Nation

PRESIDENT BUSH BELIEVES IN 907 ABOLITION

The Azerbaijan President's press-service has disseminated a report saying that US President George Bush telephoned his Azeri counterpart Heydar Aliyev to thank him for the support in the US-led anti-terrorist operation and close cooperation with the US. President Bush announced his country's intention to maintain close cooperation with Azerbaijan, adding that his administration was actively lobbying for the abolition of Section 907 by the US Congress. He then voiced a hope that the Congress would eventually pass the decision.

President Aliyev, in turn, thanked Mr. Bush for the attention to Azerbaijan, saying that the Azerbaijan people and government were profoundly shocked with the 11 September terror attack on the US. The President then stated that Baku immediately declared its readiness to offer full cooperation in combating terrorism. Mr. Aliyev went on to say that the people of Azerbaijan had counted on a complete repeal of Section 907, adding that the new package provides the US president with full authority to abolish it.

In response, President Bush pledged to do his utmost for broader cooperation between Azerbaijan and the US.

PA CE VISIT OVER

A Parliamenary Assembly of the Council of Europe monitoring group, comprising 2 co-reporters for the committee on honoring the commitments, Mr. Andreas Gross of Switzerland and Mr. Guillermo Martinez Casan of Spain, visited Baku last week to look into the way the country is fulfilling its commitments to the CE. The group met with President Aliyev, parliament speaker, prime-minister and other high ranking officials. The also held meetings with ambassadors of CE member-states represented in Azerbaijan, opposition leaders, representatives of religious confessions, intellectuals, and international and non-governmental organizations active in Baku.

The group traveled to Barda to witness the refugee problems and visited Azerbaijan’s prisons, including the Gobustan penitentiary. The visit completed on November 4.

Co-op hopes

PA CE Monitoring Committee co-reporter Andreas Gross voiced hope for further effective cooperation and interaction between Azerbaijan and the CE in a meeting with Foreign minister Vilayat Guluiyev.

In his part, the minister updated the visitors on the work done as part of the execution of the commitments Azerbaijan has taken to the CE. He elaborated on the situation with the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict and the plight of refugees.

Parliament meetings

PA CE delegation held a number of meetings in the Milli Mejlis, including those with speaker Alasgarov, the representatives of national minorities in parliament and Azeri parliamentarians to the Council of Europe.

Opposition complain

"The Azerbaijan parliament is still acting as a body dependent on the President's office, as it never tables outstanding issues without the instruction of the executive power and retains its non-constructive position towards the parliament faction from opposition", opposition leaders said in a meeting with PA CE co-reporters Andreas Gross and Martinez Kassan at the Milli Mejlis and the OSCE Baku office Thursday.

According to the PFPA (reformer wing) chairman Ali Karimli, the parties centered on the backlog with the release of alleged political prisoners and the plight of the press. They also exchanged views on the problems Azerbaijan is experiencing. The PA CE officials are likely to have been updated on all the problems pertaining to Azerbaijan's honoring its commitments to the CE, Mr. Karimli said.

Attending the meeting were the leaders of the PFPA, PNIA, Musavat, Civil Unity Party, ADP, Adalat, Yurddash, etc.

AZERI-ISRAELI RELATIONS DISCUSSED

Foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev met with Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan Eitan Na'eh Monday, as the parties exchanged views on the expansion of bilateral relations, the Ministry said in a statement.

The ambassador said that he highly appreciates the relations with Azerbaijan and backs their further promotion. The upcoming visit of the Azeri foreign minister to Israel will boost bilateral relations and future cooperation in many spheres, the Israeli diplomat said.

Min. Guliyev spoke in favor of maintaining mutually beneficial contacts, saying that he attaches a greater importance to the prospects of further cooperation.

MECCA OPEN FOR CAUCASUS CLERICAL OFFICE PILGRIMS ONLY

The Caucasus Clerical Office is responsible for mounting pilgrimages of Azeri and Russian believers to Mecca, its chairman Sheik Pashazadeh told a new conference Sunday, dedicated to the outcomes of his Saudi Arabian trip from October 25 till November 3.

He emphasized that this time only pilgrims travelling through the Clerical Office will be admitted to Saudi Arabia. It is also decided to house Azeri pilgrims together with their Turkish co-believers.

NATO HOLDING WORKSHOP IN BAKU

A three-day workshop dedicated to the preparations for the Nato command and staff training, "Cooperative determination-2001", has been underway since Friday at the training center of the Defense Ministry in Baku. According to an informed source, the representatives of various Nato entities are taking part in the workshop.

The training, held as part of the Nato "Partnership for Peace" program and planned by the general command of the Nato united forces in Southern Europe, is due in Baku from November 5 till 16. 19 Nato member countries and allies are expected to participate.

bp TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS

bp is expected to hold a series of public meetings on the environmental and social impacts assessment of the early civil works for the Sangachal terminal expansion. The company said Friday that it would hold open meetings for residents of "Umid" refugee camp on November 5, with residents of Sangachal settlement on November 6 and residents of Sahil settlement on November 7.

bp specialists are expected to make presentations and answer questions. Summery information will be also available, the company said.

AZERI REFORMS DISCUSSED IN LUXEMBOURG

A meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council was held in Luxembourg on October 30, as the parties focused on the economic reforms underway in Azerbaijan, the implementation of the partnership and cooperation agreements between the EU and Azerbaijan and regional security.

Presiding over the meeting were Azeri foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev and his counterpart from Belgium, acting chair of the EU, Louie Michel.

AZERI JOURNALISTS BACK FROM SAUDI ARABIA

A group of Azeri journalists, who traveled to Saudi Arabia from October 25 till November 5 on the invitation of the country's Ministry for Information, returned to Baku Tuesday.

Receiving the journalists, who also included chief editor of Azernews weekly and director of the AssA-Irada news agency Fazil Abbasov, was Saudi Prince, deputy minister for information, Turki ibn Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz As-Saud.

The Azeri pressmen toured to the holy city of Mecca, made pilgrimage to Kaba, paid tribute to the grave of prophet Muhammad and his mosque, attended the Koran publishing complex, and prayed in the first mosque of Islam, Gubba. They traveled to the cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam and met with the executives of Ukaz, Saudi Gazet, Al-Yaum newspapers, the Islam news agency and the President of the Islamic Bank for Development.

The visitors witnessed green and flourishing cities in waterless deserts of eastern Dammam province, an oil-rich region of the country, and got acquainted with Saudi oil giant, Aramko.

Journalistic description of the trip will be available in Azernews, Khalq Gazeti, Azerbaijan, etc. newspapers and watch on AzTV.