Baku expresses attitude to statement by Russian State Duma speaker

All foreign citizens who observed the 'elections' in Nagorno Karabakh were declared personas non grata in Azerbaijan.

All foreign observers including Russian parliamentarians who took part in the monitoring of 'parliamentary elections' in Karabakh on May 23 were declared personas non grata in Azerbaijan, said spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Elkhan Polukhov.

'Mr.Gryzlov seems to have been misinformed about the declaration of only Russian deputies observing the so-called 'parliamentary elections' in Karabakh as personas non grata in Azerbaijan', said Polukhov.

At a news conference in Yerevan, State Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov said that he is negative on the decision  of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan to declare five Russian deputies personas non grata. He considers that

Edison Research Group to observe elections in Georgia

One of the most popular research companies in the US, Edison Research Group, will observe local government elections in Georgia on May 30, 2010.

The company, which is the exclusive providers of the national election exit polls to the major US television news networks and the Associated Press, will publish the results of the exit polls on the day of polls. They have been invited to Georgia by Rustavi 2 and Imedi TV Company. The exit poll will be conducted on whole territory of Georgia.

CNN, ABC , CBS, FOX NEWS, AP are the media sources, who usually take the service of the Edison Research, who conducted research during the last presidential elections in the United States.

The representatives of the Edison Research Centre

Edison Research Group to observe elections in Georgia

One of the most popular research companies in the US, Edison Research Group, will observe local government elections in Georgia on May 30, 2010.

The company, which is the exclusive providers of the national election exit polls to the major US television news networks and the Associated Press, will publish the results of the exit polls on the day of polls. They have been invited to Georgia by Rustavi 2 and Imedi TV Company. The exit poll will be conducted on whole territory of Georgia.

CNN, ABC , CBS, FOX NEWS, AP are the media sources, who usually take the service of the Edison Research, who conducted research during the last presidential elections in the United States.

The representatives of the Edison Research Centre

Turkey may open borders with Armenia under US and EU influence, Minchenko

News.Az interviews director of the international institute of political expertise Eugeni Minchenko.

How do you assess the current situation in the South Caucasus in particular in the conflict area through the prism of interests of the United States and Russia? Don’t you think that these two countries are interested in the current status of the unresolved conflict over Karabakh and it will not be settled for a long time? If yes, why do the aforementioned states benefit from such a state of affairs?  
 
Neither the United States, nor Russia benefit from the continuation of the conflict but there are no real opportunities for its quick settlement. In addition, unilateral actions and excessive pressure on one of the conflict parties may cause imbalance the South Caucasus. 
 
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have recent held talks in Yerevan and Khankendi without paying a visit to Baku. By some information, Baku expects Armenian side to respond to Madrid principles. Featuring the content of the last version of the Madrid principles, Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov said on the first stage Armenian arfrmed forces must withdraw their troops from five occupied regions and 13 villages of Lachin. After the withdrawal of troops the Armenian side must restore all communications. The roads will open upon completion of the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Lachin and Kelbajar. The status of Karabakh will be discussed after the return of Azerbaijani refugees to the places of their residence. Now the Azerbaijani side is waiting for the response of official Yerevan. Do you think Armenia’s leadership will agree to sign such a document? 
 
Armenia will probably want to attain the mentioning of the status of Karabakh in any form before the start of withdrawing troops. 

Do you think the signing of a framework agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict is real?  
 
Unfortunately, there are few prerequisites for this.
 
The United States and West are trying to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia ignoring the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. However, official Ankara hampers the normalization process in an attempt to bind the Karabakh conflict settlement to the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. Do you think the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations is possible without respect to the Karabakh conflict? 

It is possible only through the loss of a part of the Turkish influence in Azerbaijan. Turkey may open borders with Armenia under US and EU, especially if

Armenian politician comments on Bryza's appointment

Razmik Zohrabyan

'There would be no difference for Americans.'

“It’s no tragedy,” Vice-President of the Republican Party of Armenia Razmik Zohrabyan said, speaking about Resolution 2216 adopted by the European Parliament.

“They can adopt as many resolutions as they want. Our objective is to reach the self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh,” he added.

Speaking about former OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Matthew Bryza’s nomination as next US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Razmik Zohrabyan said “it does not mean that the United States has a pro-Azerbaijani position on the Karabakh issue.”

