
goes to great lengths to establish a “place of safety” within Israel,
a secular polysexual meeting place in Tel Aviv, until the winds shift.
Jay Anania’s “Day on Fire” and Julia Loktev’s “Day Night Day Night”
portray suicide bombers. Phillip Noyce’s “Catch a Fire,” set in South
Africa, is a portrait of the creation of a terrorist, and Hal Hartley’s
“Fay Grim” is about Patriot Act madness.
“These are just a few of the films that perceive crucial events and
situations obliquely,” says Handling, adding that he is also struck by
the desire of contemporary filmmakers to explore, to go abroad to make
films about situations that are not native to their country: Gianni
Amelio to China for “Missing Star,” Robert Guediguian to Armenia
to make “Le Voyage en Armenie,” Benoît Jacquot to India to make
“L’Intouchable,” Volker Schlondorff to Poland to make “Strike.”
The Argentine director Santiago Amirgorena’s “A Few Days in September,”
an intriguing glance at the days that lead up to Sept.
11, is told in the form of a political thriller. The film, starring
Juliette Binoche and John Turturro, just opened in Paris where
Amirgorena, an author and screenwriter, lives. He has made a deeply
European film, a kind of “Third Man” with comic overtones, set in
Venice, with Turturro as an assassin who quotes William Blake’s
“Tyger” while stalking his prey.
“My film is not dedicated to Sept. 11,” the director said in a phone
interview. “For me, the event is historic and political – this is my
reading – and spy stories often have a political background. My film
is not militant; it’s not about good and evil. I had Orson Welles’s
movies and characters in mind, especially the part he played in
‘The Third Man,’ a kind of monster, and ‘A Touch of Evil’ – the way
Welles took a genre and went beyond it. Terrorism is not a matter of
good and evil. It is complicated, a desperate act.”
Amirgorena’s film is part of the Special Presentations program
that, along with Galas, and various sidebar events, takes place in
moviehouses all over town.
The section opens with Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s “Das Leben
der Anderen” (The Lives of Others), a political thriller, set before
the fall of the Berlin Wall, during the Stasi era. And Mira Nair is
back with a new movie, “The Namesake,” adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri’s
novel.
The Galas, Canadian and foreign-language films, and American studio
productions, include many world or North American premieres such as
Michael Apted’s “Amazing Grace,” Patrice Leconte’s “Mon Meilleur Ami,”
and “Dixie Chicks: Shut up and Sing” by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia
Peck. Ridley Scott’s “A Good Year,” adapted from Peter Mayle’s novel,
set in the vineyards of Provence, is the closing night film.
Toronto has always been a festival for original programming. This year,
there is a section on African Diversity, partly made of films shown at
Cannes, such as Tahani Rached’s moving “These Girls,” about homeless
girls in Cairo, and Rachid Bouchareb’s prize-winning “Indigènes”
portraying Algerian conscripts in France, as well as Spike Lee’s
“When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” on the Hurricane
Katrina that devastated New Orleans last year.
“We are now seen as an important festival for awards-destined films,”
says Handling, director at Toronto since 1994. “The fall season speaks
to the more serious films and these tend to be the films nominated
for awards. We are also a key event for the buying and selling of
quality films in the world.”
This event, now ranked by many as second to Cannes, skims the cream
off the Continental festivals, but awards no Palms nor Lions, and
is a something of a phenomenon. Starting out in 1975 as a Festival
of Festivals, home to local cineastes such as David Cronenberg and
Atom Egoyan, Toronto opened up to independent cinema from all over the
world and made room for big studio films, too. No longer as casual and
user-friendly, perhaps, it has kept something of its free-spirited,
festive vocation. Because it is not bound by tradition, it remains a
festival that belongs to the moviegoing, multiethnic public, a natural
audience for every kind of film.
“This is a movie-loving town,” says Handling. “There is an audience
here to sustain the vastness of our selection, and they are our
primary target. Without them we would be nothing.”
–Boundary_(ID_3nnAUlQ9xU9sKwvaVsg U3Q)–