* The Russian security chief Vladimir Rushaylo and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ramiz Mehdiyev signed an interaction plan between the Azerbaijani and Russian Security Councils for 2003-2004 in Baku on February 20. * The signing concluded the three-day talks between the secretary of the Russian Security Council, Vladimir Rushaylo and high-ranking Azerbaijani government officials over security issues, including concerns arising from the Iraqi crisis and counter-terrorism efforts. * Secretary of th...... полностью

* Qambar Alisoglu Behbudov – 90 * Architect from Susa * Today is the birthday of the Azerbaijan's oldest architect-engineer, Qambar Alisoglu Behbudov. This interesting person, who devoted 67 years of his life to construction, was born in the capital city of the ancient Qarabag region, Susa. * Numerous outstanding figures in the arts, sciences, engineering, and the military  have originated from Susa, which has represented a cultural hub of Azerbaijan during the last centuries. Though musi...... полностью

* UNESCO announces 2003 Pure Water year * UNESCO has declared the 2003 year as the year of Pure Water. This move aims at deploying measures to ecologically purify waters in oceans, seas and other basins. In view of this, cleaning of the Caspian Sea and other water basins of Azerbaijan should be on the focus of the government. * A number of undertakings are planned during Pure Water year. Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel and the Azerbaijan national commission are jointly conducting a children's paintin...... полностью

* Exhibition of handcrafts by the needy * The Azerbaijani Youth Assistance Foundation will organize on February 24-25 a sales exhibition of crafts by needy and vulnerable people. The exhibition will display decorative and household items made of different materials. Supported by the Noble Ladies Society, the event will also demonstrate works by disabled women. German CD features Azeri compositions * Works by composers from various countries have been recorded on a new CD released by The German...... полностью

* Forty steps to the top of the art * "40 Paintings of Forty Artists" is the title of the exhibition to officially commence at 6.30 p.m. on the 19 February 2003 in the Absheron Art Gallery. In fact, the exhibition consists of two parts, the opening event being its first part. The next exhibition will include forty graphic works of forty well-known Azeri artists. All the works put on show at the first and the second exhibition will be selected from our Gallery's collection. Our main goal certain...... полностью

* $80m to be invested in onshore Kursangi Qarabagli field * The Salyan Oil Operating Company plans to invest $80m in the development of the onshore Kursangi-Qarabagli oil field in 2003. The Chinese ambassador to Azerbaijan, Chyan Siyun, has told journalists that this sum also includes equipment used to drill new wells and expand operating wells. Specialists from the Chinese National Oil Corporation (CNOC) will utilize modern technology to carry out works in Azerbaijan. * The total investment t...... полностью

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey to lay gas pipeline shortly * The Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish presidents are expected to give the go-ahead to construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline within the next few days, reliable sources have advised AssA-Irada. * "This will mark the beginning of the first stage, which will be followed by routine work," Georgian President Eduard Shevarnadze was quoted by Interfax's Tbilisi bureau as saying. * Commenting on his talks with representatives of ...... полностью

Cabinet move * Azerbaijan's President, Heydar Aliyev, decreed on February 13 to move Yaqub Abdulla oglu Eyyubov from the position of Deputy Prime Minister to the position of First Deputy Prime Minister. OSCE MG co-chairmen to visit conflict region * A regular trip of OSCE Minsk Group (MG) co-chairmen to the conflict region will take place in March-May. The US ambassador Ross Wilson has advised the media that the exact date of the trip is still to be defined. * Break in co-chairmen's regional ...... полностью

  140 Azerbaijanis appeal to European court * Chairman of the European Human Rights Court Luzius Vildkhaver said in a meeting with the Azerbaijani Parliamentary Speaker Monday that the European court had received some 140 appeals from Azerbaijani citizens. * According to him, if international law norms were observed in local courts, it would ease the work of European courts. Reacting to this point, Murtuz Alasgarov said that all Azerbaijani legislative acts were sent to the Council of Euro...... полностью

* 116 alleged political prisoners pardoned * Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev has issued pardons for 116 prisoners. According to the Presidential Administration press service, those pardoned include 36 people convicted of crimes against the independence, statehood and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, while the others were members of illegal armed factions sentenced for participating in a coup attempt in the Ganca region of Azerbaijan in 1994 and members of former special police forces OM...... полностью

