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INSPECTION OF ARMED FORCES STARTS

In accordance with the Vienna Document, signed in 1999, an inspection group of the US army started inspecting the Azeri armed forces Monday. The inspection is expected to last till Friday, a source at the MOD told AssA-Irada Monday.

ATATURK CENTER TO BE SET UP

President Aliyev decreed Saturday to set up the Ataturk center in Azerbaijan. The decision was made viewing the important place the great leader of the Turkic world, founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kamal Ataturk occupies in the history of Turkic nations. The move targets a deeper study and propaganda of Ataturk's heritage and Turkic history and culture in general.

President Aliyev will be elected as honorary chairman of the center.

EGYPTIAN OFFICIAL EXPECTED ON VISIT

Deputy foreign minister of Egypt, Mr. Mahdi Fatallah is expected to pay a three-day official visit to Azerbaijan on March 22. The minister will be accompanied by a delegation of Egyptian officials and businessmen.

The visit will be the first top-level trip by an Egyptian official to Azerbaijan.

OVER 200 TONS OF MINCED TURKEY BURNT

A raid by the State Customs Committee on the "Top Market" Ltd. discovered that expired products were being sold to the population. It emerged that the company had imported 226.649 kg of minced turkey, forging expiry data in the import documents.

The Committee has already submitted the collected materials to the Prosecutor's office and the expired goods were burnt.

TOSCA TO BE PERFORMED

The "Tosca" by Puccini will be staged at the Azerbaijan Theater of Opera and Ballet on April 7. The staging is expected to be international with the participation of singers from three countries.

According to the cast, Azeri signer Khuraman Gasimova is to act as Tosca, Georgian Teymuraz Gugushvili as Kavaradossi and the soloist at the Russian Bolshoi Theater Vladislav Verestnikov as Scarpia.

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