21:01, 13 September 2004

Armenian servicemen can arrive in Azerbaijan

Armenian servicemen will still be able to take part in NATO's Partnership for Peace Cooperative Best Effort 2004 military exercises, a source in the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry is negotiating it with the NATO leadership and the US Embassy to Azerbaijan, the source noted and added the parties had already reached agreement of principle concerning the Armenian servicemen's arrival in Baku.

The day before, the Azerbaijan Embassy to Georgia denied entry visas to five Armenian officers who had to take part in Cooperative Best Effort 2004 to be held in Baku from 14 to 23 September. Reasons for the refusal were not reported, Colonel Seiran Shakhsuvarian, press secretary for the Armenian Defense Minister, told journalists. In Mr Shakhsuvarian's words, the NATO leadership, who arrange the exercises, should make an assessment of such actions of official Baku. The Armenian Defense Ministry's delegation was able to take part only in one out of two conferences to plan NATO's exercises in Baku.

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot