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TBILISI: NATO training dropped after Baku refuses Armenianparticipat

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  • TBILISI: NATO training dropped after Baku refuses Armenianparticipat

    NATO training dropped after Baku refuses Armenian participation

    messenger.com.ge, Georgia
    September 17 2004

    Azeri newspapers this week reported NATO's decision to cancel the
    "Cooperative Best Effort-2004" training, which was planned to be
    held from September 13 to 26 in Baku. This followed the refusal of
    the Azerbaijani authorities to allow Armenian soldiers to enter the
    country to participate in the training.

    Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho reported that, according to the Azeri
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamediarov, Baku had been conducting
    negotiations with Brussels in order not to allow the participation
    of Armenian soldiers in the NATO training. In response, according to
    Azerbaijani newspaper Express, Deputy Commander of American Armed
    Forces in Europe General Charles Wald had visited Baku three times
    in five months, in order to assure the authorities of Azerbaijan
    of the importance of the participation of Armenian soldiers in the
    training; although the Armenian newspaper AZG Armenian Daily stated
    that this was a secondary reason for his frequent visits, his main
    goal being to negotiate the establishment of American military bases
    on Azerbaijani territory.

    Ekho reported that starting from September 11, activists of
    "Organization for the Release of Karabakh" (ORK), together with
    influential political forces of the country and public organizations,
    were planning to start mass demonstrations against the arrival of
    Armenian officers in Baku. Deputy Chair of ORK Shamil Mekhti told the
    newspaper that he had not been informed where the Armenian officers
    were going to spend the night.

    Zerkalo, Baku reported that NATO was unhappy with the Azeri
    authorities' stance. The training was to take place within the
    framework of the 'Partnership in the name of peace' program, which
    is based on the principle of parity.

    "We regret very much regarding the fact that the principle of parity
    has been violated at this time and has become the reason of the
    annulment of the training," the official NATO web site notes. The
    newspaper quoted Head of the Armenian Ministry of Defense's department
    of external relations and international cooperation Mikael Melkonian
    as saying that, particularly after training had already been held
    in Georgia and Armenia, the Azeri authorities' hindrance should be
    taken into consideration by NATO.
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