AZERI OFFICIAL, MEDIA UNION CHIEF AGAINST JOINT RADIO PROJECT WITH ARMENIA

Ekho, Baku
23 Jun 04

Text of T. Alili report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 23 June
headlined “The Armenian-Azerbaijani radio wave” and subheaded “A
possible joint radio project is being examined”

Radio journalists from Xankandi (Stepanakert) will be engaged in a
joint Armenian-Azerbaijani project. The non-governmental organization
Conciliation Resources has joined a consortium which has drawn up a
project financed by the British government and numerous international
funds to assist a solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and
create an atmosphere of trust in the region. The organization is
working with the mass media.

It is scheduled within the framework of the project to create radio
journals which Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Nagornyy Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan could exchange. TV journalists Karine Musayelyan and Anait
Mirzoyan who attended a seminar organized by the Conciliation
Resources returned to Xankandi from Tbilisi a few days ago. The
preparations are still under way, however, the organization intends to
launch the project this summer.

The deputy executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party
(NAP), Mubariz Qurbanli, is indignant that the journalists from
Xankandi joined the project as representatives of an independent
entity.

“Why is Nagornyy Karabakh engaged in the project as a separate entity,
not as part of Azerbaijan? The participation of our journalists in the
project is inexpedient. Broadly speaking, it aims to ”reconcile”
Azerbaijanis and Armenians. Then what to do with our refugees or the
occupied lands? I think there is no need for such projects and for
creating “such an atmosphere of trust”. The Karabakh separatists are
trying to come out of isolation in all possible ways. Projects of
this kind help them in this issue,” Qurbanli said.

He thinks that participation in mutual projects together with the
Karabakh separatists has become a bad tradition.

“Certain organizations and people who are ready to get grants
immediately appear as soon as an international organization announces
a competition or carries out a project in order “to establish
contacts” between Azerbaijanis, Armenians and the Karabakh
separatists. These people are obliged to think about the negative
consequences of their steps and the reaction of the country’s public,”
the NAP spokesman said.

The secretary-general of the Confederation of Azerbaijani Journalists
(CAJ), Azar Hasrat, called on the Azerbaijani journalists who are
going to join the Conciliation Resources project “to think again how
an occupier, separatist or terrorist can be trusted. Armenians from
Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh cannot be trusted. Why are our
compatriots going to join the project? International organizations
want us to forget Nagornyy Karabakh. International bodies know that
journalists can help to shape public opinion. But I urge my colleagues
not to become a tool for Armenian separatism, the CAJ
secretary-general said.