News digest

AZERI CULTURE DAYS START IN MOSCOW

The Azerbaijan Culture Days started in Moscow Monday, with an Azeri delegation led by Azeri Minister for Culture Polad Bul-Bul Oglu expected to attend.

Over 80 men of culture and art, including renowned singers Zeynab Khanlarova, Alim Gasimov, Brilliant Dadasheva, as well as the Azerbaijan State Dancing Group and the Chamber Orchestra, are to take part in the festivities.

The Days will be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg. A monument to famous Azeri poet Nizami is to be opened in Russia's so-called northern capital of St. Petersburg, a source form the Ministry of Culture told Azernews Monday.

COE EXPERTS DUE ON VISIT

Council of Europe legal experts are scheduled to come to Azerbaijan in early May to look into the issue whether there are political prisoners in Azerbaijan, according to a diplomatic source.

The experts will meet both with government and non-governmental organizations and report on their findings to the COE.

NATIONAL HCW COMMITTEE CALLS ON HEALTH MINISTER TO HONOR LAWS

The Azerbaijan National Helsinki Civil Watch Committee has blamed health minister, MP Ali Insanov of ignoring a court rule. The minister has refused to reinstate the laid off medical workers despite a binding court rule.

The Committee has called upon the minister to show respect for at least his country, its courts and laws, if not his colleagues. The committee has also appealed to the Ministry of Justice to enforce execution of court rules.

CIS DEFENSE MINISTERS TO MEET IN BAKU

A meeting of CIS defense ministers council is due in Baku in May, Defense Ministry spokesman Ramiz Malikov told Azernews Thursday.

The meeting will focus on the council's activity report for 2000, cooperation prospects in information exchange and personnel training, etc.

MORE CASPIAN STATUS TALKS DUE IN BAKU

The next round of talks on Caspian legal status, this time at the level of deputy foreign ministers of littoral nations, is due in Baku May 12-15. According to a diplomatic source, the meeting is expected to prepare a draft declaration to be discussed during the Caspian summit in fall.

PREPARATIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL PRIVATIZATION IN FULL SWING

Preparations for privatization were discussed last Wednesday at the Ministry of State Property (MSP) in a meeting attended by executives of enterprises to be denationalized.

These are enterprises of the mechanical engineering and fuel and energy sectors, chemical industry, “Azerbaijan Hava Yollari” and “AzerBalig” state concerns, ministry of communication, etc. The executives have been urged to ensure the observance of their staff's rights. Ad hoc groups comprising MSP specialists have been set up to prepare the enterprises for privatization, according to the Ministry.

MOD DISMISSES REPORTS

Ministry of Defense has dismissed reports by the ANS independent television channel broadcast at 9 p.m. on April 11. The news said that during a training in the armed forces some military commissioners had failed to duly carry out Defense Minister's order relating to training and that 10 of the commissioners have allegedly been sacked.

MOD regards dissemination of unverified reports about the armed forces as inappropriate.

NEW JAPANESE RESTAURANT OPENS

A New Japanese ”RobataBar” restaurant has been opened at 1033 Club of Hyatt Hotels of Baku Thursday. Robatayaki is a style of Japanese cuisine and means “grilled food on skewers”.

The restaurant is open from Wednesday till Sunday.

Azernews

AzadInform