“Bryza could have been nominated as US Ambassador to Armenia, and there would be no difference

Mines detected in Azerbaijan's Khachin river

Three anti-tank mines were found in the river on May 26.

Anti-rank and anti-infantry mines of different types have been found in the Khachin river near Husanli village of Terter by the representatives of the Azerbaijan National Anti-Mine Agency in the result of the flood water outflow, according to the news service for ANAMA.

Three anti-tank mines were found in the river on May 26. One of the mines is detected in Terter for the first time. 20 mines have recently been made in the Khachin river.

ANAMA has created special groups and taken the area under control.

1 news.az
 

Source: News.Az - Latest news from Azerbaijan

Turkish, Kazakh Presidents held a meeting

Abdullah Gul

Turkey's president who is on an official trip to Kazakhstan has called on Turkish companies to invest in this country.

Speaking at a joint conference with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana on Tuesday, President Abdullah Gul said Kazakhstan was in the customs union with Russia and Belarus which made production in this country very appealing.

Gul said the trade volume between Turkey and Kazakhstan in the previous year had reached 3 billion USD adding that they aimed to increase it up to 10 billion USD.

"We attach importance to production as well as trade, therefore I invite Turkish companies to invest in Kazakhstan," said Gul.

Gul who said that he believed investments

Karabakh mediators release statement on so-called 'parliamentary elections'

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs issue statement.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassador Igor Popov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United States, released the following statement today:

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France; Ambassador Robert Bradtke of the United States; Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation) took note that so-called parliamentary elections took place in Nagorno-Karabakh on May 23, 2010.

Although the Co-Chairs understand the need for the de facto authorities in NK to try to organize democratically the public life of their population with such a procedure, they underscore again that Nagorno-Karabakh is

Population of Batumi against naming a street after a Turkish businessman

Batumi

Residents of Batumi are irritated with one of the streets of the city named after Nurettin Charmiklin, the designer of Sheraton hotel.

Previously President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, said that man was the first to believe in Georgia and to create a beacon of development and democracy here.

Talking about the businessman, the President noticed "in childhood in Georgia he [Charmeklin] saw only Soviet projectors". "Now this border is open, but when we first entered this hotel, on behalf of the government of independent Georgia I gave Nurettin Charmeklin a rusty projector," Saakashvili said.

The Georgian leader reminded about the relatively new tradition to name streets after prominent living people, and drew George Bush-jr, the ex-President of

Baku-Novorossysk pipeline to be suspended

The Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline will be suspended for conduction of prophylactic works on 1 June 2010, according to sources in SOCAR.

“Prophylactic works are held for 10 days. This is our initiative. The suspension of the pipe for 10 days will not affect the planned volumes of oil pumping in June”, the sources said.

SOCAR is planning to pump 170,000 tons of oil in June. On the whole, this year the pipeline will export 2,250,000 tons of oil.

In 2009 SOCAR exported 2,479,000 tons of oil by the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline. The oil export by the northern route has increased by 1,283,000 tons over 2008.

Rufat Abbasov
News.Az

Source: News.Az - Latest news from Azerbaijan

'Tehran declaration is strong response to western countries'

'Signing of Tehran declaration was another move by Iran towards further trust-building.'

Tehran’s Substitute Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said the signing of a declaration in Tehran on nuclear fuel swap was a strong response to western countries.

The cleric made the remark while addressing worshippers gathered in Tehran University campus for the weekly congregational prayers.

He said the declaration which was also signed by Brazil and Turkey put the ball in the West’s court.

The Ayatollah further described the declaration as a precise and good document.

He went on to criticize those who hit at Iran’s peaceful nuclear program claiming that it was developed to use enriched uranium for military

Fifth republican mugam contest held in Azerbaijan's Astara

The fifth youth republican contest of mugam is being held in Astara, Azerbaijan.

The contest involves 150 children and young people from 45 cities and regions organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The aim of the contest is to propagate national music and national songs, mugam, present new young mugam talents. The contest is held five days and the young performers at the age from 12 to 22 performs before professional artists Janali Akperov, Sakina Ismaylova, Mansum Ibrahimov, Agaverdi Pashayev, Gulyaz Mamadova and Gulustan Aliyev.

At the fifth republican contest of winners the first four places will get a money prize, a diploma and a laureate title, as well as consolatory

'Return of Kelbajar and Fizuli to weaken Armenia’s positions'

Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan

'Statements are made by one or two politicians and it is absurd.'

