FRIED: US WILL DISCUSS ALL ITS FURTHER STEPS ON IRAN WITH AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
The US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Daniel Fried on a visit in Baku held a press conference today (APA).
The Assistant Secretary of State said that the delegation he led had
talks with Azerbaijani officials, NGO and opposition representatives
in the two-day visit in Baku.
Reminding that he met with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov, Economic Development Minister Heydar Babayev, the
diplomat said that the discussions focused on the Garabagh conflict,
development of democracy as well as regional issues. Mr.Fried also said
Iran’s nuclear programme was also discussed in the talks and added the
US will discuss all its further steps concerning Iran with Azerbaijan.
Calling the negotiations in Rambouillet to be unsuccessful, the
American diplomat thinks Azerbaijani displaced persons should be sent
to their native homes as soon as possible and added that the outbreak
of war will result in calamity for all.
Mr.Fried also expressed satisfaction of the successfful development
of military cooperation between US and Azerbaijan and said the
delegation includes a military expert too. Fried also reported that
he will leave for Tbilisi, Yerevan and Ankara after that. Though the
American diplomat said the Nagorno Garabagh issue will be discussed
in Yerevan, he did not publicize the details.
Refereeing to the upcoming re-elections in Azerbaijan, the diplomat
said a powerful state must have a powerful opposition at the same time,
the US wants to see a powerful Azerbaijan namely for this reason.
Commenting on US attack plans on Iran, Fried said, “We do not consider
the possibility of this issue, we want the world community make Iran
refrain from its nuclear programme.”
Fried also commented on Kocharyan’s statement that Armenia will
recognize the independence of Nagorno Garabagh if the negotiating
process yields no results. Fried said that the problem cannot be
solved by such statements.

AZERI PREMIER MEETS WITH ROMANIAN NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
On March 14, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade met with
Romanian delegation led by the country’s National Defense Minister
Teodor Anastasiu. The Premier expressed satisfaction with the current
state of Azerbaijan-Romania relationship.
He advised the 2nd sitting of the Azerbaijan-Romania intergovernmental
economic commission is to be held very soon.
Mr. Rasizade stressed necessity to develop military-technical
cooperation between the two countries. “Romania’s experience in
integration into the European structures and NATO would be very useful
for Azerbaijan, he said.
The Premier also dwelt on the Azerbaijan’s sorest problem – the
unsettled Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In his turn, Romanian Minister Teodor Anastasiu informed the Prime
Minister on the negotiations he had carried out in Azerbaijan noting
the bilateral documents signed here will give an impetus to enhancing
military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Romania.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DEMO BANNED IN BERLIN
Expatica, Netherlands
March 14 2006
BERLIN – Political leaders and human rights groups on Tuesday welcomed
a decision by Berlin police to ban demonstrations aimed at the Armenian
genocide in World War I.
Police on Monday banned two protests due to have been held in the
German capital this week which supported the official Turkish position
that killings of Christian Armenians by Muslim Turks in 1915 did not
amount to genocide.
Organizers of one of the protests warned Europe’s cities would “go
up in flames like Paris” unless Europeans stopped blaming Turkey for
the Armenian genocide.
The ban was justified by police who said they feared violence and
because they suspected demonstrators would try to both deny and
glorify the events of 1915.
“It is unacceptable when planned demonstrations seek to deny the
genocide of Armenians during the First World War and make veiled calls
for violence in Germany,” said Frank Henkel, the opposition Christian
Democratic Union interior affairs spokesman in the city government.
A human rights group, the Society for Threatened Peoples, also
welcomed the ban and called for legislation to prevent all public
events denying or glorifying genocide or war crimes.
Most Western historians term the Armenian killings genocide and say
that between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed or died
during the massacres.
Parliaments in at least seven European countries, including France
and Sweden, have passed resolutions saying the killings were genocide.
Germany has about 1.8 million resident Turkish nationals out of a
total population of 82 million.
Mainstream Turkish-German groups had withdrawn support for the
controversial demonstrations at the weekend.

