Nation

GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER's VISIT OVER

The official visit of the Georgian Foreign Minister Irakliy Menagarishvili to Azerbaijan completed last Wednesday. Before leaving for Georgia, he told a news briefing at the airport that complete mutual understanding on all issues discussed had been achieved in all the meetings in Baku.

He said during a meeting at the Cabinet of Ministers he had focused on prospects of cooperation in the area of energy. He added that Tbilisi is counting very much on Azerbaijan's assistance in resolving the country's acute energy crisis.

In a meeting with President Aliyev, the Georgian minister was assured that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project is being successfully implemented and that several more companies have voiced an interest in joining it. The minister added that the parties had also emphasized the importance of conducting a regular GUUAM summit as soon as possible.

At the Foreign Ministry and the Milli Mejlis, the minister's idea of establishing cooperation between GUUAM parliamentary committees on foreign relations received lukewarm welcome, he said.

Commenting on the opinion of some political analysts on Russia's having intensified pressure on Georgia in the wake of Putin's visit to Baku, Mr. Menagarishvili said bilateral relations with Moscow were experiencing a difficult period, which, however, has nothing to do with Putin's visit to Azerbaijan, he said.

"Azerbaijan and Georgia have always been strategic partners and intend to keep implementing joint plans in the future", he stated.

Asked about the upcoming transfer of Georgia's education system to the Georgian language, he said this was not true. "Tbilisi understands that all citizens of the country regardless of their nationality must be provided with the right of preserving their language and culture. All Azeri schools are and will be functioning", he vowed. The minister added that the parties had also agreed to resolve the problems of Georgia's ethnic Azeris.

BOOK ON ARMENIAN TERRORISM PUBLISHED

The "AzerNashr" publishing house has released a book by Erich Faigle, "The truth of the terror. Armenian terrorism - sources and reasons". The book has been published in Russian language in 1,000 copies and translated from French by Novruz Mammadov. Author of the book, first published in German and French in 1986-1987, is Austrian national.

The early fate of the book is very interesting, as its entire circulation quickly vanished into thin air with only a few presented and library copies left. It was ascertained later on that Armenians had bought almost all copies, destroyed them thus perpetrating another type of terror - ideological and moral, says Ali Hasanov, Ph.D. in History, in his foreword to the book.

The book by Erich Faigle is dedicated to his close friend Erdogan Ozan, former attaché for Turkish embassy in Vienna who was killed by Armenian terrorists. Based on documentary evidence, the author says there was no genocide of Armenians whatsoever and that this is a myth concocted by Armenians themselves. In 1915, 2.5 million Muslims in the Ottoman Empire and Azerbaijan fell victims to Armenian terror.

The book also contains numerous materials concerning the tragedy of the Azerbaijan population of Garabagh, Nakhchivan and Zangazur, residents of Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, etc.

The lists of victims of Armenian terror in 70-80s contained in the edition, materials from Turkish archives, maps, and photos give a comprehensive picture of the tragic developments connected with the very notion of "Armenian terrorism", its sources and reasons.

CIS FRONTIER GUARDING POLICY DISCUSSED IN BAKU

Another meeting of the Council of CIS frontier guard chiefs started in Baku Tuesday. The meeting is expected to end with signing of a draft concept of CIS frontier guarding policies. Chairing at the meeting is head of the Federal Frontier Guard of Russia Constantine Totski.

Since Azerbaijan is taking part in the Council in the capacity of observer, it will not sign the draft. The main document, however, which will be signed by the Azeri frontier guard commander, is the plan of interaction among border guard chiefs within the anti-terrorism and extremism program till 2003. The core objective of the plan is to prevent border incidents and smuggling. Representing Azerbaijan are the Minister for National Security Namig Abbasov and frontier guard commander Abbasali Novruzov.

Also attending the meeting is the commander of Armenian border guard Levon Stepanian.

60-70 INTERIOR TROOPS TO BE PARDONED IN MARCH

187 interior police officers currently remain in police custody, 60-70 of whom can be released following an amnesty decree in March, according to the chairman of the committee of human rights of the interior police officers arrested following the March 17, 1995 developments Gabil Rzayev.

To date, 123 officers have already been pardoned. He said the committee had repeatedly asked the president for a pardon, with the last appeal made on February 15.

