Baku Today, Azerbaijan
March 10-16 2006
Azerbaijani And Turkish Diaspora Consolidate Their Efforts
Six hundred and fifty delegates from Azerbaijan and approximately 600
representatives of the country’s Diaspora from 44 countries will
participate in the second “Azerbaijanis of the World” Congress to be
held in Baku on March 16, head of the State Committee for Work with
the Diaspora Nazim Nbrahimov said at a press-conference today.
More than 220 guests have been invited to the conference, including
politicians, officials, deputies, and scientists.
A speech by President Ilham Aliyev is planned for the congress. The
main discussion will be the conception of Azerbaijan’s Diaspora’s
activity, and its relations with Turkey’s Diaspora. The creation of a
special working commission for preparation of the conception has been
suggested.
The Congress will adopt an appeal to the Azerbaijani and Turkish
Diaspora which calls on them to consolidate their efforts.
Participants of the forum will also adopt an appeal on the Armenia-
Azerbaijani conflict.
Azerbaijan’s government is undertaking all expenses for organization
of this Congress.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 10 2006
US official to table Rambouillet talks with conflicting sides

Baku, March 9, AssA-Irada
The US Department of State Assistant Secretary for European and
Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried is due to visit Azerbaijan and Armenia
next week. One of the goals of the visit will be to discuss the
outcomes of the talks held by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert
Kocharian on settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict in France
in February, the US Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack told
reporters in Washington.
The discussions held in the French town of Rambouillet turned out
fruitless, as the parties failed to iron out issues of principle,
which was followed by mutual threats.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 10 2006
Garabagh mediators’ meeting not elaborated

Baku, March 9, AssA-Irada
The OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh have completed their talks in
Washington.
At a meeting attended by the OSCE chairman’s special envoy Andzhei
Kaspshik, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group looked into the
results of the talks held by the two presidents in the French town of
Rambouillet in February and outlined further steps. The specific
issues discussed during the three-day meeting of the intermediaries
are not elaborated.
The co-chairs are expected to inform official Baku, Yerevan and the
OSCE about the outcomes of the discussions soon.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 10 2006
Official opposes exulting Azeri officer charged with killing Armenian
Baku, March 9, AssA-Irada
The actions of the Azerbaijani officer charged with killing an
Armenian colleague at a NATO course in Budapest in 2004, cannot be
considered as heroism, chairman of the State Committee on Work with
Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, Nazim Ibrahimov, has said.
`Nevertheless, Ramil Safarov needs defense as he is a citizen of
Azerbaijan,’ he told a news conference on Thursday.
Ibrahimov said Armenians present Azerbaijanis to the world community
as `thugs’ when Safarov’s actions are deemed heroic in his country.
Some forces are trying to take advantage of the Azerbaijani officer’s
actions for a political gain, the committee chairman warned.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 10 2006
US official condemns alleged destruction of Armenian graves
Baku, March 9, AssA-Irada
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs Matthew Bryza has come out against the alleged destruction of
ancient graves in Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan. The destruction
of historic monuments in Julfa, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic,
marked a `major tragedy’, he told a news briefing in the Armenian
capital Yerevan.
Bryza noted that the US is regularly in touch with the Azeri
government. `They understand how seriously we take this issue,’ he
said, emphasizing that his country would like to see the culprits
punished.
`There are numerous historical and cultural monuments in the South
Caucasus region and they are at risk of ceasing to exist in all the
three countries,’ the American official added.*

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006
ARMENIA, GEORGIA TO SIGN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT ON AIR
COMMUNICATIONS
YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. Armenian Government approved
intergovernmental agreement signing with Georgia on air
communications, Armenian Government press service told ARKA News
Agency. M.V. -0—

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006
AMD 50MLN TARGETED FOR CHILD AND YOUTH SPORTS DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. Armenian Government allocated AMD 50mln
for child and youth sports development. The Government’s press
service says the money is to be given to Government-affiliated State
Sport Committee for passing it on to Armenian Football Federation.
($1 = AMD 453.13). M.V. –0 –

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006
YEREVAN, TEGERAN TO SIGN MEMORANDUM AS PART OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR
ARMENIA
YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. Armenian Government gave its approval
Thursday for signing a memorandum with Iranian Government as part of
development promotion programs for Armenia, Armenian Government’s
press service told ARKA News Agency. M.V. -0—

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006
PHOTO AND ARTWORKS EXHIBITION OF ARMENIAN WOMEN TO OPEN IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. An exhibition of photo and artworks
exhibition of Armenian women, dedicated to the International Women’s
Day, will open in the UN Yerevan Office. The UN Yerevan Office’s
Press Service reported that the exhibition will show 30 paintings and
tapestries of Armenian female artists under the common name of
`Creative Synthesis’, with the support of the `Gender and Politics in
South Caucasus: Georgia and Armenia’, the UNDP. According to the
press-release the exhibition is aimed at reflecting the historical
struggle for improvement of women’s lives.
In the frameworks of this event, 60 best photos of Armenian, Georgian
and Azerbaijani women-photographers on the topic `Women of South
Caucasus’ will also be exhibited. Particularly, the exhibition was
organized by the UN Yerevan Office and the Association of diplomats’
wives. The UN Yerevan Office was founded in 1993, and 15 specialized
UN agencies currently work in Armenia. R.O. –0–

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006
GURGEN KHACHATRYAN APPOINTED TO POST OF ARMENIAN VANADZOR STATE
PEDAGOGICAL INSTITUTE RECTOR
YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. Armenian Government upheld Gurgen
Khachatryan appointment to the post of Vanadzor State Pedagogical
Institute Rector, Armenian Government’s press service told ARKA News
Agency. M.V. -0–