Voice of America, 97-08-02

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] ATHENS '97 / DAY ONE MORNING (S) BY STEVEN SCHY (ATHENS)

[02] ATHENS '97 OPENS (S-ALT) BY STEVE SCHY (ATHENS, GREECE)

[03] AZERI PRESIDENT IN WASHINGTON BY HASAN JOVADI (WASHINGTON)

[01] ATHENS '97 / DAY ONE MORNING (S) BY STEVEN SCHY (ATHENS)

INTRO: THE OPENING MORNING OF COMPETITION AT THE WORLD TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP IN ATHENS, GREECE FEATURED QUALIFYING ROUNDS IN A NUMBER OF EVENTS. BUT AS VOA'S STEVE SCHY REPORTS FROM OLYMPIC STADIUM, THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOME SURPRISES.

TEXT: WORLD SHOT PUT RECORD HOLDER RANDY BARNES OF THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN SATURDAY NIGHT'S FINALS AFTER FAILING TO QUALIFY SATURDAY MORNING. BARNES NEEDED A THROW OF 19.8 METERS OR A TOP 12 FINISH TO MAKE THE FINALS, BUT HE DIDN'T MAKE IT WITH A BEST THROW OF 19.51 METERS. FELLOW AMERICAN JOHN GODINA HAD THE LONGEST THROW IN THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS WITH A TOSS OF 21.1 METERS.

THE MORNING SESSION'S OTHER SURPRISE CAME IN THE WOMEN'S 1500 METERS QUALIFYING WHEN 1997 WORLD LEADER KELLY HOLMES OF BRITAIN PULLED OUT OF HER HEAT WITH 150 METERS TO GO. HOLMES INJURED HER LEFT ACHILLES TENDON AND IS NOW EXPECTED TO MISS HER OTHER EVENT AS WELL, THE 800 METERS.

THE FINALS IN THE MEN'S SHOTPUT AND THE 20-KILOMETER WALK ARE SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY NIGHT. (SIGNED)
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02-Aug-97 8:46 AM EDT (1246 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] ATHENS '97 OPENS (S-ALT) BY STEVE SCHY (ATHENS, GREECE)

INTRO: THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR ATHLETIC FEDERATION (I-DOUBLE-A-F) WORLD TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS HAVE OFFICIALLY GOTTEN UNDER WAY IN GREECE. AS V-O-A'S STEVE SCHY REPORTS FROM PANATHINAIKON (PAHN-IH-THIH-NYE'-KONE) STADIUM IN ATHENS, THE OPENING CEREMONIES WERE SPECTACULAR.

TEXT: IT WAS AN OVERWHELMING SPECTACLE OF SIGHT AND SOUND FRIDAY NIGHT, AS ATHENS WELCOMED NEARLY TWO-THOUSAND ATHLETES FROM 200 COUNTRIES FOR THE WORLD TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

THE SKIES OVER PANATHINAIKON STADIUM, HOME OF THE FIRST MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES IN 1896, DANCED WITH COLORFUL LASERS. THE WARM AIR WAS FILLED WITH THE MUSIC OF GREEK COMPOSER VANGELIS, AS MORE THAN 60-THOUSAND VIEWERS THRILLED TO THE PAGEANTRY OF THE COLORFUL FLAGS RIPPLING IN THE BREEZE AS THE WAVING COMPETITORS ENTERED THE STADIUM.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE GREEK REPUBLIC, KOSTADINOS STEFANOPOULOS, DECLARED THE GAMES OFFICIALLY OPENED:

THE ACTUAL COMPETITION GETS UNDERWAY SATURDAY, WITH QUALIFYING ROUNDS IN A NUMBER OF EVENTS, AND FINALS IN THE SHOTPUT AND THE 20-KILOMETERWALK. (SIGNED)
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01-Aug-97 7:21 PM EDT (2321 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] AZERI PRESIDENT IN WASHINGTON BY HASAN JOVADI (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN, HEYDAR ALIYEV, IS ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT THE UNITED STATES. HASAN JOVADI HAS PREPARED THIS REPORT ON THE AZERI LEADER'S STAY IN WASHINGTON, WHERE MR. ALIYEV HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

