Nation

LEAGUE OF AZERIS IN THE UKRAINE

The League of Azeris operates in the central Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk, uniting some 20,000 people. The League has rented a three-story office 800 square meters wide to accommodate the House of Azerbaijan. The premises are used to conduct mass undertakings, including teaching Azeri children their mother tongue, Azerbaijan history and folk dances.

Head of the League Hafiz Pashayev said in an interview with AssA-Irada that the entity is planning to issue the "Azerbaijan's lights" newspaper once in two months. The publication is designed not only to meet the needs of thousands of Azerbaijanis living in the Ukraine, but also fortify the friendly relations between the two countries and push the truth about the independent Azerbaijan into international spotlight, he underscored.

JAPANESE SPECIALISTS TO HOLD TRAINING

Specialists from Japanese Mitsubishi and Itochu are expected to visit Baku in late February. The experts are scheduled to hold training for use of road repair and construction equipment for employees of "Azeravtoyol" state concern. The equipment was purchased using the funds totaling JPY372 million allotted by the Japanese government. It includes an auto grader, a bulldozer and road-rollers, a source from "Azeravtoyol" informed Tuesday.

JUSTICE MINISTRY DENIES PEACE AND DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE REPORTS

The Justice Ministry department for execution of court rulings has denied the reports by the Institute of Peace and Democracy that deputy minister for justice, Major General Aydin Gasimov insulted the honor and dignity of inmate Alikram Humbatov in the presence of Council of Europe official Andreas Gross on November 3, 2001.

The Ministry said in a statement that A. Humbatov talked to the CE delegation led by director of department for democratic institutions and human rights Gerard Studman for several hours on November 27 and didn't inform him of the alleged incident. "It is interesting why A. Humbatov remembered being insulted in January 2002. Apparently, some people are trying to make a storm in a teacup to give A. Humbatov, who is expected to be re-tried soon, an image of a sufferer", the statement says.

BAKU SUBWAY SHIFTING TO ELECTRONIC FARE SYSTEM

Baku's subway is expected to apply an electronic system for fares in March this year. The advantage of the system is its ability to hold an exact registration of passengers, downplaying extra checks. The system has been already experimented in the Elmlar Akademiyasi (Academy of Sciences) underground station, Baku Subway Department said Tuesday.

EURASIAN VETS JOINING FORCES

By Ahmad Asadov

Chief Senior Department for Livestock Ministry of Agriculture

Nowadays, there are reared over 2 million cattle, more than 6 million sheep and goats and 10 million birds in Azerbaijan. It is thus necessary, in a country with such an economy, to organize veterinary services in conformity with international standards.

Hydrophobia epidemic that originated in England last year swept through the whole of Europe, causing the massive deaths of livestock. This factor fortified cooperation among veterinarians of the world in prevention of hydrophobia, foot-and-mouth and other catching diseases of livestock.

Using a broad international experience, Azeri specialists are strengthening mutual relations with various states and international organizations.

In the meantime, Istanbul hosted the first Eurasian Conference dedicated to veterinary services on December 20-21 last year. Professor Ramiz Safarov, representing Azerbaijan in the conference, had the following to say: 45 delegates from 11 countries, including Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and the Ukraine, took part in the conference. President of the IEB regional commission for Europe Prof. L. Belev was also present.

The participants exchanged information on the structure of veterinarian services, the system of veterinarian control, schemes of veterinarian-sanitary measures, current veterinary legislation, livestock, and the rules of import and export of meat products and livestock.

An emphasis was made on the epizootic situation in the Eurasian region, measures to fight lethal infectious diseases of livestock, localization of outbursts of diseases and prevention of their spreading in neighboring countries. With a view of ensuring an effective control and stamping out these diseases, the conference participants were unanimous about the establishment of a Eurasian veterinary council. The council comprising the representatives of the participating countries would aim:

- To hold a regular exchange of information in the field of livestock health;

n In case of an infectious disease, to provide technical assistance to veterinary experts to exchange technologies, harmonization of laws, strategies and normative documents in controlling livestock, quality and safety of meat products under the zoological sanitary codex;

- To extend collaboration between veterinary services of the countries, including scientific-research, scientific-control institutions, national and regional veterinary laboratories, reference centers;

- To provide mutual support and technical assistance to the poor countries of the region;

- To facilitate the exchange of information on quality and effectiveness of veterinary medicines.

The conference participants recommended similar conferences no less than once a year. The next conference will take place in Turkey.

The conference elected a steering committee of the Eurasian Veterinary Council composed of chairman, Doctor Hussein Sungur (Turkey), vice-president, Prof. Ramiz Safarov (Azerbaijan) and secretary, Dr. Yuriy Kosenko (Ukraine).