Nation

NATO COOPERATIVE DETERMINATION EXERCISES OVER

By Firuza Baymammadqizi Azernews Staff Writer

The Nato "Cooperative Determination-2001" exercises were officially closed in a ceremony at the Gulustan Palace of Baku Friday. Addressing the ceremony, commander of the exercises, Army General Oktar Ataman congratulated the participants on the successful completion of the training.

The General said that 162 training operations were held, 800 civilians provided with medical care and methods of eliminating crises and management issues developed as part of the training. The public contribution played a tremendous role in the successfulness of the exercises, Gen. Ataman stressed. He voiced appreciation to the Azerbaijan government for creating necessary conditions and the warm reception.

Taking the floor then, Azeri defense minister Safar Abiyev said that Azerbaijan imparted a greater attention to cooperation with Nato and President Aliyev was keeping the course of the exercises in focus. The minister underscored that such exercises would help fight against terrorism and separatism Azerbaijan has been subjected to by Armenia. He also emphasized that the Armenia-occupied lands of Azerbaijan have turned into a training center for various terrorist organizations.

At the end of the ceremony, General Ataman awarded the military units of the participating countries, and the awarding was followed by a concert of Azerbaijan masters of arts.

GREECE KEEN TO STEP UP TIES

By Azernews Staff

Greek deputy foreign minister Ioannis Magriotis paid a two-day working visit to Baku earlier this week. The Greek diplomat held a number of meetings with Azeri government officials.

Mr. Magriotis told the press that his visit aimed to expand diplomatic and commercial ties between the two countries and center on some documents.

On Tuesday, he met with Azeri foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev.

Highly appreciating the friendly relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan, Min. Guliyev said he imparts a special attention to the expansion of bilateral contacts. The Azeri minister expressed hope that the visit would facilitate the development of bilateral cooperation. Mr. Guliyev informed the visitor of the efforts for a negotiated settlement of the Garabagh conflict, the OSCE attempts and the plight of Azeri refugees, the MFA said in a statement Tuesday.

Mr. Magriotis voiced anticipation for a soonest resolution of the Garabagh dispute with the joint efforts of the world community. The Greek diplomat said he backs strengthening of the relations between Greece and Azerbaijan and continued cooperation in all spheres.

The Greek diplomat noted he had met with President Aliyev to hand in his president's invitation to visit Greece. President Aliyev accepted the invitation, he said. The two also focused on bilateral cooperation in energy, agriculture, tourism, purchase of Azeri oil and gas and their transportation via Greece.

Mr. Magriotis told a news conference to highlight the trip that attaché on commerce, culture and military issues would be operating at the Greek embassy in Baku and a group of Greek businessmen would visit Azerbaijan in the first half of 2002.

On the Garabagh conflict, the Greek official reaffirmed his country's favoring a solution to the dispute on the basis of international legal principles and backing Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. He said Greece is ready to sign defense documents with Azerbaijan as it signed with Armenia.

Following the news conference, Mr. Magriotis held the meetings at the Milli Mejlis and left Baku on Tuesday.

WORLD OUTLOOK VICE-PRESIDENT IN BAKU

US humanitarian World Outlook has allotted some $40 million for Azerbaijan to implement projects on micro credits, monitoring of food safety and good nutrition and housing restoration since 1994, vice-premier, chairman of the State Committee for Refugees Ali Hasanov told a meeting with World Outlook vice-president Dave Robinson Thursday.

Mr. Hasanov voiced hope that the US visitor would make personal efforts to involve more donor organizations to help refugees and IDPs after touring makeshift tents, Finnish houses and railway cars and witnessing their plight.

Mr. Robinson said he had come to the country to get acquainted with the situation and report to the head office. He said he had never seen more propitious conditions for effective cooperation between the government and NGOs and assessed it as something positive.

NEW REHAB AND REPATRIATION PROJECT LAUNCHED IN FIZULI

By Nigar Garibova Information/Reporting officer

IFRC, Azerbaijan Delegation

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has been finalizing the final phase of the two-years Fizuli Repatriation and Rehabilitation Programme. The Pilot Project started in March 1999 with funding support from TACIS, ECHO, Japanese Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross and the Swiss Government through the Swiss Red Cross Society. The Project was designed to facilitate the return of about 170 internally displaced families (IDPs) settled in seven camps in Sabirabad, Saatli, Bilasuvar to their places of origin in the liberated Shukurbeyli village of Fizuli district.

To-date, 167 houses had been reconstructed and 150 families have already returned to Shukurbeyli. Given the long-term period (8 years) that the IDPs had been living in Southern camps dependent on assistance from outside, the Repatriation Program has given them a unique chance to change their lives fundamentally. For the returning IDP families the implemented Repatriation / Rehabilitation Program has transformed their life from dependency to self-sustainability.

The Federation also designed income generation projects to offer some self-sustainability prospect to the returnees. These projects were mainly accomplished by provision of loans to the Internally Displaced families who had returned to Shukurbeyli upon rehabilitation of their houses. So far, a total of 112 loans were issued. The average amount of loans granted is about $1000. Most of the loans were utilized to initiate aimed at support of agricultural activities, animal husbandry and other small-scale business activities.

The funding for the reconstruction activities within the second / final phase of the Fizuli Repatriation and Rehabilitation Program was secured by the German Government through the German Red Cross. The Swedish Government through the Swedish Red Cross funded community development activities.

A similar rehabilitation / repatriation project funded by the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Red Cross, SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) and the Swedish Government through the Swedish Red Cross has just started in Alkhanli village of Fizuli. The new Project will make it possible return of some 140 families originated from Alkhanli, which currently live in the Southern camps.

Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society (AzRC) has been closely involved in design and implementation of the program. It is envisaged that AzRCS will eventually take over the similar projects with little or no external assistance in the future.