June 7, 2002 - 23:29 AMT
AZERBAIJAN DISTURBED WITH VOLUME OF IRANIAN INVESTMENTS INTO NAGORNO KARABAKH ECONOMY
Baku is disturbed with the expanding economic cooperation between Nagorno Karabakh and Iran. The vigilance of the Azeri mass media is, in particular, due to the reports about the Iranian businessmen establishing an enterprise in Stepanakert producing polyethylene pipes used to build gas conduits, water pipes and irrigation systems. In the opinion of the commentator of "Echo" newspaper being published in Baku, private capital investment into the Karabakh economy is sanctioned by official Teheran. "Iran is a closed society with severe state control, and it is hard to imagine that businessmen have made a decision on such a step without the blessing or at least implied assent of the authorities," - the newspaper writes. The author of the article reminds other similar projects. The hydroelectric power plant, which Iranians together with Armenia allegedly intended to build on the territory controlled by Karabakh security zone forces, border crossing point near Khudaferin bridge, the developing trade near the frontier. The newspaper is indignant that "there has been no clear response by the Azerbaijani authorities to the Iranian investment activity in Nagorno Karabakh."