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.