Opposition news

DEMCONGRESS-2 DEMANDS PUBLICITY ON KEY WEST TALKS

A bloc of opposition parties, DemCongress-2, held a meeting last week, as members discussed results of the Key West talks over Garabagh settlement.

According to the chairman of the PFPA reform wing Ali Karimov, the people of Azerbaijan must demand that all negotiations and meetings be transparent.

“We demand that the government divulge the essence of the Key West negotiations. We think the opposition should conduct public protest actions during such confidential meetings”, he said and added that parties members of DemCongress-2 would hold demonstrations during the Geneva meeting of the two presidents in June.

PNIA DELEGATION TO TRAVEL TO US

PNIA deputy chairman on political issues Ilgar Mammadov met with the UN National Democratic Institute coordinator on Azerbaijan Joseph Hall Thursday to focus on the upcoming visit of the PNIA delegation led by its chairman Etibar Mammadov to the US in May.

The party said in a statement Thursday that the visit would be paid on the White House invitation as part of the cooperation program with the International Democratic Union. The purpose of the visit is to get acquainted with the new US Administration. The meeting also focused on meetings in the US and cooperation with the US Republican Party.

DEMCONGRESS TO SET UP REGIONAL BRANCHES

The pro-Musavat DemCongress met Monday to consider establishing local coordinating councils of the organization. The meeting decided that city and regional branches of political parties members of the DemCongress look into the possibility of joint work on the spot, chairman of DemCongress Isa Gambar told Azernews Monday.

ECONOMIC CO-OP PROSPECTS EXPLORED

Prospects of bilateral economic relations, in particular in tourism and banking sectors, were discussed in Baku last week by a delegation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus led by the counselor to the TRNC president Atay Ahmed Rashid.

The delegation had come to Azerbaijan on the invitation of the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation.

The counselor said in a meeting with the Confederation chairman A. Mammadov Friday that TRNC maintains trade and economic contacts with 70 countries of the world. Its foreign turnover stands at $400 million, he said, but the share of Azerbaijan in it is extremely low.

The Turkish Cypriot delegation voiced an interest in boosting cooperation in tourism and banking.

Mr. Rashid, who used to be the TRNC Trade and Foreign Minister, suggested to the Azeri authorities to open regular flights between Baku and TRNC.

While in Azerbaijan, the counselor also informed Azeri politicians and public organizations of the Cypriot problem. Mr. Rashid said Azerbaijan and Turkey must attract the attention of the Council of Europe to their problems. He said he had discussed ways of expanding bilateral economic relations with first vice-premier of the Azerbaijan government Abbas Abbasov, foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev, as well as parliament leaders. Such opportunities are extensive and his country is interested in materializing them, he said.

“Cyprus and Garabagh are two major problems of the Turkic nation”, Mr. Rashid told a news conference Saturday at the end of his one-week visit to Baku.