DM: PARTICIPATION OF AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES IN ANY TRAINING IN THE TERRITORY OF ARMENIA IS IMPOSSIBLE
Author: E. Javadova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
Participation of Azerbaijani Armed Forces in any training in the
territory of Armenia is impossible, Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense
assistant of the press service Ilgar Verdiyev told Trend.
Military training within the frames of NATO’s Partnership for Peace
program will be held in May, Armenian agency Panarmenia told,
in reference to the Armenian deputy minister of defense, Artur
Agabekyan. Agabekyan stated that the Azerbaijan Armed Forces might
participate in the training among 20 other countries.
He said that Armenian government is ready to accept those
representatives of Azerbaijan Armed Forces who would wish to
participate at the NATO training.
The Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense regards visit of Azerbaijan Armed
forces representatives to Armenia as impossible. Verdiyev stated that
Armenia is only formally participating in the NATO training under
Partnership for Peace. “In the course of year Armenia hosts only 1
exercise of this program, which is completely of formal character.
Armenia is an occupant country and by participating in this program
it wants to show itself as a peaceful state,” he said.
Even if Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense will receive any official
invitation to participate in training in the territory of that country
it will be declined, he concluded.

SECOND FRONT FOR ARMENIA TO BECOME FOURTH ONE FOR GEORGIA
Regnum, Russia
March 14 2006
“Claim for autonomy for the Armenian-populated Georgian region of
Samtskhe-Javakheti is an approach by the local population. There is no
political implication, all the problems are of social nature,” Head
of the Armenian Republican Faction Galust Saakyan has said on March
14. According to him, all the regional problems should be settled
on the basis of Armenian-Georgian talks. By the way, Galust Saakyan
disagreed with Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze, who had
said that “in Akhalkalaki District of Georgia there some forces that
try to increase tension between the Armenian and Georgian population.”
In his turn, Head of the National Revival Party Albert Bazeyan
announced that the Armenian authorities should try to influence the
processes at the top level to escape more aggravation of tension:
“we do not need another unfriendly neighbor.” “Apart from the social
issues of the Armenian population of Javakh mentioned above, there is
a series of political problems, issues concerning preservation of the
national originality. I think, the question of granting the status
of cultural autonomy to this region should be discussed,” said Bazeyan.
Meanwhile, as a REGNUM correspondent reports, representatives of Javakh
Union at a meeting with the press spoke for holding a referendum
in Javakheti, “that will make it clear what the Javakheti people
want: either living in Georgia, Armenia, Russia or another state, or
gaining independence.” Answering the question, whether the escalation
of tension in Javakheti contains a treat that Armenia would obtain
the second front taking into consideration the unsettled Karabakh
issue, members of the council said: “Why should we be afraid of the
second front? If we have a second front, by Georgia it will be the
fourth one.”
The Javakh Council also adopted a statement addressed to the Armenian
and Georgian authorities.
The statement says that “the Javakh Council has repeatedly appealed to
the Armenian authorities to pay appropriate attention to the problems
of Javakh Armenians and to acknowledge the political element in these
problems,” but “the appeals remained unanswered.” As the statement runs
further, the Georgian party “was inspired by the total indifference of
the Armenian authorities,” which made the former to be “more unruly.”
The authors of the statement do not rule out that “third parties,
in particular, Azerbaijan and Turkey, would participate in kindling
anti-Armenian activities.” The council puts responsibility for all
incidents to the Georgian government and the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The council condemned anti-Armenian activities and demonstration
of national discrimination, expressed its support for Armenians in
Javakheti and urged the Armenian government to call upon the Georgian
government to condemn and punish instigators of the anti-Armenian
activities.
It also called the Armenian authorities together with the Georgian
party to work out an action plan towards justified settlement of all
the problems of Javakh, including political ones.
The Javakh Council assured that it would its utmost to protect
Armenians of Javakh and Georgia, to prevent from expelling Armenians
from the region. It also promised “to make an appropriate counterstrike
to anti-Armenian provocations.”

ARMENIAN PARTICIPATION GIVES NK NEGOTIATIONS HIGHER STATUS
Regnum, Russia
March 14 2006
Participation of Nagorno Karabakh in negotiations over Karabakh
conflict depends not only on Nagorno Karabakh itself, but also on
Azerbaijan. In current situations, participation of Armenia will give
higher status to the negotiations, stated the head of the Republican
Faction of Armenia Galust Saakyan at a news conference on March 14,
informs a REGNUM correspondent.
He said that the people of Nagorno Karabakh must state their position
regarding the conflict settlement. In his turn, his main opponent,
head of the recently established the National Revival Party Albert
Bazeyan noted, that “Robert Kocharyan replaced Nagorno Karabakh by
himself, so now, the sides have no contact points regarding Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement, because it is impossible without Nagorno
Karabakh itself.”
Speaking about Armenian President’s statement on possibility of Nagorno
Karabakh recognition in case of negotiations failure, Bazeyan noted
that this statement “contains danger, and was premature.” He said that
destructive approach must be demonstrated only by Azerbaijan that does
not wish to negotiate with Nagorno Karabakh and thus recognize its
government. He also noted that the conflict “stands still”, so the
side, that will more effectively settle its domestic problems, will
win. Both politics denied the possibility of warfare recommencement,
because “such conflicts are only settled by diplomatic measures.”