The US State Department has told AzarTAc news agency that former head of the US diplomatic mission to Kosovo and Pristina Reno Harnish will be the new US ambassador to Azerbaijan. The new ambassador nominated by President George W. Bush would arrive in Baku no sooner than the summer because in this interval the new ambassador's candidacy must pass through voting in the Senate and another post for the incumbent had to be determined. Touching upon Armenian media speculations on the reasons behind ...... полностью

* Chairman of Milli Maclis (Azerbaijani parliament) Murtuz Alasgarov met members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitoring committee on Wednesday. Azeri speaker stressed that Azerbaijan had fulfilled part of its commitments to the Council of Europe (CoE). * The mission, including CE Vice Presidents Andreas Gross and George Clarefight, as well as Danish MP Soren Sonderguard, was visiting Azerbaijan until February 14 to examine the observance of the rights of prison...... полностью

At a meeting with students of the reputable Fletcher Diplomacy School at the Azerbaijani Commercial and Cultural Center, US Deputy Defense Minister for Eurasian issues Mira Richardel has said: "Azerbaijan is a reliable US ally in the counter-terrorism fight and has confirmed it in practice. " Mira Richardel added that the US defense ministry considered it necessary to help Azerbaijan with military reforms. The AssA-Irada correspondent in the US, James Beale says that also attending the meeting ...... полностью

While US ambassador holds PR exercise over Iraq * Azerbaijan has called for Iraq to comply with all UN Security Council resolutions. * "We proceed from the belief that Iraqi authorities will cooperate on a full scale with the international weapons inspectors on the basis of the report by the US secretary of state to the UN Security Council," a Monday statement by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev said. * "Azerbaijan supports US efforts aimed at the destruction of weapons of mass destr...... полностью

* February is to see numerous visits from top Russian officials to Azerbaijan. * The head of the Russian Security Council, Rushaylo, will travel to Azerbaijan on Wednesday following the visit by chairman of the Russian State Duma committee on international issues Rogozin. * The 20 strong delegation is to hold meetings over three days with Azerbaijani national security, defense and interior ministries, as well as President Aliyev. * The Russian embassy in Baku has informed AssA-Irada that Russi...... полностью

* Turkmen vocalist to be accompanied by Azeri orchestra * Soloist of the Turkmen State Philharmonic Society Gulara Baltayeva will give a concert at the Azerbaijani Chamber Hall on February 14, accompanied by the Azerbaijani State Chamber Orchestra. The vocalist will perform works by Western European and Azerbaijani composers. Baku hosting Iranian artists exhibition * An exhibition called Iranian motives opened at the Azerbaijani State Arts Museum on Thursday. Some 60 paintings and graphic work...... полностью

Cultural organization of Turkic countries meets * The 19th meeting of TURKSOY, the cultural organization of Turkic nations, concluded its work in Baku on Thursday with a news conference on the results of the two-day event. Azerbaijani Minister for Culture said more Turkic autonomous regions of Russia, including Altai, Yakutiya (Saha), had become TURKSOY members during the conference.  He added that the next gathering would take place in Russia's Hakasiya, whoose Minister of Culture Natalie ...... полностью

* President hosts BTC progress meeting * The Azerbaijani Presidential Administration has reported that a meeting was held at the President's Office on Wednesday to discuss issues relating to implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main oil export pipeline project. * President Heydar Aliyev gave a detailed speech on the project's progress and future plans. * Also speaking at the meeting were AIOC president David Woodward, president of the Georgian International Oil Corporation Georgi Chantur...... полностью

* EBRD passes new strategy for Azerbaijan * In its press release, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced a new two-year strategy for Azerbaijan. The new strategy recognizes improvements in the investment climate, though calls for further measures to achieve stronger growth in the non-oil-gas sector. * The EBRD advised Azernews that it has also set out how the bank can contribute to Azerbaijan's plans for reducing poverty. * Macroeconomic performance in Azerbaijan ...... полностью

Peter Burkhard meets with leaders of CCO parties * At a meeting on Monday with chairmen of political parties represented in the Coordinating Center of the Opposition (CCO), head of the OSCE Baku office, Peter Burkhard, said he was keen to bring the Electoral Code into conformity with international standards and consider suggestions from opposition political parties while preparing the document. He suggested that an opposition representative should attend discussions of the Electoral Code in Stra...... полностью

