ARMENIA THIS WEEK, January 30, 2004
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of National Security (MNS), successor to the Soviet-era KGB, proposed up to $2,000 in prize funds for new documentaries, books, articles, web sites and art targeting Armenia and praising Azerbaijan. MNS promised to announce winners by March 1, 2004. The hard-line Minister of National Security Namik Abbasov, who in the past publicly opposed peaceful efforts to settle the Karabakh conflict and called for resumption of war, apparently spearheads the blatant propaganda effort. In comments made two years ago, Abbasov said that Azerbaijan would resume operations “once domestic and international public opinion is ready for it.”
MNS is known to have provided funding for similar programs in the past, but this week’s public announcement is the first of its kind. (Sources: Armenia This Week 6-15-01; Day.az 1-27)
A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
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