News digest

PARLIAMENT SPEAKER INVITED TO MOSCOW

The speaker of the Milli Mejlis Murtuz Alasgarov has been invited to pay an official visit to Moscow in the first half of 2001. During the visit, the speaker is expected to meet with leaders of the Russian State Duma and focus on issues of cooperation. Also to be discussed is organization of meetings between parliamentarians of the two countries.

ANOTHER MONITORING ON AZERI-ARMENIAN FRONTLINE

Another front-line monitoring will be held Wednesday by a delegation led by the personal representative of the acting OSCE chairman Andzei Kaspshic.

The delegation arrived in Baku Tuesday, according to a diplomatic source.

CO-OP PROSPECTS WITHIN OIC TO BE DISCUSSED

Morocco is expected to host a meeting of prime ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in February. The Cabinet of Ministers told Azernews Saturday that the consultations would focus on opportunities of expanding trade and economic relations within the Organization and assistance to Islamic countries with poorly developed economies.

Azerbaijan will be represented by Prime Minister Arthur Rasizadeh.

OIL REFINERY IN ARMENIA?

An Iranian delegation led by the minister for economics and finance Hussein Namazi arrived in Armenia Tuesday, as the two countries intend to explore for opportunities of bilateral economic cooperation.

The parties are also expected to discuss the possibility of building an oil refinery in Megri in the south of Armenia. Apparently, Iran is going to send its crude to Armenia for refining, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

The delegation will be received by Armenian president.

REGIONAL SECURITY CONFERENCE IN PREPARATION

In a meeting at the MFA on Tuesday, Foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev and a Turkish foreign ministry delegation, led by the general director for issue of security in Europe, ambassador Saadi Calislar, spoke of the issues of preparation for an international conference on regional security due in Istanbul in February.

The meeting was also attended by deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov and Turkish ambassador Gadri Ecvet Tezcan, foreign ministry told Azernews Tuesday.

GABALA RESIDENTS TO SUE GOV'T

Tensions over the Gabala RLS still run high amid intention of the Gabala residents to sue the Azerbaijan government for what they believe is the ecological disaster around the station. Preparation of the lawsuit has been assumed by ecological organization Ecolex-Azerbaijan.

EXPATRIATES MAKE 17 TIMES MORE THAN LOCALS

In 2000, average monthly wages of expatriates engaged in the economy constituted AZM3,524,000. This is 17 times above an average wage of AZM205,000, which, in its turn, constitutes half of the subsistence minimum. The highest wages were paid in the manufacturing sector and financial mediation, while the lowest in public health.

WORLD NATIONS TO DISCUSS POVERTY ERADICATION PROBLEM

An international forum, organized by the Asian Development Bank, dedicated to poverty eradication problems is due in Manila (Philippines) February 5-9. The forum will be attended by representatives of the WB and the International Monetary Fund, as well as delegations from 250 countries.

Representing Azerbaijan will be deputy minister for economics Ogtay Hagverdiyev.

REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF TRADE UNIONS UNDERWAY IN BAKU

A three-day regional conference, "Consolidation of trade union rights in Caucasus and Central Asia", held by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the Entrepreneurship Confederation of Azerbaijan (ECA), started in Baku January 29. The conference is being attended by an ICFTU representative for CIS Vadim Borisov and director of the ICFTU trade union rights department John Fernandez.

Participants have already discussed the ICFTU policy in the area of trade union rights, the report by a research survey mission on employee rights and trade unions in the Caucasus and Central Asia, typical cases of breach of rights at national and regional levels, and within enterprises.

AZERBAIJAN TO DISPLAY BEST FOOD IN EXHIBITIONS

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) is expected to host a trade and industrial exhibition in March, 2001, Ministry of Trade told Azernews Tuesday. The Azerbaijan pavilion will display most competitive food products (beverages, black caviar, etc.).

A similar exhibition is due in Tokyo in June, 2001, also to be attended by Azerbaijan.

Azernews

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