Iranian President orders ban on Israeli goods

Iranian President has called for the implementation of a bill demanding major efforts to enforce a total boycott on goods with Israeli origin.

According to the website of the Iranian government, President Ahmadinejad ordered the implementation of the pro-Palestinian bill, which was ratified by the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) earlier in June.

Iranian lawmakers agreed to task a committee with identifying Israeli companies and institutions to step up efforts for imposing a ban on Israeli products.

Under the Majlis bill, the Iranian Foreign Ministry is required to put forward a proposal for the boycott of Israeli commodities at international meetings including the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement.

The ministry should also present annual reports on the activities of the committee

Azerbaijani President's press secretary comments on Belarus's appeal for loan

The president's press secretary Azer Gasimov makes comment to Trend regarding Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko statement to Euronews television that Belarus has appealed to the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for assistance in paying off Belarus's gas debt to Russia and the sides reached an agreement.

According to Azer Gasimov on June 21, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky appealed to Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizadeh for Azerbaijan's providing short-term loan to Belarus.

This was reported to Ilham Aliyev and he agreed to allocate the loan, given the friendship relations between our countries.

Azerbaijan's loan for Belarus totals $200 million and the

Turkey closes airspace to Israel

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkey withdrew its ambassador and canceled joint military drills with Israel in response to the deadly raid May 31 that left nine dead

Turkey's prime minister is quoted as saying Monday that his country has closed its airspace to Israeli flights following a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Toronto that Turkey imposed the ban after the May 31 raid on a Turkish ship that was part of a six-vessel international aid flotilla, according to the state-run Anatolia news agency.

The prime minister, who is in Canada to attend a summit of the Group of 20 major industrial and developing nations, did not elaborate.

On Sunday, Israeli media reported

Karabakh not priority for USA, Russia or Europe

Yuri Sigov

News.Az interviews Yuri Sigov, political reviewer and chief of the Business People magazine's administration in Washington.

The resentment over the US policy on the Karabakh conflict is recently growing in Azerbaijan. What can you say about the situation? Can it be considered a crisis in the relations between the two countries that have earlier been featured as strategic?
 
I think Baku should not be offended with the United States  regarding Karabakh. Karabakh is currently not a priority either for America, or Russia or Europe since they have their own issues and if nothing extraordinary occurs in Karabakh (that is open hostilities), no one in Washington or Moscow will display a serious concern. Meanwhile, the United States does not want the resumption of hostilities there, which is why it will further support the negotiation process without raising tensions. But there will not be any real result from the such awaiting diplomacy at least for Azerbaijan.
 
Azerbaijan has made it clear that in case America continues such a discriminative approach, the strategic cooperation of Baku with Washington, including on such key spheres, as energy and security, will be limited. Will the United States take this position into account?
 
America is not afraid of any restrictions and Baku is well aware of it. On the other hand, the Azerbaijani government can “press” on the United States by some points. There is an option of a closer cooperation with Russia, there is an opportunity to enliven ties with Iran and Turkey and trade on Nabucco with

Karabakh not priority for USA, Russia or Europe

Yuri Sigov

News.Az interviews Yuri Sigov, political reviewer and chief of the Business People magazine's administration in Washington.

The resentment over the US policy on the Karabakh conflict is recently growing in Azerbaijan. What can you say about the situation? Can it be considered a crisis in the relations between the two countries that have earlier been featured as strategic?
 
I think Baku should not be offended with the United States  regarding Karabakh. Karabakh is currently not a priority either for America, or Russia or Europe since they have their own issues and if nothing extraordinary occurs in Karabakh (that is open hostilities), no one in Washington or Moscow will display a serious concern. Meanwhile, the United States does not want the resumption of hostilities there, which is why it will further support the negotiation process without raising tensions. But there will not be any real result from the such awaiting diplomacy at least for Azerbaijan.
 
Azerbaijan has made it clear that in case America continues such a discriminative approach, the strategic cooperation of Baku with Washington, including on such key spheres, as energy and security, will be limited. Will the United States take this position into account?
 
