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)–

JIHAD REDEFINED AT MULTI-FAITH TALKS -08/09/06
Ekklesia, UK
Sept 8 2006
The idea of ‘jihad’ has been publicly redefined and reinterpreted
according by a Syrian Islamic leader.
The suggestion came during a four day visit to the republic of Armenia
by Sheikh Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassuni.
The Sheikh, invited by the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Catholicos Garegin II for inter faith talks, suggested that far from
being a justification for violence and killings in the name of Allah
it was better interpreted as a means to ‘enjoy the blessings of life
and not to be killed’, reports the news agency Panorama.am.
Sheikh Hassuni has often criticised Muslims for their closed minds
to Buddhism, Christianity and Judaism.
Armenian Archbishop Petrosyan suggested that through his visit the
Sheikh was opening a door to the Islamic world and attempting to
create bridges between Islam and Christianity.
The head of the Armenian Church, Garegin II, further suggested that
such cooperation between Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders could
help the peaceful development of relations between the countries of
the world, noting the benefits of establishing greater links between
the Armenian Apostolic Church and Islamic clergy in Syria.
Sheikh Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassuni echoed his sentiments, and stressed
the importance of his visit in the current political climate and
amidst suggestions of a “clash of civilisations.”
“Cooperation between the two religions must oppose aggression and
confrontation both in the Caucasus and in the Near East” the Sheikh
said, according to the ARKRA.am news agency. But this was not just
a significant point for world peace but also for Armenia as well as
its church.
Armenia was the first nation to accept Christianity as its official
religion, Christianized by Tiridates III 36 years before Constantine
was baptised.
Today Armenia is constitutionally a secular state, although the
Apostolic Church still plays a prominent role in national identity
and culture.
This recent dialogue between the Armenian Church and a representative
of the Muslim world is being seen as a move away from the
confrontational history that Armenia has had with its Islamic
neighbours, including the ‘genocide’ attributed to Turkey and the
recent war with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh.

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VIKTOR YUSCHENKO
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
Esteemed Ilham Heydarovich!
Esteemed Azerbaijani friends, ladies and gentlemen
First of all, I would like to thank the President for the invitation.
I am satisfied with the talks we have had in the spirit of traditional
friendship. The subject-matter was wide-ranging – we touched on the
issues concerning various aspects of our relations including political,
economic, humanitarian, defense and foreign policy ones. Besides,
we discussed our military-technical cooperation, and realization of
a number of energy projects.
I would like to mention that today Ukraine has reached the stage of
political stability. Political forces that that were involved in the
parliamentary elections have passed through the difficult path towards
forming parliament’s majority, forming the government, forming major
view on nationwide values, integration vector and attitude to the
key issues that has bothered the nation for many years.
It is with great satisfaction that I want to say that today Ukraine
is on the stage of political stabilization. It is very important from
the standpoint of the issues we have discussed to understand economic
prospects of their realization.
Evaluating the today’s Ukrainian market, macroeconomic culture and
other indicators, I would like to say that our indicators we have are
may be unique for the Eastern Europe. Our GDP’s growth rate is 7.7%.
All the branches of the economy tend to grow. None of our branches
is experiencing depression, slowdown or crisis.
Today, the country has the least, over the past 15 years of
independence, level of unemployment measuring 7.2%. We have the
highest indicator of per year foreign investments, which measures $7.4
billion. The dynamics of our budget’s forming is very good with 53%
growth in budget receipts last year. This year, this growth makes
up 18%. We have managed to tackle greater part of the social and
humanitarian issues that we failed to do for many years.
I consider it as a good basis for development of multilateral and
bilateral relations with Ukraine. Ukraine is a promising country. I am
convinced that Ukraine has many opportunities for the mutual interests
to be satisfied. That is why it was so important to us to discuss a
number of issues of traditional significance for our relations. The
first group of issues constitutes cooperation in energy sphere. There
are three directions in energy sphere, which Ukraine is interested
in today. The first is forming joint structures with potential
Azerbaijani companies to deal in both markets with extraction,
exploration, processing and sale of oil products. Such readiness
have been expressed by Ukrainian side, and officially submitted to
the Azerbaijani colleagues.
We consider this as the first stage of them mutual penetration
to markets and development of mutual potentials. The second step
is continuation of the transportation of the Azeri and Kazakh oil
through Odessa-Brody-European market route. The project is currently
working. Today, the Caspian and Black Sea region is already making new
offers concerning crude oil that easily agrees with realization of
the Odessa-Brody project. The third step is forming joint positions
on such important issue as supply of gas, practically, though the
same route – the Caspian region-Ukraine-European Union.
We are very interested in continuation and development of cooperation
in aviation. Today, Ukraine can present seven types of aircrafts,
which have been tasted, and meet the highest safety requirement and
economic characteristics of the contemporary aviation market.
We believe here is our perspective. Our offer today is that we have to
study this issue on the highest possible level, highlight key points
and continue our work.
We have paid great attention to the activity of GUAM, we have also
focused on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, concerning
which Ukraine, as before, use all available opportunities to help in
resolution of this conflict. We are ready to be a party to play the
part, which could be most acceptable for the conflict sides.
We talked about providing vital conditions for national minorities.
It pleases me much, as the President, that the Azerbaijani community
of Ukraine feels fine. If there are problems we have not yet solved,
we are ready to do so at a highest level.
Frankly speaking, our negotiations were very easy because, on one
hand, our relations are historically and traditionally good, and
have been formed and enshrined in the two peoples at both conscious
and subconscious level. On the other one, I think the policy of the
last years is the policy, which have demonstrated careful attitude
to national interests of the countries. Ukraine is ready to continue
this policy.
We are very pleased with the last years’ dynamics of our trade
relations: 37% growth last year, and nearly 30% this year. It proves
the effectiveness of the mechanism of organization of the trade
relations between the two countries in the framework of GUAM. The free
trade zone produces its regular results. However, we were ready to sit
down at the negotiating table to tackle the problems if they exist and
are worthy of attention of the working commissions or the Presidents.
No matter do these issues concern tariff policy or insurance, something
else, we realize that these relations need to be perfected.
So, both sides agreed, after all, to raise the status of our relations
and create a new constitutional mechanism in the form of the Council
of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Ukraine. In the framework of the
Council, a strategic plan will be developed to cover the most important
aspects of the bilateral relations. Relevant orders have been given
today by the Presidents. I am convinced that our relations are not
only mutually beneficial but also very promising. So, I thank you,
Ilham Heydarovich, for the atmosphere our talks, and those of the
two government teams were held.
Thank you.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT TO VISIT FRANCE IN JANUARY 2007
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev will pay an official visit to
France in January, 2007 at the invitation of President Jacques Chirac,
Foreign Ministry told the APA.
French President is expected to visit Azerbaijan in the first quarter
of 2007.
The Ministry also informed the relations between France and Azerbaijan
have developed significantly recent years, “The high level political
dialogue continues between Azerbaijan and France. France in conjunction
with Russia and United States is mediating in the settlement of the
Nagorno Garabagh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group.
The exchanges between France and Azerbaijan in the fields of economy,
aviation, energy and infrastructure are increasing dynamically.
French companies have been provided with large opportunities
regarding the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
and construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Arzurum gas pipeline.
The mutual visits will strengthen the relations between our countries
and peoples.”

