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ALIYEV TO PAY TWO VISITS IN JUNE

President Aliyev is scheduled to pay two visits in June, head of the President's office international relations department Novruz Mammadov told journalists Friday. The president will first attend the CIS and "Caucasus G4" summit in Minsk on May 31-June 1 and then attend the GUUAM summit in Yalta, Ukraine, on June 6-7.

COE EXPERTS TO DECIDE ON 26 PRISONERS

A Council of Europe monitoring group is expected to visit Azerbaijan May 31 to hand down a final decision on 26 inmates that Azeri human right groups describe as political prisoners, a human rights activist Saida Gojamanli told AssA-Irada Tuesday.

According to her, some of the prisoners will be freed, while cases of others will be reconsidered.

S. Gojamanli said the Milli Mejlis is to ratify Azerbaijan's joining the European Human Rights Convention before the year's end, enabling those discontent with local court rulings to apply to the European Court.

The only person in Azerbaijan to have addressed the European Court since Azerbaijan was accepted to the COE is Elchin Behbudov, who has been convicted of murdering vice-speaker Afiyaddin Jalilov.

FIRST CONGRESS OF WORLD AZERIS DUE IN BAKU

President Aliyev has resolved to hold the first congress of world Azerbaijanis in Baku on November 9-10 to facilitate relationship between overseas Azeri Diaspora and the Azerbaijan Republic, contribute to the unity and solidarity of world Azeris and coordinate the activities of Azeri communities, societies and organizations worldwide.

President's executive office has been assigned to set up a working group and lay out an activity plan.

MINISTRY FOR ECOLOGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES SET UP

A presidential decree issued Wednesday abolished the state committees on ecology and control over the utilization of natural resources, on geology and mineral resources and on hydro-meteorology, as well as the "AzerMesha" production unit. The Ministry for Ecology and Natural Resources has been set up in lieu of the two abolished committees.

The new ministry will be led by Husseingulu Bagirov, ex-minister for trade.

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