In case of surrendering Kelbajar and Fizuli, Armenia will weaken all its positions, thus extending the front line and also frustrating existing infrastructure, general Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan.

According to the general, theoretically, the implications of the surrender of lands, depending of whether these are two, five or half regions, will be like this.

However, Ter-Tadevosyan, such events are unreal. “Such statements are made by one or two politicians and it is absurd to pay attention to it or go deeper into this issue”, he considers.

Even if a decision to surrender the lands is taken,

Tokyo hosts Azerbaijani-Japanese business forum

The forum involved about 200 businessmen in agriculture, tourism, trade, pharmacology, industry, transport, construction and banking sector.

The Azerbaijani-Japanese business forum was held in Tokyo within the framework of the sixth session of the Azerbaijani-Japanese intergovernmental economic commission on May 17.

According to a statement in the ministry of economic development, the forum was organized by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation under support of the Economic Development Ministry.

The forum involved about 200 businessmen in agriculture, tourism, trade, pharmacology, industry, transport, construction and banking sector.

Wide information about the economic development of Azerbaijan, prospects of development of alternative energy sources, agricultural production and processing industry, prospects of tourism development.

The commission is co-chairs by Azerbaijan’s

Ilham Aliyev receives Turkish Premier

Aliyev receives Turkish Premier

Azerbaijani president and Turkish premier state successful development of bilateral relations.

President Ilham Aliyev is confident about the high effectiveness of the official visit of Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Azerbaijan.

“Our visit will become a very important step for the development of the bilateral ties and it will be effective”, Aliyev said during the expanded negotiations with the Turkish Premier in Baku on Monday”,  AZTV channel reports.

The Azerbaijani president has expressed satisfaction with the state of cooperation between the two countries.

“We have held an expanded exchange of views, discussed all spheres of bilateral relations and have seen again that

Tehran hosts G-15 summit

The summit will be held from May 15 to 17 in Tehran.

Tehran's Provisional Friday Prayers Leader Hojjatoleslam Kazzem Sediqi expressed the hope that the summit of Group 15 in Tehran would take new steps in resolving problems of the developing states.
   
Addressing a large and fervent congregation of people on Tehran University campus, Hojjatoleslam Sediqi said the meeting also indicates strong and favorable impetus in the country's diplomatic organ.

He said Iran will host the meeting at a time when there are words to get it isolated.

The upcoming Summit would review the strategies and policies of the Group on important international issues such as the current financial and

Two Azerbaijani vessels arrested in Caspian Sea

Two Azerbaijani poaching ships with over 500 kg sturgeon fish on the boat have been detained in the Caspian Sea.

The statement was made by spokesman for the department of internal affairs of the Atyrau province Gulnazira Mukhtarova, Kazakhstan Today reports.

"Two Azerbaijani ships with 18 Azerbaijani citizens of board were arrested in the Caspian Kazakh sector during the joint operations of the divisions of the interior department, prosecution on environmental protection, frontier service of the National Security Committee and other services. By preliminary information, there are over 500 kilograms of sturgeon fish on the board", the spokesman for the department said.

Mukhtarova also noted that the poachers were detained thanks to the flying around the Caspian Kazakh Sea that

Rail projects well under way

Work is progressing more quickly on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

This is what Azerbaijan's deputy transport minister, Musa Panakhov, told a coordination meeting on the South Caucasus Transport Corridor, held in Tbilisi on 12 May. He said there no problems with the project.

The meeting discussed how to make the most of projects financed by donors. It covered the reconstruction of roads, the quality of road construction and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail project. 

Musa Panakhov led the Azerbaijani delegation at the meeting. 'Representatives of the Asian Development Bank, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, Council of Europe, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Commission, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, World Bank and the OSCE

Azerbaijani futsal team to play without Brazilians

Friendlies between the Uzbek and Azerbaijani futsal teams will be held in Tashkent on May 18 and 19.

According to News.Az, the squad of Azerbaijan for these matches has been declared. 12 players have been invited into the Azerbaijani national team: Marat Salyanski, Elnur Zamanov, Andrey Tveryankin, Rizvan Farzaliyev, Vitali Borisov, Rajab Farajzada, Elnur Gambarov, Rufat Balakishiyev, Elvin Guliyev, Hikmat Baghirov, Farid Atakishiyev, Radik Ahmadov.

