News digest

ALIYEV ON MEDICAL EXAMINATION IN CLEVELAND

After attending the World Economic Forum in the US on Sunday, Azeri President Heydar Aliyev left New York for Cleveland, where he had his heart bypass operation three years ago. The President has undergone medical examination there several times after the surgery.

TURKISH SPEAKER EXPECTED ON VISIT

Chairman of the Great National Assembly of Turkey Omar Izghi is expected to arrive in Baku on Wednesday night, a parliament source reported Tuesday.

Mr. Izghi is expected to pay tribute to the Cemetery of Martyrs and meet his Azeri counterpart Murtuz Alasgarov, Premier Artur Rasizadeh, and foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev to focus on inter-parliamentary relations, regional and international issues and the Garabagh conflict. The Turkish official will address the Azeri parliament and get honorable doctorate at Baku State University. He is also scheduled to meet IDPs.

The trip will be underway until February 10.

QUAKE WARNING IN THE CAUCASUS

A final consideration and approval of the regional project "comprehensive study into seismic and aeronautic portents of quakes in the Caucasus region" is expected at the Nato headquarters in Brussels on February 7.

The idea of developing the project came from Azeri scholars. The Nato's Science for Peace approved the project in November last year. According to senior geophysician Garib Agaguliyev, each Caucasus nation moved their proposals and views on predicting earthquakes.

The project costing over 66,000 Euro will be backed by Nato grants in 2002.

IRAN’s GREEN REGIMENT INC KEEN TO WORK IN AZERBAIJAN

Iranian Green Regiment Inc is keen to work in Azerbaijan, a source from the National Confederation of Entrepreneurship Organizations of Azerbaijan reported Monday. The Iranian company has laid out its plans in a package of proposals it sent to the Confederation.

Green Regiment expresses aspiration to cooperate with the Azerbaijan government in oil prospecting and drilling, as well as transportation of mineral reserves.