AZERBAIJAN, UKRAINE ESTABLISH NEW CONSULTATIVE MECHANISM
Author: S.Aliyev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
During the talks in Baku on 7 September the Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Ukraine made a resolution on the establishment of a
new consultative mechanism between the two countries. It will be a
council of the two Presents, Trendreports.
Ukrainian President Victor Yuschenko noted that the Council will
develop a strategic plan on co-operation, which will reflect the
issues of bilateral relationships.
Azerbaijani Present Ilham Aliyev stated that during Yuschenko’s
official visit they discussed a range of issues, analyzed the
situation, as well as perspectives for the co-operation,” the
Azerbaijani President stressed.
“We regard Ukraine as a friend and important partner. The talks also
focused on co-operation in the energy sector and relevant bodies were
given concrete instructions,’ he stated.
“The most satisfactory issue is that the Ukrainian Diaspora in
Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani Diaspora in Ukraine have been integrated
into the society and feel comfortable, which is a positive factor,”
Azerbaijani President stressed.
According to Mr. Aliyev, over the 6 months of 2006 the economic growth
of Azerbaijan was 36%, while industrial production rose 41%.
Over the past several years 435,000 jobs have been opened in
Azerbaijan. “Potential of economy is increasing and opportunities
for economic cooperation are boosting,” Aliyev underscored.
Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, President Aliyev stressed
his satisfaction with Ukraine’s position on this issue.
In his turn Yuschenko said that he was satisfied with the talks held
in Baku. “We discussed co-operation in the political, economic,
humanitarian, defense sectors, as well as implementation of some
energy projects. The talks were easy, but there are still problems in
the bilateral relationships which should be resolved,” he emphasized.
He regarded the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as one
of the fields of bilateral co-operation. “Ukraine is ready to offer
a means to settle the conflict,” he stressed.

AZERI & FRENCH PRESIDENTS TO EXCHANGE OFFICIAL VISITS IN 2007
Author: S.Agayeva
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
In 2007, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and French President Jacques
Chirac will exchange official visits, Trend reports with reference
to the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan.
In keeping with the close ties between Azerbaijan and France, the Azeri
President is making his official visit to France in January 2007 at
Chirac’s invitation, the message said. In turn, Mr Chirac will make
an official visit to Azerbaijan during the first quarter of 2007.
In recent years, Azeri-French relations have developed signifncantly
and politically the discussions between the two countries cointinues
at the highest level. France, alongside USA and Russia, is working to
settle the Nagono-Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group. The
two countries’ economic relations are progressing rapidly in such
fields as aviation, energy and infrastructure, especially under such
projects as BTC and BTE.
The Presidents’ scheduled visits will create opportunities to further
strengthening relations between the two countries and nations, says
the message.

MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FMS
Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will meet with Azerbaijan and
Armenian foreign ministers separately.
The meeting with Armenian minister Vardan Oskanian will take place in
Paris on 12 September and Azerbaijani minister with Elmar Mammadyarov
in London on 13 September, APA reports.
Minister Mammadyarov told journalists the positions need to be
specified at the meeting with the co-chairs. He said it is interesting
what proposals the co-chairs will offer.
The minister also said it is important to agree on the meeting of the
Presidents (Azerbaijani and Armenian) this year. “It is premature to
talks about this,” he said.
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