NATO chief backs Armenian attendance at Baku-hosted seminar – full report

ANS Radio, Baku
5 Nov 04

[Presenter] NATO sees as normal the attendance of Armenian MPs at the
58th Rose-Roth seminar due in Baku, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer, who is visiting Baku, has said.

[Scheffer in English, with Azeri voice-over] The holding of the
Rose-Roth seminar is outside the NATO secretary-general’s sphere. I am
not responsible for this. If the issue was within the purview of the
NATO secretary-general, as previously my position would not change. My
position is that the attendance of any guests is admissible at this
kind of seminar.

[Presenter] To recap, the NATO secretary-general visited Martyrs’
Avenue and the grave of [late Azerbaijani President] Heydar Aliyev
this morning. Then he met students and professors of Baku State
University. The NATO secretary-general will hold talks with
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Defence Minister
Safar Abiyev and will be received by President Ilham Aliyev.