He advocates for peace in a Baku mass The Catholic church leader John Paul II visited Azerbaijan, a country with predominantly Muslim populations, for the first time in its history last week. Catholic community members number some a hundred in the Caucasus nation, where Muslims, Christians and Jews co-exist. The visit on the invitation of the Azeri President turned the world’s eyes to Azerbaijan, which was in consistent coverage of international media. The pontiff was accompanied by a broad...... полностью

On May 28, Azeris widely celebrate the Day of Republic, the establishment of the first ever democracy in the east. On that day in 1918, the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was set up in Northern Azerbaijan stretching from Nakhchivan in the south to Derbent in the northeast and covering a territory of 114,000 square kilometers. The first session of the Azeri Parliament consisting of 120 members was opened on December 7 by M. A. Rasulzadeh. A. M. Topchubashov was appointed Speaker, while Fatali...... полностью

State Department report excludes Armenia from coalition list By Azernews Staff The US State Department highly appreciated Azerbaijan’s part in combating international terrorism in its report “Patterns of Global Terrorism: 2001”, released May 21 in Washington, D.C. At the same time, the report didn’t include Armenia in the list of countries helping the international anti-terror coalition. Secretary of State Colin Powell said during the briefing on the release of the department’s report that ...... полностью

Ernst & Young clinches Oil Fund audit (AssA-Irada, May 1) - Ernst & Young has completed auditing the financial performance of the Azerbaijan State Oil Fund, as it reported no irregularities. The oil fund is $500 million rich at present, but its expenses made up $34,461,000 last year. Revenues of the fund are estimated to be $181,593,000 this year, while the outlays will reportedly constitute $31,572,000. Int'l oil, oil products quoting (AssA-Irada, May 3) - Platt's European Marketscan has ...... полностью

Azerenergy denies running regional power network Azerenergy joint stock company issued a press release on some media publications that the personnel of the power distribution network in Lankaran, allegedly owned by Azerenergy, held a rally in front of the local executive body, demanding their pays. The JSC stated that the regional power network is not its entity, but functions as a technological subdivision of Ali Bayramli Power Network, which is responsible for distributing electricity, colle...... полностью

Nato's Caspian ecology workshop in Baku Vice-Premier Yagub Ayyubov noted cross-border contamination in the Caspian and high pollution of the rivers Kur and Araz from Armenia and Georgia. The Azeri official was speaking to the two-day Nato workshop "Ecological problems of the Caspian", which got underway at the Crescent Beach Hotel of Baku Tuesday. Azerbaijan is trying to rejuvenate the regional environment, but fails to take due measures with meager funds, the minister stressed. Nato's objecti...... полностью

Int'l RC&RC Day marked in Baku The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) marked the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Day in a ceremony at the Rashid Behbudov Theater of Song Tuesday, as international RC&RC activities were highlighted. Executives of the representations of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Knut Kaspersen and the International Committee of Red Cross Fridrun Medert were awarded honorable diplomas of the ARCS. Also conferred the honorable...... полностью

Aliyev to meet with foreign businessmen President Aliyev is scheduled to meet with foreign businessmen at the Presidential Palace of Baku on May 14, the presidential administration reported Saturday. The President will discuss development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, problems with attraction of investments, regulation of relations between foreign investors and authorities, etc. Foreign businessmen willing to take part in the meeting can apply to the Ministry of Economic Development (Bak...... полностью

Independent experts review Azeri foreign policy over the past decade Independent experts reviewed Azerbaijan’s foreign policy in the past decade at a roundtable last week, as they stated that the major failure of this policy had been inability to prove Armenia’s being aggressor and occupying Azeri territories to the international community. Former presidential advisor on foreign policy Vafa Guluzadeh, ex-foreign minister Tofig Zulfugarov, chief of the presidential secretariat Eldar Namazov, f...... полностью

The Turkish and Azeri Ministries of Justice signed an agreement on contribution to legal and commercial relations, as well as cooperation program for 2002 at the Justice Ministry of Azerbaijan Friday. Signing the documents were Turkish Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk and his Azeri counterpart Fikrat Mammadov. The Turkish Minister was in Baku on a three-day official visit. The Turkish minister also met with the chairman of the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan Khanlar Hajiyev and was expecte...... полностью

Azeri foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev, taking part in the 110th meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Council of Europe, discussed the implementation of the country’s commitments to the CE with its general secretary Walter Schwimmer in Vilnuis Friday. The two also focused on the activities of monitoring groups and CE role in settlement of the Garabagh conflict. The Foreign Ministry has not provided any information on the meeting. The CE secretary said his scheduled visit to Baku was still ...... полностью

Initial accord for Gas de France part in Baku-Erzurum (AssA-Irada, April 24) - Azeri minister for fuel and energy Majid Karimov and French State Secretary for Industry Christian Perre focused on participation of French companies in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipe during the Azeri minister's recent visit to France. "French oil majors have invested $60 million in the oil sector of Azerbaijan, where the government's oil strategy opens up immense opport...... полностью

Int'l financial institutions loan irrigation revival By Azernews Staff AZM20 billion will be allotted from the state budget in 2002 to help irrigation in Azerbaijan, chairman of the State Committee on Melioration and Water Economy Ahmad Ahmadzadeh told a news conference at the headquarters of the New Azerbaijan Party Friday. The funds will be directed at reconstruction and effectiveness of the country's irrigation system. The World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank are expected to loan $...... полностью

