More than 200 gather to celebrate Novruz in D.C. area

On March 21, 2010, the Azerbaijan Trade and Cultural Center (ATCC) organized a Novruz holiday celebration to welcome the long-awaited spring.

More than 200 Azerbaijanis and their friends gathered together in the historic Glenview Mansion in Rockville, Md., to celebrate the coming of spring and its refreshing spirit of hope and renewal. The guests sampled delicious Azerbaijani cuisine and handmade Novruz pastries, meeting up with old friends and making new ones while celebrating this age-old holiday.  
 
The festivities featured traditional Azerbaijani dances, outdoor activities and well-liked, time-honored Novruz customs.  
 
Nazrin Garibova, a young Azerbaijani community member, performed a “Semeni” dance, which was greatly enjoyed by the guests. In addition, the well-known Silk Road Dance Company performed exquisite Azerbaijani

Unlikely that US will invade Iran - analyst

Jamsheed K. Choksy

News.Az interviews Dr. Jamsheed K. Choksy, Professor in Indiana University.

Do you believe in new sanctions against Iran? Are the sanctions a convincing policy in attempts to resolve “Iranian problem”?

New sanctions are more likely to hurt Iran's people than its leaders and so far have not stopped those leaders in their actions. To be successful, new sanctions would have to target the leaders and extremist organizations directly, specifically, consistently, and severely.
 
How possible is US invasion in Iran? And besides Azerbaijan is military ally of US and close neighbor of Iran at the same time. What kind of role can play Azerbaijan if the war against Iran will be unavoidable?

It is unlikely that the US will invade Iran or ask Azerbaijan for assistance in current scenarios. The US may, if all else fails, conduct aerial attacks from the Persian Gulf on Iran's nuclear sites although that too is not very likely for now.

Russia proposes to US joint cooperation towards Iranian direction in the radiolocation station in Gabala (Azerbaijan). Do you believe that US will finally agree the idea?  

Gabala remains an option for the

Azerbaijan has right to ensure its territorial integrity - FM

MFA of Azerbaijan

In his speech, Armenian President, speaking about one of the discussed principles at negotiation table, forgets about the others - Elkhan Polukhov.

It should be recalled that the updated Madrid principles has 3 basic principles”, the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elkhan Polukhov told journalists in his interview.

Commenting on the recent statement of President Serzh Sargsyan, Polukhov said the talks were based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, principles of non use of force and ensure the people of their own destiny: "To base one of the principles and try to forget about the others - it is one of the political games of the Armenian

Azerbaijan and Israel: Not a Typical Relationship

by Jason Katz

Relationships of convenience in the world of international politics are ubiquitous. It is virtually impossible to scan this world and not find an immediate example. Indeed, many of the United States' "closest" international relationships are those of convenience. Are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States really allies and/or close friends? More likely, it is in the U.S.'s and Saudi Arabia's best interests to support the Saudi royal family, shall we say, over less friendly options. Again, the world scene is replete with these examples.

It is interesting and ultimately important and instructive to delve into and take a closer look at alliances and state to state relationships. Are these relationships pragmatic and based simply on common interest? Are they "shot gun weddings," based on tactical and short term needs? Or are some of these relationships based on the above scenarios while also possessing deeper considerations? The answer is not always evident. These cases take more study, as in the relationship between the State of Israel and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The close relationship between the Israel and Azerbaijan would seem, at first glance, to be one of simple convenience. Why would the Jewish state, portrayed by radicals to be the enemy of all Muslims, and a majority-Muslim nation decide to work with one another and to embark upon the establishment of such a close bilateral relationship? One may conclude that Azerbaijan was willing to sell much needed oil to Israel, so Israel took the

The number of Azerbaijani citizens, asking for asylum abroad increased by 36%

Azerbaijan is one of the countries where the number of requests from citizens for asylum abroad, compared with last year, increased by 36%.

It has been stated in the report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on March 23.

Most Azerbaijani citizens wish to move to EU countries. So, if in 2008 there had been 1,691 applications for asylum, then in 2009 the figure was 2319. Results for the last 2 years by citizens of Azerbaijan received 4010 petitions.

However, such a trend is observed in other countries of South Caucasus. Last year the number of Armenian citizens, who submitted the request for asylum has increased by 43% compared to 2008.

Georgia has become a leader in terms of growth in

The Small Havana in Transcaucasia

by Urkhan Seyidov

If the new manuscripts mentioning the existence of a country in Georgia (Colchis), are dated to the XII century BC, so the history of Cuba is considerably young from the discovering the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492.

One would think what is in common between the countries which are beyond the oceans? We can suppose that likeness between them is the same as between the pyramids of Egypt and civilization of Maya (Indians). In spite of the lifetime of civilizations, some events can be happened and repeated regardless of each other. And the most interesting fact is that it will entail similar consequences.

The “coincidence” must have a reason, therefore an explanation. It becomes more obvious, logical and necessary, when we look back and try to link some “coincidence points”. One can assume that “coincidences” and the reasons of their successive repetitions are not only predictable and similar according to the structure, but also they have significant and identical impact. In a word, if “it” quacks like a duck, swims like a duck and looks like a duck, so it must be a duck. And it means that timely knowledge and information about history and the reasons of the events are always powerful, good and decisive factors, to avoid or stimulate emergence of some changes in the present as well as in the future.

While reading history books, more than once we have come across the similarity of the events, happened at different times and with different nations. Were there any definite rituals or a beginning of new religion with similar precepts; or wars with genocides and catastrophes; or any economic or diplomatic crises; or change of sovereigns, presidents? That is its way. We should have a clue, which will let us chain events, not having anything in common on the face of it. It seems to us that we have found it. Let’s have a good look at this clue at greater length not to stumble over it.

Lessons of History and Traveling Back into Time

Returning to our initial question about common parallels between Georgia – Cuba, the notions “revolution”, “independence war”, “confrontation to the system” come to your mind unconsciously. The current list might be enlarged, but we will sort out some conformity which makes it possible to compare two countries, see the connection between them, and draw a conclusion, if it happens to predict their proceeding in future, reviewing involvement of the USA and Russia in this process.

“Independence”

Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy celebrates its fourth anniversary

Students of Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA) celebrate the fourth anniversary of the academy.

Students enrolled at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy’s master’s program in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MADIA) and Advanced Foreign Service Program (AFSP) held a series of activities to celebrate the fourth anniversary of ADA. It worth to mention that on the March 6, 2006, President Ilham Aliyev issued a Decree on the establishment of Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

A photo exhibition, dedicated to the evolution of ADA in these past 4 years, was opened in the hallway of the Academy. A song (student anthem) was performed, lyrics of which were written by the students