TEXT: THE CAUCASUS REGION IS RECEIVING A LOT OF ATTENTION THIS SUMMER IN WASHINGTON. MR. ALIYEV IS THE SECOND LEADER FROM THE REGION TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES IN RECENT WEEKS. GEORGIAN PRESIDENT EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE VISITED LAST MONTH.

DURING HIS WASHINGTON STAY, MR. ALIYEV PARTICIPATED IN A PANEL DISCUSSION AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MODERATED BY ZBIGNIEW BREZEZINSKI, WHO SERVED AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO PRESIDENT CARTER.

THE STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF AZERBAIJAN AND OVERALL AMERICAN POLICY IN THE CAUCASUS WAS THE ONE OF THE MAIN SUBJECTS OF DISCUSSION AT GEORGETOWN. DR. BRZEZINSKI CALLED FOR MORE ACTIVE U-S ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CAUCASUS REGION. HE SAID THAT IN A RECENT CONVERSATION WITH A CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL, THE SOUTHERN CAUCASUS WAS DESCRIBED AS "THE SECOND GRAY ZONE", THE FIRST "GREY ZONE" BEING CENTRAL EUROPE, WHICH NOW IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ADMITTED TO "THE EURO-ATLANTIC SYSTEM." DR. BRZEZINSKI SAID HE IS HOPEFUL THAT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, BY THE WAY IT IS SPEAKING OF THE REGION, WILL BECOME MORE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE CAUCASUS:

TO SPEAK OF THE SOUTHERN CAUCASIAN REGION AS THE SECOND GREY ZONE IS VERY SIGNIFICANT. IT INDICATES A GROWING AMERICAN INCLINATION TO BE ENGAGED, TO BE ATTENTIVE OF THE LONG-TERMS PROSPECTS AND POTENTIALS OF THAT REGION.

DR. BRZEZINSKI ENUMERATED SEVERAL POINTS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE U-S POLICY TOWARD THE REGION. AMONG THEM WERE AN IMPARTIAL APPROACH IN RESOLUTION OF THE ARMENIAN-AZERI CONFLICT OVER NAGORNO-KARABAKH AND A MORE FLEXIBLE APPROACH IN DEALING WITH IRAN.

IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION AT THE GEORGETOWN DISCUSSION ABOUT DEMOCRACY IN AZERBAIJAN, MR. ALIYEV ASSURED THE AUDIENCE THAT HIS COUNTRY IS MAKING PROGRESS, SAYING THAT THE COUNTRY NOW HAS NUMEROUS POLITICAL PARTIES AND NEARLY THREE HUNDRED NEWSPAPERS. BUT HE ADDED THAT DEMOCRACY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS OVERNIGHT:

IT HAS TO ENTER PEOPLE'S MIND. NOT TO ONE PERSON'S MIND, NOT ONE HUNDRED PEOPLES' MIND, EVERYBODY'S MIND. FOR SEVENTY YEARS THESE PEOPLE HAVE LIVED UNDER COMMUNIST IDEOLOGY, THEY HAVE LIVED UNDER A TOTALITARIAN REGIME. THEY CANNOT CHANGE OVER NIGHT. (OPT) THEY ASK ME THAT IN THE PAST YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE POLITBURO, HOW COME YOU ARE NOW A DEMOCRAT? I ANSWER THEM THAT FOR THIS I NEEDED MANY YEARS TO CHANGE MY VISION OF THE WORLD. AND I CHANGED. IN 1987 AFTER COMING OUT OF POLITBURO, GREAT CHANGES HAPPENED IN MY LIFE AND THESE CHANGES MADE ME FROM THE GREAT COMMUNIST OF THE PAST TO THE POSITION OF THE ANTI-COMMUNIST OF TODAY. (END OPT) NOW I AM TRYING TO ESTABLISH DEMOCRACY IN AZERBAIJAN, AND I ASSURE YOU I WILL DO THIS. OF COURSE, WE HAVE SHORTCOMINGS. (OPT) DEMOCRACY IS A CONCEPT WITHOUT LIMIT. ITS BEGINNING IS KNOWN, BUT THERE IS NO LIMIT TO IT. FOR YOUR DEMOCRACY THERE IS ALSO NO LIMIT. (END OPT)