VETS HAPPY WITH NEW MAYOR

Commenting on the extensive cleaning operations in Baku following the appointment of a new Mayor Hajibala Abutalibov, deputy head of the department for veterinarian science under the Ministry of Agriculture Emin Shahbazov welcomed the prohibition imposed on meat sale in the streets, something that had been extremely difficult to do earlier, he said.

According to him, cattle vaccination for brucellosis started in the republic this year. He said there is no threat of the infection in Azerbaijan today. Mr. Shahbazov added that in the wake of the mad cow disease discovered in 15 European countries, the import of meat and meat products from these has been banned.

ADB TO AID IDP PROJECTS

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expected to facilitate implementation of profitable agricultural projects on an area of 60,000 hectares temporarily provided to IDPs from municipal and state funds, according to the head of the visiting ADB delegation in charge of the Bank's department for Central Asia and Caucasus Mr. Kunio Senga.

He met with the vice-premier, chairman of the state commission on refugees Ali Hasanov Friday.

Mr. Senga indicated that it was not difficult to imagine the economic hardship of a state with every 8th citizen a refugee.

"Therefore, we are trying to help the Azerbaijan government", he said.

Mr. Hasanov voiced his appreciation to the ADB for implementation of lucrative agricultural projects.

16 VOLUNTEER PROJECTS GET UNDERWAY

The year 2001 has been announced internationally as the year of volunteers. The international relations spokesman for the Azerbaijan Movement of Volunteers Samira Allahverdiyeva told Azernews Friday that implementation of 16 projects, involving a total of 125 volunteers, started on February 1.

The projects envision assistance to the disabled, lone elderly and homeless children, reconstruction of cultural monuments, protection of human rights, and combat against drug-addiction and AIDS. The projects will be implemented within 6 months.

FREE DEAF-AIDS FOR THE NEEDY

620 Japan-made deaf-aids arrived in Azerbaijan lately, says the head of the department for medical and social expertise and rehabilitation of the handicapped under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of the Population Telman Kazimov.

The aids will be handed out free-of-charge among the deaf, those with impaired hearing resulting from general diseases, the January 20, 1990 massacre, military service, the World War II veterans and other disadvantaged categories.

According to Mr. Kazimov, this portion, together with 800 aids received last year, will fully satisfy the needs of those who have applied to the Ministry.

UP-TO-DATE SEISMIC EQUIPMENT YET TO BE PURCHASED

Azerbaijan intends to purchase the latest US and Japan-made seismic equipment. 20 devices will be procured and installed before the end of this year, director of the Center for seismological services Arif Hasanov told Azernews Monday.

According to him, seismological equipment in Turkey, for instance, is much better than in Azerbaijan.

CO-OP WITH BLACK SEA RESEARCH CENTER EXPANDING

Researches of the International Black Sea Research Center represent tremendous importance for regional countries and Azerbaijan is ready to contribute to expanding and deepening cooperation with the Center, foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev told general director of the center Yanis Papanikolau and special advisor to Greek deputy foreign minister and chief counselor on Caspian and Black Sea economic policy Constantine Skhinas.

The parties exchanged views on opportunities of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the center, according to a Ministry source.

CATASTROPHE NOT RULED OUT

There are 5 micro-districts in Baku that were established in 1955-1965. The reinforced concrete houses in them may collapse any time because their life-span has long expired, vice-president of the Union of architects Nariman Aliyev told Azernews Tuesday.

According to him, such buildings were designed for 12 years to house the needy. However, they have been in service for over 40 years.

Asked why the structures managed to withstand the recent powerful earthquake in Baku, Mr. Aliyev said that it was good luck. Chances of their sudden collapse still run high. In Moscow, he says, such buildings are being razed and we need to follow suit, he concluded.

HUMAN RIGHT GROUP CONDEMNS EX-MINISTER'S TRANSFER TO SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

A news conference dedicated to the transfer of the former interior minister Iskandar Hamidov from the 9th reformatory to the Gobustan solitary confinement was held at the Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD) last week.

I. Hamidov was sentenced to 14 years in hard labor reformatory in 1995.

The news release of the IPD says since March 17, 1995, when I. Hamidov was put behind bars, the Institute has registered 25 cases of violation of the existing legislation and international law. The Institute believes that these violations represent persecution, blackmail and political pressure on part of the authorities both on I. Hamidov proper and his family.

IPD says further that Azerbaijan has undertaken commitments in the Council of Europe to free or retry those held on political grounds. The Institute intends to forward a report on ex-minister's case compiled by the human rights department to international organizations, including the Council of Europe.