Nation

PILGRIMS RETURN FROM MECCA

The plane carrying the first 471 pilgrims, returning from the holy Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, touched down in Baku in the early hours of Tuesday. The trip was organized through the Caucasus Clerical Office.

The Office told AssA-Irada Tuesday that other pilgrims are expected to be back on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Commenting on some 200 pilgrims, who left for Hajj via private companies and faced visa problems in Jordan, a source at the Clerical Office said that only once a group of these people had phoned Sheik Pashazadeh to help them solve their problems and the latter applied for the Kingdom's assistance in the issue. However, no contact was maintained afterwards.

RUSSIA APPOINTS NEW CO-CHAIR OF INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION

Russian government has appointed a new co-chairman of the Azeri-Russian inter-governmental economic commission - vice-premier Viktor Khristenko, who is replacing in this position Russia's energy minister Alexander Gavrin.

According to a Cabinet source, Mr. Khristenko has appointed on recommendation of the Azerbaijan party, which believes the commission should be headed by vice-premiers of the two countries for it to work more effectively. On behalf of Azerbaijan, the commission is co-chaired by vice-premier Abbas Abbasov.

AZERI BUSINESSMAN SHOT DEAD

An Azeri businessman, a 39-year-old native of Balakan province of Azerbaijan Hasan Orujov was shot dead in Ulyanovsk, Russia on March 8, a source at the Ministry of Internal Affairs told Azernews Saturday.

Perpetrators and motives of the killing have not been identified yet. A criminal case has been initiated and investigation is underway.

IOM CALLS FOR TOUGHER SANCTIONS AGAINST WOMEN TRAFFICKING

On International Women's Day, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) calls for tougher sanctions against those who profit from trafficking in women.

It is estimated that yearly some 700,000 women and children world-wide are caught up in trafficking networks from which there is little or no escape.

According to IOM's World Migration Report 2000, international migration is becoming increasingly feminized, with women making up almost 50% of the estimated 150 million international migrants world-wide.

IOM's Deputy Director General Mrs. Ndioro Ndiaye says: "IOM needs additional funding because the number of women in need of assistance is growing daily. Perhaps another way to combat this deadly and abusive traffic would be for governments to consider the creation of more legal migration opportunities so that women are not compelled to resort to dubious job offers in order to find ways to support their families."

NO RATIONAL CONFLICT SETTLEMENT PROPOSALS ARRIVED

No rational proposals have arrived yet for two weeks since the public discussion of the three OSCE proposals on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict, the Head of President's office socio-political department Ali Hasanov.

As is known, the Milli Mejlis focused on the OSCE proposals two weeks ago and President Aliyev made a public appeal to submit options of solution to the dispute.

According to Mr. Hasanov, though separate politicians and MPs have moved some proposals and ideas, the bulk of them were previously made with no fruits yielded. However, some of the new ideas are being carefully studied and likely to be taken into account.

RESTORATION OF OLD CITY RETARDING

To date, only 5 families have returned to their renovated homes in Old City after the November 25 quake.

According to the general director of the state historic and architecture preserve of Old City Vali Valiyev, some 300 buildings have been crippled by the quake in the City. In all, Old City has sustained 70% of the total damage, inflicted by the earthquake. Besides, the state commission on quake consequences, led by vice-premier Abid Sharifov have visited the City several times. Afterwards, 150 residents were evacuated from houses in emergency situation.

Mr. Valiyev thinks that restoration work is very slow, which causes the population's concern. Some of the houses have been completely destroyed and will be constructed anew in the previous architectural form, he said.

BAKU UNDERGROUND TO BE COMPUTERIZED

Computerization of the Baku underground is expected to complete till September 1. As part of the work, the $170 million worth of general computer center is to be established and the electronic automated system set up, the head of the Baku underground Taghi Ahmadov told AssA-Irada Monday.

According to him, the metro executives intend to buy 225 facilities for this purpose from the "Metroservice" plant in Kharkov, Ukraine. The facilities are capable of determining the number of passengers in every 15-20 seconds in each station. As a result of the changes, 164 metro employees will be reshuffled.

Mr. Ahmadov said that the disadvantaged, currently some 90,000 people, will be provided with magnet cards for free usage of the tube.

CHF LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAM

A new program of the US humanitarian Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF), Social Investment Initiative (SII), will contribute directly to the well-being and self reliance of IDPs, refugees and conflict affected populations through the implementation of demand-driven, participatory micro-projects. The Program will respond to applications from established community groups that have projects that will rehabilitate social, environmental and economic communal infrastructure.

CHF/SII will support projects that: promote the integration of local populations with IDPs and refugees; are labor intensive; promote economic opportunity; respond to the priorities and interests of the community, including women and youth; that provide for long-term maintenance and/or sustainability; and are less than $20,000, in total costs, with a community contribution of at least 15% in-kind and 5% in cash.

The geographic focus of the program will be in the Central provinces of Ganja, Mingachevir, Yevlakh, Barda, Geranboy, Agdam, Tar-Tar and Agjabedi; the Southern provinces of Beylagan, Imishli, Sabirabad, Saatli, Fizuli and Bilasuvar; and in Sumgayit and Baku. CHF/SII will have local offices in Barda and Imishli.

SII Program Management: SII Program Director Mr. Leonard Klein; SII Deputy Director/Micro-projects Mr. Slawek Getka; SII Deputy Director/Finance & Administration Mr. Jacques Roy.

Contact INFO: 30 Bul-Bul Prospect, Apt.26, Baku, Azerbaijan 370014. Tel: 98-86-08; 93-03-97. Fax: 93-48-72.

BORDER INCIDENT CULPRIT ARRESTED

A Georgian border guard, Zaza Sakhvadze, who killed an Azeri national, Fuzuli Husseinov outside the Sinig Korpu frontier point on the Azeri-Georgian border on Monday, was arrested Friday. The convict proved to be a Georgian citizen of Armenian lineage, a MP, a member of the Azerbaijan-Georgian inter-parliamentary commission Zalimkhan Yagub told AssA-Irada Friday.

According to him, Georgian President Shevardnadze has been deeply concerned with the incident and fired all the personnel of the border point for alleged involvement in bribery. The March 5 incident is also believed to have been provoked by the fact that a native of Sadighli village of Marneuli province of Georgia Fuzuli Husseinov was being squeezed to pay bribe for stamp to be attached to his passport.

Mr. Yagub stressed that allocation of new passports to the Azeri population in Georgia is retarding with every obstacle involved.

MP PROPOSES AUTONOMOUS STATE IN GARABAGH

An MP Igbal Aghazadeh briefed journalists Monday of his settlement program of the Armenian Azerbaijan conflict. The program envisions establishment of the Garabagh autonomous state, which is projected to encompass Kalbajar, Shusha, Lachin, Khojavand, Khankandi, Aghdara, Gubadli, Khojali, Askaran, Zangilan, Jabrayil and Fuzuli. The document suggests that Lachin province be announced a transition region for communications with Armenia and the state itself a free economic zone.

Mr. Aghazadeh also proposed to mark May 8, the fall of Shusha, as the Day of protection of refugee rights.