News digest

POLL BACKS ANTI-TERROR WAR IDEA IN GARABAGH

The independent center of sociological surveys, "Karvan", conducted an opinion poll on Azerbaijan's joining the anti-terror coalition. Director of the center, Anar Yusifli, told the press Wednesday that 104 respondents had been surveyed, as 79 approved of and 14 condemned the country's possible involvement in the coalition, with 7 respondents abstaining.

On the question "If Azerbaijan should wage anti-terrorist operations to resolve the Garabagh conflict", 88 said yes and 10 no. 2 respondents were uncertain to answer.

CONGRESS OF AZERBAIJANIS ASKS UN TO HELP AZERI NATIONALISTS IN IRAN

The Congress of World Azerbaijanis has addressed the UNO to help the leader of the National Liberation Movement in South Azerbaijan (Iran), Dr. Mahmudali Chehraganli, resolve the problems created by the Iranian authorities to prevent his treatment in Sweden. The address also concerns Gulamrza Amani and others who are now languishing in Iranian jails for their national belonging, the Congress said in a statement Thursday.

THREE SAUDIS EXTRADITED

The Ministry of National Security detained three Saudi nationals illegally living in Azerbaijan on suspicion of having ties to the September 11 terror attacks. The detainees were extradited to Saudi Arabia, the Ministry said in a statement Saturday.

2 Egyptian nationals also suspected of international terrorism were earlier detained and extradited.

BRITISH, AZERI PIANISTS TO GIVE CONCERT

A joint concert of British pianist Daniel Grimword and Azeri pianist Rana Rzayeva is due at the Organ Music Hall, "Kirkha" December 7. The two will perform works of European and Russian composers during the concert organized by the British embassy in Baku.

IRAN's NUCLEAR PLANT WORK COMPLETING

Iran hosted a meeting of the joint Iranian Russian commission for commercial and economic cooperation, in which Russian co-chair of the commission Frid Gazizoli voiced satisfaction with the bilateral collaboration in nuclear and oil areas, the Iranian embassy in Baku reported Wednesday

Mr. Gazizoli said the equipment of the first block of the nuclear power plant in the Iranian town of Bushehr was nearing an end. He termed the expansion of bilateral banking cooperation, the decision to open a branch of the Iranian National Bank in Moscow, the North-South project, the definition of port tariffs, and railway cooperation as the achievements made following the third meeting of the commission. The Russian official expressed hope that some outstanding issues would find their solution before the fourth meeting, due in Tehran in March-April next year.

Russian entrepreneurs and company executives attending the meeting offered Iranian businessmen gas turbines, gas pumping equipment into inoperative oil wells and cooperation in oil and gas prospecting.