America is not afraid of any restrictions and Baku is well aware of it. On the other hand, the Azerbaijani government can “press” on the United States by some points. There is an option of a closer cooperation with Russia, there is an opportunity to enliven ties with Iran and Turkey and trade on Nabucco with

Karabakh not priority for USA, Russia or Europe

Yuri Sigov

News.Az interviews Yuri Sigov, political reviewer and chief of the Business People magazine's administration in Washington.

The resentment over the US policy on the Karabakh conflict is recently growing in Azerbaijan. What can you say about the situation? Can it be considered a crisis in the relations between the two countries that have earlier been featured as strategic?
 
I think Baku should not be offended with the United States  regarding Karabakh. Karabakh is currently not a priority either for America, or Russia or Europe since they have their own issues and if nothing extraordinary occurs in Karabakh (that is open hostilities), no one in Washington or Moscow will display a serious concern. Meanwhile, the United States does not want the resumption of hostilities there, which is why it will further support the negotiation process without raising tensions. But there will not be any real result from the such awaiting diplomacy at least for Azerbaijan.
 
Azerbaijan has made it clear that in case America continues such a discriminative approach, the strategic cooperation of Baku with Washington, including on such key spheres, as energy and security, will be limited. Will the United States take this position into account?
 
America is not afraid of any restrictions and Baku is well aware of it. On the other hand, the Azerbaijani government can “press” on the United States by some points. There is an option of a closer cooperation with Russia, there is an opportunity to enliven ties with Iran and Turkey and trade on Nabucco with

Latest attacks show terrorist organization in panic - Gul

Abdullah Gul

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Thursday the recent attacks of the terrorist PKK organization had shown that it was acting in panic.

"The latest acts of the terrorist organization are the moves of a group which is in panic and which does not know where it is going," Gul told a conference at the War Academies in Istanbul.

Terrorist attacks in Turkey have escalated over the last couple of weeks as eleven troops were killed in an ambush in southeast Turkey at the weekend. On Tuesday, a roadside bomb rocked a bus carrying military personnel and their families in Istanbul, killing four soldiers and the 17-year-old daughter of an officer.

"The terrorist organization is aware that

Turkish police detain 27 after deadly terror attack in Istanbul

Twenty-seven people were detained yesterday on suspicion of having laid a roadside bomb that killed four soldiers and a young civilian on Tuesday.

The suspects were taken to the İstanbul Police Anti-Terror Directorate for interrogation.

The detentions come as part of the police investigation launched on Tuesday morning, after five were killed in an attack on a civilian bus transporting military personnel. One of those killed was the 17 year old daughter of a military officer.

The suspects are currently being interrogated.

Today's Zaman

Source: News.Az - Latest news from Azerbaijan

Jundallah leader executed in Iran

Abdolmalek Rigi

Iran has executed ringleader of the Pakistan-based Jundallah terrorist group.

Iran says it has executed ringleader of the Pakistan-based Jundallah terrorist group Abdolmalek Rigi arrested while preparing to launch a new round of attacks on the country.

Rigi was hanged on Sunday morning in Tehran's Evin prison upon a ruling issued by the country's Islamic Revolution Court.

The Jundallah ringleader was charged with 79 counts of various crimes including armed robbery, bombing operations in public places, armed attacks on the army, police personnel, and ordinary civilians, assassination attempts, disrupting regional stability, kidnapping and murder.

Rigi's execution comes as Iranian security forces arrested him on

Belarus pledges uninterrupted Russian gas supplies to Europe despite cuts

Gazprom

Belarus will continue to provide uninterrupted transit of Russian gas to Europe, a Belarusian Energy Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday.

"Despite the fact that Gazprom has imposed a 15% cut on gas supplies to the Republic [of Belarus], the Energy Ministry is taking measures to ensure uninterrupted transit," Lyudmila Zenkovich said.

Belarus refuses to pay the Russian gas price, set at $169 per 1,000 cubic metres for the first quarter of the year and $185 for the second quarter, and has been paying $150 since 1 January instead.

Belarusian First Deputy Energy Minister Eduard Tovpinets on Friday evening announced that Gazprom owed some $200 million to Belarus for gas transit fees to Europe, the same

AIOC transfers over 1.4 bn cubic meters of associated gas

Azerbaijan International Operation Company transferred 1.414 bn cubic meters of associated gas from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields.

In January-May 2010, the Azerbaijan International Operation Company transferred 1.414 bn cubic meters of associated gas from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields, said sources in SOCAR.