As is seen from this list, the coaches of our team decided to check the closest reserve and did not include Brazilians into it.

The Uzbek team was the one that proposed to hold the friendlies. Uzbekistan is preparing for the Asian Cup to be held in Tashkent on May 23-June 5.

Elmir

Elections to meet European standards - ruling party MP

Gultekin Hajibeyli

MP Gultekin Hajibeyli of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party has said that this autumn's parliamentary elections will meet European standards.

'Azerbaijan is successfully implementing all reforms in the sphere of democracy. In this respect, all elections held in the country are an obvious indicator of democratic development,' Gultekin Hajibeyli, deputy chairwoman of the parliamentary committee for international relations and interparliamentary relations, said on the New Azerbaijan Party website today.

Hajibeyli said that the parliamentary elections in November would be well organized.

'After every election, European organizations assess the election process as a further move towards European standards. I believe that the upcoming elections will be another step towards European standards in terms of their transparency and democracy and

UN forecasts 6% inflation in Azerbaijan

UNESCAP

A regional UN commission predicts Azerbaijan will be among the fastest growing economies in 2010 with 7% growth and a 6% increase in inflation.

The growth will be fueled mainly by  high oil and gas prices and increased external demand, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) said in its Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2010, published on 6 May  in Bangkok.

The performance of the non-oil sector is expected to lag behind the oil sector, the UNESCAP survey  said.

Annual consumer price inflation could reach 6% in 2010 due to higher energy and commodity prices, increased capital inflows and expected rise in domestic demand, the survey continued.

Foreign

Omani rector visits Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy

A.bin S.Ba'Omar & H.Pashazade

The Director General of Omani Diplomatic Institute, Dr. Ahmed bin Salim Ba'Omar visits Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.

The Director General of Omani Diplomatic Institute, Dr. Ahmed bin Salim Ba’Omar, and First Secretary of the Institute, Isa bin Saleh Al-Sheyba, visited Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy on May 3-6. The guests met with ADA Rector, Dr. Hafiz Pashayev, to discuss perspectives for academic exchange between their institutes. Dr. Ahmed bin Salim Ba’Omar and Isa bin Saleh Al-Sheyba also met with Fariz Ismailzade, Director of Advanced Foreign Service Program, Ms. Janice Austin, Director of Admissions, Dr. Vafa Kazdal, Director of the English for Academic and Professional Purposes Program, and Dr. Anar Valiyev, Associate

Turkish reform package awaits Presidents signature

Abdullah Gul

Turkey's constitutional amendment package awaits President Abdullah Gul's signature.

The constitutional amendment package that received 336 votes in the parliament on Friday has been submitted to Chankaya presidential palace for President Abdullah Gul’s signature.

After examination of the whole package, Gul will publicly announce his decision.

The Constitution of 1982, which was introduced after an army coup, currently undergoes the 17th amendment since adoption.

President Gul heralded that his decision will come before long. As the reform package could not pass the majority threshold of 367 votes, Gul will either send back amendments to the parliament for further discussions or grant approval and

Azerbaijani, Armenian public 'not ready for peace'

Arif Yunus

News.Az interviews Arif Yunus, director of the Department of Conflict Studies at Azerbaijani NGO, the Institute of Peace and Democracy.

This month marks the 16th anniversary of the ceasefire between Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces. Do you think the sides will manage to preserve the reconciliation?

This issue can be seen both positively and negatively. The positive side is that the ceasefire has been kept for 16 years without the peacekeeping forces of any third state or international organization being involved. This is, undoubtedly, a plus. However, this does not include small arms. We constantly get information about the violation of the ceasefire, exchanges of fire and a sniper war in which people are killed. This is the negative aspect. Another negative is that the negotiating process, which has lasted all this time, has not been effective yet. A ceasefire does not does not mean peace, a ceasefire is an indefinite state.

However, the sides to the conflict say that some progress in the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict has been achieved. Do you agree?