EUROPEAN CENTER FOR SECURITY STUDIES’ AUTHORITY ISSUED LAST WARNING TO ARMENIAN OFFICER
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
The administration of the George Marshall European Center for
Security Studies (ECSS) issued a sharp warning to the representative
of Armenian’s Defense Ministry, Major Artyom Akopyan.
The Europe bureau of APA reports that Akopyan made offensive
expressions on Georgian government during the training. Addressing
the discussions, the Armenian officer said that Samskhe-Javakhetia
province in Georgia belongs to Armenians, and the official Tbilisi
is functioning as “US gendarme” in the region.
Georgian participants in the training strongly protested to the head
of the Armenian delegation for this statement, and demanded taking
an action about Akopyan.
When the Armenian delegation rejected taking any action about the
military cadet, Georgian cadets appealed to organizers of the training
course as well as to the ECSS.
On investigating the incident, the administration of the European
Center for Security Studies made a decision. According to the decision,
if Armenia’s Defense Ministry representative Artyom Akopyan reiterates
the same expressions, he will not be allowed to join the trainings
and will be driven to Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY`S IMAGE PROBLEM
Netpano.com, Turkey
March 14 2006
When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared on Capitol Hill
last week to rally support for the 2007 budget, Rep. Dave Weldon
asked her about the controversial Turkish film “The Valley of the
Wolves.” “[I]t depicts American GIs murdering people at a wedding.
And it`s very anti-Semitic also; it has some gruesome visuals of Jews
mistreating Muslims,” he said. “It would seem to me that we may be
winning on the fronts of Afghanistan and in all these other places
where we`re fighting, in Iraq. But for the hearts and minds of the
people we are not doing very well at all. We may actually be heading
in the wrong direction.”
In response, Miss Rice talked about Karen Hughes, the undersecretary
of public diplomacy, who is working to counter anti-U.S. propaganda in
the Muslim world. She included Turkey in her first foreign travel and
heard plenty from critics of the war in Iraq. “Valley of the Wolves”
screenwriter Bahadir Ozdener insists that he is also trying to make
an antiwar statement, not an anti-American or anti-Semitic one, with
his movie. “We are speaking out against the war, the occupation and
the human rights violations,” he said.
I haven`t seen the film, but it`s difficult to believe that Mr.
Ozdener is conveying solely an “antiwar” message. However, it does
advise viewers that it is a work of “fiction.” When asked about
it, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said,
“[T]here`s no reason to comment on fiction.” He`s right; it is just
a movie. But in reality, is a movie ever “just” a movie?
A Seattle Post?Intelligencer article asked in 2004, “In the history
of cinema, has any film done more to blacken a nation`s reputation
among travelers than `Midnight Express`? A quarter of a century after
its release, people still cite it as a reason for steering clear of
Turkey.” “Midnight Express” declares in its opening credits that
it is based on a true story of a young American, Billy Hayes, who
was caught trying to smuggle drugs out of Turkey in 1970. The film
details his experiences until he escaped from prison. Two decades
after the film was released, Mr. Hayes said in a newspaper interview,
“There`s no doubt it changed the whole face of Turkish tourism…
It`s not fair. The burden fell on people who weren`t to blame.”
Indeed. When I was in Cleveland recently, a taxi driver heard me
talking to my mother in a foreign language, and asked where we were
from. When I answered, “Turkey,” he said, “Oh, I have seen Istanbul.”
I asked when he was there, and he answered, “No. I did not go. I saw
it in `Midnight Express.` ” I listened to his review without comment,
changed the subject and resumed my conversation with my mother.
Mr. Hayes has said, “The message of `Midnight Express` isn`t
`Don`t go to Turkey.` It`s `Don`t be an idiot like I was, and try
to smuggle drugs.` ” But the fact is, “Midnight Express” seriously
damaged Turkey`s image in the United States. There is truth in the
movie, but even Mr. Hayes admitted there is a lot of exaggeration
as well. The similarities of the “Valley of the Wolves” and the
“Midnight Express” begin and end with both being movies. In terms of
effectiveness, Holywood wins. And “Valley of the Wolves” — regardless
of its subject — is the first Turkish movie to challenge Holywood.
Since Turkey denied the United States a northern front to invade
Iraq in March 2003, TV screenwriters also have gotten inspired. The
Assembly of Turkish American Associations cites two episodes — one
from Fox`s “24” and the other from NBC`s “The West Wing” — in which
they say Turkey and Turkish people are unfairly maligned. In the “24”
episode, Turks are depicted as terrorists and given Arab names. In the
“West Wing” episode, the Turkish government adopts Islamic laws under
the leadership of the AKP, and convicts and orders the execution by
beheading of a woman for having sex with her fiancee.
Both shows offended many Turks. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul mentioned them to Miss Rice when she visited Ankara, and her
response was that America is a free country, and the government does
not control the movies.
Finally, PBS is airing a documentary next month called “Armenian
Genocide.” Turks disagree that what happened to the Armenians was not
“genocide,” and note that the Armenians also killed many Anatolian
Muslims. PBS refuses, however, to show the documentary “Armenian
Revolt,” which depicts the massacre of the Anatolian Muslims. PBS has
also refused to hold a suggested panel discussion among historians
after airing “Armenian Genocide.” I am not looking to open a debate
on the nature of what happened, but if we support freedom of speech,
we have to allow all opinions to be heard.
It`s important that any film, documentary or feature, be put in
context. Since when do governments make decisions or take action
against other countries because of a movie? These are movies, and
they should be treated as such in the larger debate.
State Department spokes-man Sean McCormack was asked recently about
“Valley of the Wolves” and he summed it up exactly right: “I don`t
do movie reviews.”