Supplies made up 250.1m cubic meters in January, 287.2m cubic meters in February, 266.6m cubic meters in March, 314.2m cubic meters in April and 296.6m cubic meters in May.

The gas supplies for SOCAR have dropped by 330m cubic meters in January-May 2009.

The gas by the underwater pipeline from Chirag-1 platform is supplied to the gas compressor station to the Oil Rocks field. The communication works have been held with the Central Azeri platform and

AIOC transfers over 1.4 bn cubic meters of associated gas

Azerbaijan International Operation Company transferred 1.414 bn cubic meters of associated gas from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields.

In January-May 2010, the Azerbaijan International Operation Company transferred 1.414 bn cubic meters of associated gas from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields, said sources in SOCAR.

Supplies made up 250.1m cubic meters in January, 287.2m cubic meters in February, 266.6m cubic meters in March, 314.2m cubic meters in April and 296.6m cubic meters in May.

The gas supplies for SOCAR have dropped by 330m cubic meters in January-May 2009.

The gas by the underwater pipeline from Chirag-1 platform is supplied to the gas compressor station to the Oil Rocks field. The communication works have been held with the Central Azeri platform and

Senior official raps higher education in Azerbaijan

Ramiz Mehdiyev

The head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev, has said that higher education is not up to scratch.

He was speaking at the close of a meeting yesterday of the president's education commission, which was attended by ministers and university rectors.

Ramiz Mehdiyev told the university rectors that although Azerbaijan was developing dynamically, it could not meet its need for skilled specialists. Admission examinations for state service and entry tests by other companies showed that graduates' knowledge was not up to standard.

He said that one major problem was a lack of young staff to establish European education standards in Azerbaijan.

Ramiz Mehdiyev said that although universities had announced that they were

Azerbaijani minister talks up ICT sector

Ali Abbasov

Azerbaijan's minister of communications and information technology, Ali Abbasov, has described the ICT sector as the most promising one after oil.

He made the comments in a lecture yesterday at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, 1news.az reported.

Ali Abbasov commented on the ministry's close cooperation with educational institutions, including the Diplomatic Academy.

He talked about major projects in the sector in Azerbaijan and noted the importance of developing human resources both in the ICT sector and the country as a whole.

He said the was considered the most promising in Azerbaijan and a priority after the oil sector.

'In several years the level of profitability of the sector will reach that of the oil sector,' Abbasov

New geopolitical configuration in Caucasus

Rauf Rajabov

An Azerbaijani analyst has dismissed comments that the USA does not understand the importance of Azerbaijan.

'US foreign  policy has always been balanced. Therefore, I do not think that the United States were unaware of Azerbaijan’s importance in the South Caucasus and have understood it only recently,' Rauf Rajabov, political analyst and editor-in-chief of the 3rd View information agency, has said.

He said that Azerbaijan had been playing an important role in the Caucasus for several years and was the initiator of, or an active participant in, regional and international energy transportation projects.

'However, the formation of the new world financial system, the future of Iraq and Afghanistan, the problem

Azerbaijan against escalation of tension over Iran

Ali Ahmadov

Azerbaijan hopes that any future action on Iran will avoid exacerbating tension in the region, a senior ruling party official has said.

'Resolution of the Iranian problem in any way that may entail disastrous consequences and an escalation of tension is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' the executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, Ali Ahmadov, told journalists on Saturday.

He was commenting, albeit indirectly, on the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution imposing fresh sanctions against Iran.

'As a peace-loving nation, Azerbaijan supports the resolution of problematic and contentious issues peacefully through negotiation. A solution to the Iranian problem by any other means is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' Ahmadov said.

He said that Iran and Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan against escalation of tension over Iran

Ali Ahmadov

Azerbaijan hopes that any future action on Iran will avoid exacerbating tension in the region, a senior ruling party official has said.

'Resolution of the Iranian problem in any way that may entail disastrous consequences and an escalation of tension is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' the executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, Ali Ahmadov, told journalists on Saturday.

He was commenting, albeit indirectly, on the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution imposing fresh sanctions against Iran.

'As a peace-loving nation, Azerbaijan supports the resolution of problematic and contentious issues peacefully through negotiation. A solution to the Iranian problem by any other means is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' Ahmadov said.