Aliyev not to attend Almaty conference * An international conference, Peace and Understanding, will be held on February 13 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, initiated by the Kazakh government. The Afghan, Kirgiz, Tajik, Turkish and Azerbaijani heads of state have been invited to the conference. The Azerbaijani Presidential Administration has informed AssA-Irada that Heydar Aliyev will not attend the event instead Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev will represent Azerbaijan there. * The conference intends to...... полностью

* New Indian ambassador to Azerbaijan appointed * The Indian embassy in Azerbaijan has notified AssA-Irada that Jyoti Svarup Pande, 52, was appointed as new Indian ambassador to Azerbaijan. Pande has worked for the Indian Foreign Ministry as second and third secretary at the Indian embassies in Brazil and Malaysia. Azerbaijan is the first country, where he will take up the position of ambassador. * The newly-appointed ambassador speaks English and Portugese, as well as his native language, Hin...... полностью

* Minsk Group co-chairmen to report to OSCE winter session * Diplomatic sources have informed AssA-Irada that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) will hold its winter session in Vienna, Austria, in the second half of February.   According to Azeri MP Eldar Ibrahimov, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen are expected to present reports during the session to be attended by two Azeri parliamentarians. London forum to highlight investment opportunities * A forum dedicated to the investment ...... полностью

* The head of the Caucasus Muslims Clerical Office, Sheik Allahsukur Pasazada, traveled to the Nardaran settlement of Baku on Sunday in an effort to mediate between the parties. Speaking to some 100 settlement elders at a meeting held in the house of one of the leaders, Allahsukur Pasazada said he had met with President Heydar Aliyev, who prefers to resolve problems through negotiation. Hajji Gulaga a settlement leader, said that Sheik Allahsukur Pasazada had conveyed the president's regards to...... полностью

* Top presidential official outlines Gov’t position on a range of issues * Azerbaijan supports the US position on current global developments, including the Iraqi issue, as it considers the US to be a strategic ally, the head of the international relations department of the Presidential Administration, Novruz Mammadov stated at a news conference on Friday. * He said Iraq must comply with UN Security Council resolutions to the letter so that the process did not damage both Iraq and the region as...... полностью

A Greek governmental delegation will pay a working visit to Azerbaijan on April 11-12 to mull prospects for bilateral relations. Issues on versatile economic cooperation will be the focus of the talks. Moreover, the visit will center on preparations for Greek President Constantinos Stefanopoulos's planned trip to Azerbaijan in May. The Greek embassy in Azerbaijan said that the delegation headed by First Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverzos would also include representatives of Greek gas ...... полностью

* German-French Yelisei agreement marked in Baku * The German and French embassies in Azerbaijan are jointly implementing a celebration program dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Yelisei agreement. A meeting of the French and German communities was held at Kappelhaus on Wednesday following a concert of chamber music conducted at Kirche. Besides, it is envisaged to organize a French and German films festival in the spring. The organizers are planning to hold a Music Holiday on June 21, and...... полностью

Photo contest winner  to travel to Paris * The first contest of young photographers called Comma will be organized in Baku by the Azerbaijani Photographers Association at the initiative of the French embassy. All amateur and professional photographers under 30 are welcomed to participate at the contest to last from February 1 to March 15. Winner of the contest will be awarded a nine-day tour to Paris and have an opportunity to take part in the photo festival to be conducted in Erl, France, accor...... полностью

Qobustan to be registered in UNESCO World Heritage List * Arrived in Baku at the invitation of Azerbaijani Minister of Culture Polad Bulbuloglu on January 21, UNESCO Deputy Secretary-general on cultural issues Miner Bushenaki has met with Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, chairman of the standing parliamentary commission on culture and head of UN Baku office on Thursday. Besides, he visited the Alley of Martyrs, the Old City, the Sirvansah Palace. Bushenaki has told Polad Bulbuloglu that Qobu...... полностью

President approves fresh SOCAR charter, structure * President Heydar Aliyev issued a decree on January 24 to approve the Charter and Structure of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR). * Under the decree, the onshore and offshore oil and gas production unions of SOCAR will be combined into the Azneft production union, while the marketing and economic operations department will be set up on the basis of the merger of the foreign economic relations department and the Azarneftt...... полностью