I cannot see anything positive here. I follow the negotiating process constantly, I have been studying it especially since the creation of the Minsk Group. There have been many proposals on the conflict settlement at different times, but all of them ended without result. It is difficult to say that the negotiating process has given anything new, because the negotiating process here is mostly for show. This means that in reality there have been no real negotiations. The negotiating process means that the sides are striving to attain something via compromise. It is clear that the negotiating process between the two countries is leading to compromise, but perception of the term 'compromise' is distorted in Armenian and Azerbaijani society. They think that compromise must be only in their favour. That is, when Armenians and Azerbaijanis speak about a just settlement, each party is thinking that the issue must be settled only in their favour. Meanwhile, this is a hurdle that is difficult to get over. For

New office of Ireli public union opens in Baku

The center of the Ireli public union has held a presentation of its new office.

According to union chairman Jeyhun Osmanli, all conditions are created for implementation of new projects at the new office of Ireli.

Thus, there will be the first youth internet-radio Ireli, Ireli production intended for production of films, the center of Ireli information technologies center with several projects, a historical center, a consulting center, a center of international relations, center of foreign languages and a library.

He said the increase in the number of partners of the union and the future implemented projects may promote opening of new offices for a closer work with the youth.

Deputy Minister of Youth and

Azerbaijan goes to polls on 7 November

Central Election Commission

The parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan will be held on 7 November, the Central Election Commission confirmed today.

Under the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, parliamentary elections are held every five years on the first Sunday of November, Central Election Commission spokesman Azer Sariyev said. 

He said that this year election day falls on 7 November.

Under the Election Code, the election marathon begins officially at least 75 days before voting day.

Central Election Commission secretary Natig Mammadov told a sitting of the commission today that every candidate had to open a personal account with the International Bank of Azerbaijan.

'The fund of a candidate or election bloc must not

Azerbaijan, Russia working on 'technical issues' for border treaty

A treaty on the state border between Russia and Azerbaijan should be ready for signing in a few months' time, Moscow's envoy in Baku has said.

'All issues concerning the delimitation of borders between Russia and Azerbaijan have practically been settled,' the Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Vladimir Dorokhin, told reporters today.

He said the parties were preparing to sign an interstate treaty delimiting the border.

'Today we are settling technical issues in the preparation of the final text of the document and the release of geographical maps. It will take several months, after which a document will be signed,' he said.

The Azerbaijani-Russian working group on delimitation and demarcation of the state border reached agreement in Khachmaz on 16 April after years of negotiations.

Azerbaijan's deputy

Armenian rapprochement not dead - Turkish minister

Ahmet Davutoglu

Armenian-Turkish reconciliation dominated Ahmet Davutoglu's discussions with Turkish academics in Britain and with journalists on the plane home.

While attending a conference in Oxford on 'Turkey’s foreign policy in a changing world', the Turkish foreign minister had breakfast with Turkish professors Baskin Oran, Sevket Pamuk, Sahin Alpay and Cengiz Aktar. He mainly spoke about Armenian-Turkish rapprochement and listened to the academics' proposals for changing the names of streets, setting up a monument on the border and taking measures against those sowing hostility. He also heard criticism for not focusing on Baku in normalizing relations with Armenia.

Davutoglu said at the meeting that the protocols were not dead, and Turkey would not allow

Ilham Aliyev lauds relations with Iran

Ilham Aliyev

Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran are developing successfully, the Azerbaijani president said today when he received Iran's interior minister

Ilham Aliyev hoped that Mostafa Mohammad Najjar's visit to Azerbaijan would be productive and expressed his confidence that the visit would encourage the friendly and fraternal relations between the two countries. The president described the visit of the Iranian minister at the head of a large delegation as a good indicator of relations and expressed confidence about the further strengthening of bilateral ties.

In turn, Najjar said the presence in his delegation of the leaders of four Iranian provinces bordering on Azerbaijan showed the importance attached to the visit.

Azerbaijan's interior minister, Ramil Usubov,

SOCAR to launch new oil and gas processing complex in 2018-2019

SOCAR

SOCAR continues working at feasibility study of new complex in oil refining, gas and petrochemistry to be built north of Sangachal oil, gas terminal.

SOCAR vice president in refining Davud Mammadov said that in late September the company expects to receive the feasibility study of the project.

“It will be considered and if recognized expedient, its coordination, receive of permissions and work at the project will follow. The project envisions deep processing of Azerbaijan’s hydrocarbon reserves. The complex is projected based on the population of the country in 2050, the par of cars, level of fuel oil consumption and so on. The complex capacity is estimated at about 40 bn cubic meters a year while the capacity of the