He said that Iran and Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan against escalation of tension over Iran

Ali Ahmadov

Azerbaijan hopes that any future action on Iran will avoid exacerbating tension in the region, a senior ruling party official has said.

'Resolution of the Iranian problem in any way that may entail disastrous consequences and an escalation of tension is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' the executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, Ali Ahmadov, told journalists on Saturday.

He was commenting, albeit indirectly, on the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution imposing fresh sanctions against Iran.

'As a peace-loving nation, Azerbaijan supports the resolution of problematic and contentious issues peacefully through negotiation. A solution to the Iranian problem by any other means is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' Ahmadov said.

He said that Iran and Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan against escalation of tension over Iran

Ali Ahmadov

Azerbaijan hopes that any future action on Iran will avoid exacerbating tension in the region, a senior ruling party official has said.

'Resolution of the Iranian problem in any way that may entail disastrous consequences and an escalation of tension is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' the executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, Ali Ahmadov, told journalists on Saturday.

He was commenting, albeit indirectly, on the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution imposing fresh sanctions against Iran.

'As a peace-loving nation, Azerbaijan supports the resolution of problematic and contentious issues peacefully through negotiation. A solution to the Iranian problem by any other means is unacceptable to Azerbaijan,' Ahmadov said.

He said that Iran and Azerbaijan

Saakashvili destroyed the territorial integrity of Georgia himself - Lavrov

Sergey Lavrov

Mikheil Saakashvili is to be blamed for violation of territorial integrity of Georgia, Sergey Lavrov said in his interview with "Comersant".

According to him, conflicts on Georgian territories are solved for Russia; ‘serious countries’ think so too.

‘We didn’t have other choice. Saakashvili destroyed the territorial integrity of Georgia himself. We were trying to help South Ossetia and Abkhazia while Saakashvili was ordering to kill our peacekeepers and Ossetian civilians’, Lavrov said.

Lavrov also said Russia was not going to recognize independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia has satisfied the requirement of the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement regarding withdrawal of troops from the Georgian territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his interview with "Comersant".

STRATFOR founder visits News.Az and Armenia.Az

George Friedman

STRATFOR founder George Friedman has visited the editorial offices of News.Az and Armenia.Az.

Prof. Friedman, founder and head of the International Strategic Research Centre, met News.Az director Elnur Baimov.

The visitor learned more about one of the biggest English-language news agencies in Azerbaijan and discussed the current situation in Azerbaijan, the South Caucasus and world in general.

The political scientist also expressed interest in Armenia.Az, the only project of its kind in Azerbaijan, through which residents of Armenia have access to unbiased and reliable information about Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis in their native language.

George Friedman noted the importance of the Armenia.Az project in forming an unbiased attitude

Islamic Party leader claims US to deploy troops on Iranian border

The US plans to deploy forces near the Iranian border in Armenia under the guise of UN peacekeepers, the head of Azerbaijan's Islamic Party has said.

Movsum Samadov made the comments in an interview on Monday with Iran's Fars News agency.

'Parts of the territories occupied by Armenia lie in Iran's neighbourhood and the US wants to deploy its forces in the region under the cover of UN peacekeeping troops,' Samadov said.

He said that US wanted to endanger Iran and put the country under military siege.

Samadov said that all Azerbaijan's religious parties had condemned the US plot.

The Islamic Party of Azerbaijan was created in the religiously conservative village of Nardaran on the Absheron Peninsula in 1991. The party is known for its pro-Iranian

Armenia, Azerbaijan disagree at Black Sea assembly

The Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations to the Black Sea Economic Coooperation Organization's Parliamentary Assembly clashed over prisoner figures.

Turkish and Azerbaijani delegates made statements at the Parliamentary Assembly sitting in Belgium.

The Azerbaijanis said that Armenia was holding female Azerbaijani prisoners and contaminating Azerbaijani water.

'We asked them to provide the lists, if there are any,' MP Vardan Khachatryan, a member of the Armenian delegation said.

He said there were no Red Cross documents confirming the presence of Azerbaijani women prisoners in Armenia.

The assembly meeting turned down a request for observer status from the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States.

