Azerbaijan set for IMO accession

The importance of training national personnel on all activities relating to the International Migration Organization (IMO), operation of an IMO center in Baku and prospects of Azerbaijan's accession to the organization were discussed at the Foreign Ministry Wednesday by Minister Guliyev and the IMO regional director Iost van der Aalst 27, according to the ministry.

The parties exchanged views on pertaining to the Azerbaijan-IMO cooperation and summed up the organization's work in Azerbaijan in 2000. Mr. Aalst approved of Azerbaijan's signing the Convention on combating organized crime at a conference in Palermo, Italy, in early December.

Min. Guliyev emphasized the importance of stepping up cooperation with IMO in order to thwart illegal migration through Azerbaijan.

In conclusion, Min. Guliyev and Mr. Aalst said he would look forward to seeing Azerbaijan a full-fledged IMO member in 2001.