AZERBAIJAN'S PROGRESS IN MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF INDEPENDENCE WON PRAISE FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON ON FRIDAY, WHEN THE TWO LEADERS MET AT THE WHITE HOUSE. IN COMMENTS TO REPORTERS AFTER THE MEETING, PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN MIKE MCCURRY SAID THE UNITED STATES WANTS THE PROGRESS TO CONTINUE SO THE PEOPLE OF AZERBAIJAN CAN SHARE THE FULL BENEFITS OF DEMOCRACY, PROSPERITY AND SECURITY.

ON THE SUBJECT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH, THE PREDOMINATLY ARMENIAN ENCLAVE IN AZERBAIJAN, MR. MCCURRY SAID EASING TENSIONS OVER NAGORNO-KARABAKH WOULD HELP COUNTRIES IN THE REGION DEVELOP OIL AND GAS RESERVES AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTE TO STABILITY.

IN THE WHITE HOUSE TALKS, MR. CLINTON PLEDGED TO CONTINUE TO CALL ON CONGRESS TO REPEAL AN EMBARGO IT HAS IMPOSED ON AID TO AZERBAIJAN BECAUSE OF THE CONFLICT.

CONGRESS OUTLAWED U.S. ASSISTANCE TO AZERBAIJAN IN 1992 IN REACTION TO AZERBAIJAN'S WAR-TIME BLOCKADE OF ARMENIA. A CEASE-FIRE HAS BEEN IN PLACE IN THE REGION SINCE 1994, AND THERE IS A CHANCE, ANALYSTS SAY, CONGRESS MAY DECIDE TO REPEAL THE BAN.

DURING THE WHITE HOUSE VISIT, MR. ALIYEV WITNESSED THE SIGNING OF AGREEMENTS WORTH ALMOST 10 BILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND FOUR MAJOR U-S OIL COMPANIES -- EXXON, MOBIL, AMOCO AND CHEVRON TO DEVELOP THE COUNTRY'S OIL RESERVES.

U-S SECRETARY OF ENERGY FEDERICO PENA TOLD MR. ALIYEV THAT AMERICA IS LOOKING FORWARD TO LONG TERM AND FRUITFUL COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN:

IN PARTICULAR, MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT THE UNITED STATES AND AZERBAIJAN ESTABLISH A FORMAL DIALOGUE ON ENERGY ISSUES OF COMMON INTEREST. THIS DIALOGUE, I BELIEVE, WILL PROVIDE A FOCAL POINT FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN OUR GOVERNMENTS ON THE FULL RANGE OF ENERGY ISSUES.

MR. PENA ADDED THAT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ARTICULATE ITS OPPOSITION TO THE CONGRESSIONAL EMBARGO ON AID TO AZERBAIJAN.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT IRAN'S REACTION TOWARD AZERBAIJAN'S RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES, MR. ALIYEV SAID THAT THE IRANIANS "ARE VERY UPSET AND OFFENDED THAT WE ARE INCREASING OUR COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES." HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD LIKE THE CONGRESS TO APPRECIATE THAT FACT AS IT CONSIDERS WHETHER TO REPEAL THE BAN ON AID TO HIS COUNTRY. (SIGNED)
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02-Aug-97 3:17 PM EDT (1917 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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