Nation

EU TO EXPAND RELATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN

The European Union is going to expand political and economic relations with Azerbaijan, said director of the EU department for Caucasus and Central Asia Timo Sumo Monday at the end of the EU-Azerbaijan cooperation committee meeting.

He said prospects of economic partnership were high on agenda in meetings with the Azerbaijan government officials, while issues of political cooperation were discussed with Foreign Ministry representatives.

Mr. Sumo praised the progress of economic reform in Azerbaijan and said the parties had already agreed on further joint projects.

On behalf of Azerbaijan attending the meeting was vice-premier Abid Sharifov, deputy foreign ministers Mahmud Mammadguliyev and Araz Azimov.

OIC TO ADOPT 3 RESOLUTIONS ON AZERBAIJAN

Foreign Ministers Council of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) is currently meeting in Mali, focusing on political and economic situation in OIC countries. Representing Azerbaijan is ambassador to Saudi Arabia Elman Arasli.

The council is expected to adopt three resolutions on Azerbaijan: condemning Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, the ongoing destruction of Islamic monuments in Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied territories and economic assistance to Azerbaijan, according to a diplomatic source.

CONFERENCE AT MILLI MEJLIS

A science conference concerning the 10th anniversary of national independence and the Azerbaijan parliament was held at the Milli Mejlis Thursday and attended by members of the parliament, intellectuals, directors of educational institutions, etc.

In his opening remarks, chairman of the Azerbaijan parliament Murtuz Alasgarov spoke of the national independence record in the 20th century. He said it has been 10 years since the Constitutional Act on National Independence of Azerbaijan was adopted on October 18, 1991. Speaking of the history of the Azerbaijan parliament, the speaker recalled that there were Azeri representatives in the parliament of the Czarist Russia.

WAR HANDICAPPED TO UNDERGO TREATMENT IN CRIMEA

35 Garabagh war handicapped are expected to go to the Burdenko Center in Ukraine's Crimean region to undergo medical treatment, according to a spokesman for the ministry of labor and social security of the population Telman Kazimov.

The treatment will last 45 days.

Last year, a group of 27 disabled from Azerbaijan received medical treatment in Crimea, 145 elsewhere in CIS and 78 within Azerbaijan.

NEW "INVADERS" OF GARABAGH

Residents of rural areas located on the Armenian-Azerbaijan front line (Agdam, Barda and Agjabadi provinces) have encountered an unprecedented onslaught of mice, as a myriad of the rodents are attacking wheat-sown fields. Villagers claim that destroying all their harvest are not ordinary gray mice, but bigger yellow rodents with short tails. They have ruined the entire harvest and are now entering houses. Villagers complain that the local authorities have not struck a finger yet.

Some say the onslaught is a biological war declared by Armenia, others maintain that the rodents have grown in number in depopulated Armenian-held Azeri territories and are now searching for food. Others, however, blame everything on the disappearance of foxes that used to feed on the rodents.

INT'L EARTHQUAKE CONFERENCE IN BAKU

An international conference on earthquakes and liquidation of their aftereffects started at the "Ganjlik" youth center in Zagulba settlement of Baku, as 80 specialists from India, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Byelorussia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan are participating. The conference will focus on what to do during tremors, how to prevent casualties and predict earthquakes, etc.

Participants will travel to the Pirgulu recreation center in Shamakhi to get acquainted with the local observatory.

NEW NGO FORUM MANAGEMENT INTRODUCED

The new administration of the NGO Forum was introduced in a ceremony at the Gulistan Palace Monday. It was joined by NGOs, government officials, MPs, etc.

President of the NGO Forum Azay Guliyev introduced the newly elected 21 members of the Board of Directors and 7 members of the control and revision commission.

The second congress of the Forum, which includes 265 NGOs, and election of the management were conducted on June 20. The elections were monitored by UN, OSCE, ISAR, as well as other local and international organizations.

CAUCASUS YOUTH UNITING

By Gandab Aliyeva

Azernews Contributor

"Caucasus Youth for Culture of Peace, Tolerance and Interethnic Understanding" was the motto of the international youth conference held at the Absheron Hotel of Baku June 27-30, 2001. The conference was attended by young people from Georgia, North Caucasus nations and Azerbaijan. Though invited, representatives of Armenia could not show up for technical reasons. Organizers of the event were the Center of Legal and Economic Education, the Resource Center on National Minorities, the Caucasus Youth Center "Birlik", and the International Forum "Caucasus Home".

The aim of the conference, in line with the Preamble of the UN Charter, in particular its provision "to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors", was to create conditions for the Caucasus youth to engage in an open dialog about the role of young leaders in the development of peaceful relationships and good neighborhood in the name of peace.

The conference was held in preparation for two major international events: World Conference against Racism due at the end of August in Durban and the UN World Youth Forum due in Dakar on August 6-7.

The opening ceremony was attended by Kazim Guliyev, a spokesman for British Embassy, which co-sponsored the event. He greeted the guests on behalf of British ambassador Andrew Tucker and spoke of the youth programs the embassy is engaged in. The other co-sponsor of the conference was the secretariat of the World Conference against Racism.

In his remarks, head of the UN public information section in Azerbaijan Abdullah Dorani said he was delighted that the event was being as part of 2001 announced by the UN as the Year of Dialog among civilizations.

"Youth are active participants of major processes in the society ranging from peace and development to humanitarian and emergency activities.

The important role played by youth is implemented through the dialog on international, regional and local levels.

Studying each other's experience, culture and traditions is an important contribution to the success of networking on the regional level, in particular the development of tolerant attitudes and good neighborhood. Youth is responsible for consolidating moral values, tolerance, solidarity, democracy, respect for human rights, especially for neighbors, through the study and replication of patterns of how to live in peace, tolerance and good neighborhood with each other", said general director of the Caucasus Youth Center "Birlik"/Azerbaijan Elyura Mamedova.

During four days, participants worked hard in general and working groups discussing different problems of youth, which was evidence to the fact that along with common problems like drugs, AIDS, refugees, there are also the so-called invisible problems: discrimination, violence, spread of ideas alien for youth.

Working groups developed concrete proposals toward developing youth NGOs and state institutions, collaboration on regional and international levels, work with ethnic minorities in the Caucasus and cultural education of young people. Roundtables focused on the problem of racism, "which does not exist in the Caucasus, but does exist in the world and being a part of the world community we must cooperate with the youth in fighting racism, xenophobia and discrimination", said Nadir Kamaladdinov, director of the Resource Center on National Minorities.

The key result of the conference was adoption of addresses to the World Conference against Racism, the UN World Youth Forum, the Council of Europe and the European Youth Forum.

In addition, avenues for the struggle of youth organizations against discrimination were outlined and ideas of collaboration developed. Work of the "Ways of cooperation among youth NGOs in the Caucasus" group resulted in the establishment of an organizing committee for joining the Caucasus youth into a unified international organization called Caucasus Youth Federation. To begin with, a meeting of Caucasus youth will be held to lay out plans for future joint activities.

In conclusion of the press-conference held after the event, Elyura Mamedova said, "Partnership must be equal and fair, otherwise, no palpable results can be attained. We want the voice of the Caucasus youth to be heard all over the world and we can only do this through fruitful work".