ARMENIA TO LET AZERBAIJANI MILITARIES TO ITS BASES WITHIN NATO TRAININGS
Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 14 2006
Tbilisi. March 14 (Prime-News) – NATO Rescuer 2006 training will be
held in Yerevan at the end of June, PanARMENIAN.Net says, as quoting
Artur Agabekian, Deputy Armenian Defense Minister.
According to him, the representatives of 20 countries, including
those of the South Caucasus, will arrive in Yerevan.
“Armenia has always been supporting cooperation after Partnership
for Peace principle and now is ready to receive the representatives
of Azerbaijan and Turkey”, he said.
Artur Agabekian also said that a conference for final planning would
be held in Armenia in April to define a precise date of trainings
and list of participants.
Ten arrangements are to be held in Armenia in 2006 within the
frameworks of the Armenian-NATO cooperation.

AZERBAIJAN’S MINISTRY OF CULTURE ADDRESSES “EUROVISION” CONTEST ORGANIZERS WITH LETTER OF PROTEST
Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 14 2006
Tbilisi, March 14 (Prime-News) – Statement of Ministry of Culture and
Tourism of Azerbaijan reads that the Ministry is worried with the
fact that the singer from Armenia – Andre notes his place of birth
as Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh at contest’s official site.
As a result, the letter was sent to contest organizers, where this fact
is recognized as “disrespect of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity”
and “provocation, which can be interpreted as support of Armenia’s
aggressive politics”.
Such facts can have a negative influence on the process of conflict
resolution, the statement reads.
‘Eurovision’ representatives have told that information about Andre
soon will be changed.
Svante Stockselius, European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) Executive
Supervisor of ‘Eurovision’, stated that the contest isn’t a political
event, and information on the official site has no hidden political
motives.
Singer Andre will represent Armenia at the contest, which will be
held in Athens on May 18-20. Armenia is the only country from South
Caucasus, which will participate in the prestigious song contest
organized by EBU.
Trend News agency informs that the Eurovision management corrected
the mistake on their website and have taken off all the materials on
the birthplace of Armenian singer Andre, who has mentioned it as the
Nagorno-Karabakh republic after the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of
Azerbaijan has addressed the contest organizers demanding to correct
the mistakes on their website, Abulfaz Garayev, Azerbaijani Minister
of Culture and Tourism, stated.