Pubic Radio of Armenia

Source: News.Az - Latest news from Azerbaijan

'Superpowers show demonstrative interest to Azerbaijan'

Fikret Sadikhov

'It is time when the leading superpowers show demonstrative interest to Azerbaijan.

The increased activeness and dynamic political game on the US part is currently perceived in the South Caucasus region', said political scientist Fikret Sadikhov commenting on the visit of head of Pentagon Robert Gates to Azerbaijan.

'The visit of US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to Baku and the preparing visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proves the significant growth of the US strategic interest to Azerbaijan as an important chain in the transit corridor from Iraq and Afghanistan. The main transfer of coalition troops and arms to Afghanistan is carried out

'Armenia not ready to host Eurovision'

Armenia is not ready to host the Eurovision Song Contest, Armenian singer Tigran Petrosyan said.

"I think that we are not ready at all for that contest to take place in Armenia, starting from transport and ending with hotels. It will be very hard for us to host delegations of 40 countries at once," said he.

Petrosyan has twice participated in Eurovision as a back vocalist.

He says that it is important that the song selected for contest be presented by a good studio.

"As we came to know the song must be presented by a good studio," said he, adding that it was the Universal Studio that promoted the Satellite - the song that

'Armenia not ready to host Eurovision'

Armenia is not ready to host the Eurovision Song Contest, Armenian singer Tigran Petrosyan said.

"I think that we are not ready at all for that contest to take place in Armenia, starting from transport and ending with hotels. It will be very hard for us to host delegations of 40 countries at once," said he.

Petrosyan has twice participated in Eurovision as a back vocalist.

He says that it is important that the song selected for contest be presented by a good studio.

"As we came to know the song must be presented by a good studio," said he, adding that it was the Universal Studio that promoted the Satellite - the song that

Azerbaijan increases military budget 471% since 2000

Worldwide military spending increased in 2009 at the fastest pace since 2003, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's new report says.

'As the world’s military spending increased nearly 50% over the past decade, the biggest military budget increases were seen in small, oil-rich countries flooded with new wealth,' the Christian Science Monitor reported.

'From 2000 to 2009, Chad increased its military budget 663 percent, Azerbaijan increased 471 percent, and Kazakhstan increased 360 percent.'

The newspaper commented that Azerbaijan had used oil revenues 'to beef up forces along its border with Armenia, which has traditionally had a stronger army and enjoys strategic terrain advantages. The International Crisis Group said in a report last year that Azerbaijan's stronger military could put the fragile

SOCAR mulls export of Turkmen compressed gas

Italy's ENI has suggested that Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR take part in exporting compressed natural gas (CNG) from Turkmenistan to Europe.

Vagif Aliyev, head of SOCAR's Investment Department, said that ENI was proposing to transport between 6bn and 8bn cubic metres of gas a year.

He announced the proposals at the Caspian Oil & Gas Conference today.

'On the one hand, they want to know our opinion about this idea, and we told them that we are ready to provide favourable transit conditions. On the other hand, they suggest carrying out the project together. We have coordinated a SOCAR-ENI joint working group to study the project in full – the technical, legal and commercial aspects. This is not a small volume

Shah Deniz gas production may increase in 2011

Preparations are under way for full field development at Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas deposit.

Rovnag Abdullayev, president of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR, outlined work on Shah Deniz at the Caspian Oil & Gas Conference in Baku today.

Phase 2 of full field development at Shah Deniz will include the drilling of 30 new wells, the installation of 14 manifolds and the construction of a new platform, Rovnag Abdullayev said.

'At present, we are preparing for Phase 2 which will result in annual output of 16bn cu.m,' he said.

The SOCAR president said that gas production as part of Phase 2 was expected to begin in 2016.

The vice president for Shah Deniz Development

Iran's supreme leader condemns Israeli attack

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

The leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution says the USA, Britain and France must be held accountable for an Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy.

The supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said the attack on the international convoy was an act of lunacy, which brought Israel closer to its end.

'Zionism is a new and more aggressive face of fascism which is this time supported by governments claiming to be advocates of freedom and human rights, the US above all,' Ayatollah Khamenei said.

'What does the three-year blockade of food and medicine imposed on 1.5 million Palestinians mean? How is the massacre, torture and imprisonment of young Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank understandable?'

The