BBC Monitoring Service April 3, 2002
Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 2 April
[Presenter] The design of the textbook Fatherland, which is used in Azerbaijan's schools, has caused discontent at the Iranian embassy in Baku. The embassy still believes that the issue will be resolved. Otherwise, the problem could aggravate relations between the two countries, which are already complicated.
[Correspondent over video of textbook] The textbook Fatherland, designated for pupils of the fifth form, could cause a diplomatic scandal between Azerbaijan and Iran. The problem is that the picture on the cover of the textbook shows the territories of the Azerbaijani Republic and northern Iran as united. In addition to this, the Azerbaijani flag flutters over the map.
The press service of the Iranian embassy in Azerbaijan has told ANS that Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and Azerbaijani National Security Minister Namiq Abbasov have been informed about the problem. The embassy stressed that the president and national security minister appreciated their anxiety and promised to resolve the issue.
The head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Education Ministry, Bayram Huseynzada, could not explain why that picture had been put on the textbook and added that the ministry had ap

proved the textbook's publication on the basis of a review submitted by the methodical council. The methodical council, which reviews history books, is headed by MP Yaqub Mahmudlu, author of the controversial book.
Asked why the education ministry had approved the publication of the textbook, Huseynzada said that its publication was allowed because the author had thoroughly done his work.
Advising the Iranian side not to exaggerate the issue, Mahmudlu said that Azerbaijan was not demanding the return of its historical lands, as it is a civic country. But his own position on the problem is different.
[Mahmudlu] I think it would be right if this claim is put forward.
[Correspondent] The head of the press service of the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry, Araz Qurbanov, said that Azerbaijan had no territorial claims on any country. As for the picture on the cover of the textbook Fatherland, Mr Qurbanov said that this was a map of ancient Azerbaijan. He drew attention to the fact that Azerbaijan's tricolour was shown fluttering over the Azerbaijani Republic. Araz Qurbanov described the politicization of this issue as irrelevant precisely for this reason. Etibar Mammadov, Esmira Namiq qizi, Azar Qarayev, ANS.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
By Michael Lelyveld
Boston, 2 April 2002 (RFE/RL) -- Iran may face hard choices in preparing for a Caspian Sea summit this month, while its neighbors are negotiating a series of bilateral pacts.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has agreed to attend the two-day summit of the five shoreline nations in Ashgabat starting on 23 April, after 13 months of postponements and diplomatic delays.
Reports in the past week suggest that all sides have already determined that the meeting will make no progress on a legal division of the Cas

pian. The problem has stumped the region since the Soviet breakup over a decade ago.
The summit is being held at Russia's urging to restore momentum to talks among deputy foreign ministers that have reached an impasse over how to draw maritime borders. The issue has blocked development of some offshore oil fields and raised fears of possible clashes over competing claims.
But instead of promising a breakthrough, the advance publicity for the summit seems to be aimed at avoiding any expectation of progress.
On 27 March, Interfax quoted unnamed "Moscow sources" as saying that the meeting "is