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joint military units are signed between Armenia and Russia, Serzh Sargssyan, the Armenian Defence Minister announced during the press conference between Russian and Armenian Defence Ministers. The Defence Ministries of the two states set to forming these units. "We consider this approach to the situation one of the main components of the national security of both states," Sargssyan said.

Baku September 6, 2001. (CNA). Azerbaijan have arrested some 60 people on suspicion of collaboration with the Iranian intelligence service, the Azeri news agency Turan reported. IRNA reports that the agency said 30 others are wanted by the authorities in connection with the same case. In the meantime, the daily Express said most of the detainees have been released. They were arrested in Jallilabad area, located 200 km southeast of the capital city of Baku. Neither the agency nor the daily gave further details on the case.

Following Georgia, Estonia made a statement on illegality of "municipal elections" held by Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh, the occupied region of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry told "525" Estonian foreign minister, Thomas Ilves, sent a letter to his Azeri counterpart, Vilayet Guliyev, to reiterate official Tallinn's support to territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. T.Ilves stated his country's solidarity with Council of Europe's statement on illegality of the "municipal elections" and non-recognition of independence of the so-called "Nagorno Karabakh Republic".

"No progress has been achieved in the Armenian-Azerbaijani talks on resolution to Karabakh conflict", chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Lord Russell Johnston, stated. According to him, 18 meetings, held till present between the two presidents, have yielded no results.

"Armenia must move away from old stereotypes and liberate the occupied lands of Azerbaijan", Turkish President Ahmed Negdet Sezer stated to the seminar organized by the Caucasus University and Historical Cities Union in Kars. In his opinion, the conflicts within the territories of Georgia and Azerbaijan must be resolved in accordance with the principle of territorial integrity. "Ankara backs upon peace and stability in the Southern Caucasus. Establishment of stability in the region will give impetus to economical progress in the region", he stressed.

Tbilisi, September 05, 2001. (CNA). About 70 Chechen refugees and representatives of Georgian organizations for human rights held a picket at the building of Russian Embassy in Tbilisi, today. The meeting was devoted to the tenth anniversary of Ichkerian independence. Prime News informs that the participants of the action demanded to call off "Russian occupation troops" from Georgia and Chechnya, to stop genocide of Chechens and to negotiate "with legitimate Ichkerian President Aslan Maskhadov." Russian diplomats did not come to the picketers. Today the celebration is taking place in Pankiss gorge, where over 6,000 Chechen refugees live. Besides, on Friday the participants of world relay-race is arriving in Tbilisi from Azerbaijan. The race started follows from camps

14.09.2001/ Baku, September 14, 2001. (CNA). The decision on establishing the Coordination council of intelligence services of Turkic countries was taken during the fourth session of intelligence services of Turkic states in Cholpon-Ata on September 9-11, press service of the Ministry for Azeri National Security informed today. During the session the regular meeting of intelligence services of Turkic states was planned to be held in Turkey next year. For providing more effective operation of intelligence services within the TRACECA transport project and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, all the participants of the session including Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Turkey stated for inviting the heads of Russian and Georgian intelligence services to the up-coming meetings.

Moscow,September 13, 2001. (CNA). Iranian Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari Wednesday met and conferred with Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markarian and that republic's Foreign Minster Vartan Oskanian in separate sessions in Yerevan. The two countries' officials surveyed the possible grounds for broader cooperation between the two neighboring states, IRNA reports. The Armenian prime minister congratulated the formation of the new administration in Iran during the meeting, hoping that the upcoming state visit of the Armenian president to Tehran would facilitate the implementation of the already reached agreements between Tehran and Yerevan.

Yerevan, September 14, 2001. (CNA). Protocols on establishing