Garadagh Cement spends AZM1.4bn to protect the environment The privatization of the Garadagh Cement plant by Swiss Holcim has changed things for the better, as a new reconstruction program was launched and novel technologies were introduced. As a result, discharge of hazardous substances into the atmosphere has significantly reduced, chief of the company's information and analytic center Isgandar Sardarli told journalists. Four new electrical purification filters have been installed since 1999...... полностью

Caspian summit draws blank By Azernews Staff The summit of the five Caspian leaders that was convened for the first time after the break-up of the Soviet Union to delineate the status of the Caspian gave no fruits. The Presidents couldn’t even agree on a final statement on the division of the Caspian. Moreover, the Turkmen President Saparmurad Niyazov expressed his rage over Azerbaijan’s development of Caspian fields that he sees as disputed, threatening Azerbaijan with war. "It smells li...... полностью

President Aliyev is not expected to pardon some of the inmates on the occasion of the National Day, May 28, according to the chief presidential executive Ramiz Mehdiyev. Moreover, the President's chief of staff told the news conference Thursday that the President is not going to sign any amnesty decree in the near future, thus denying media speculations in this regard.... читать

He opts to stay at Irshad Hotel Rome's Catholic Pope John Paul II is expected to visit Baku as a tourist for the first time in the pedigree of his foreign trips. In Baku, the pontiff will stay at an ordinary hotel, Irshad. The pope is not expected to give services in the Azeri capital, where Catholic Christians number some100. Initial agreement has been reached to invite a top ranking Vatican delegation to Baku. Vatican ambassador to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia Archbishop Clausio Gujerotti...... полностью

The United Opposition Movement, which includes 26 parties and public entities, failed to hold an unsanctioned rally on Azadlig Square in downtown Baku Saturday after police cordoned off all roads leading to the square. The protesters couldn't break through when they endeavored so at 4 p.m., as the attempt ended in clashes with police and arrests. Human rights of journalists were also voilated during the action. This is the united opposition’s second attempt to hold an unsanctioned rally over ...... полностью

Azeri, Georgian and Turkish defense ministers signed an agreement on joint combat against organized crime, drug and arms trafficking in Trabzon, Turkey Tuesday. The signing of the agreement is assessed as a new step as part of the efforts of the three nations to enhance regional security in the run-up to the construction of the main export oil and gas pipelines to take Caspian resources to international markets via Turkey. The signing ceremony was preceded by a meeting of the Presidents of Aze...... полностью

Local entrepreneurs admit they find it beneficial to produce abroad and then import into Azerbaijan President Aliyev appears to be getting determined to resolve the problems businessmen are facing in Azerbaijan, as he promised in a meeting with local entrepreneurs Thursday to take measures to eliminate all impediments to the development of entrepreneurship. The President is also planning to meet with foreign businessmen active in the country. 450 entrepreneurs were taking part in the Thursday...... полностью

Tender For procurement of biological & diagnostic preparations for implementation of measures against epizootic by the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan in 2002 The tender includes three lots: Lot 1: Food-and-mouth vaccination; Lot 2: Vaccines; Lot 3: Diagnostic preparations, reagents and instruments. The tender will be held on June 11, 2002 at 15:00 at the Board Hall of the Ministry of Agriculture with participation of either bidders or their proxies (Baku, the Government House, ...... полностью

SOCAR announces tender SOCAR has announced an open tender for procurement of equipment for well mouth gusher steel bars and remotely operated well covering valves at its own expenses. The first lot envisions four sets of gusher bars, while the second allows for four sets of inside-well complex equipment. Bidders may turn to the marketing and imports division of the SOCAR Foreign Economic Relations Department. Paying $200 on each lot and 18% in VAT, bidders may receive a list of main requirem...... полностью

National ferrous metallurgy, energy boost offered By Azernews Staff The Ministry of Economic Development prepared a draft state ferrous metallurgy and power and energy industry boost program last week. The ferrous metallurgy program is intended for 2002-2006. It outlines ways of restoring and developing the industry under thriving market economy relations. The draft analyzes the current situation in ferrous metallurgy, its scientific and economic bases, opportunities of establishing a full-...... полностью

Musavat attempt to hold rally in Sumgayit The chairman of the Musavat Party Isa Gambar held a briefing following a meeting of Democratic Congress-1, saying that the Sumgayit branch of the party had attempted to hold a rally in front of the Narimanov House of Culture Sunday. According to him, the organizers of the rally made an appeal to the local authorities to sanction the protest action, but got no response. 21 protesters, including 3 women, clashed with police and were taken to a police pr...... полностью

China backs Azerbaijan's territorial integrity Azeri Defense Minister, Colonel General Safar Abiyev received Chinese ambassador to Azerbaijan Tzan Siyun Wednesday. The Azeri minister congratulated the ambassador on the appointment and spoke of the establishment of Azeri-Chinese relations and military cooperation. He said Azeri servicemen are currently studying in Beijing's War Academy and expressed aspiration for expanding military cooperation. T. Siyun conveyed the regards of his country's d...... полностью

CE MINISTERS TO FOCUS ON COMBATING INT'L TERRORISM A session of the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe is due in Prague on May 2-3. It will mull the combat against international terrorism, Azerbaijan's delegate to the Council of Europe Agshin Mehdiyev told journalists Wednesday. Lithuania is expected to transfer the committee chairmanship to Luxembourg in the session. FOURTH INT'L ENERGY & ECOLOGY CONGRESS IN BAKU The fourth international congress "Energy, ecology, economy" is d...... полностью

He was Norway’s National and International hero The world lost one of its most famous researchers of all times Thor Heyerdahl, who died on April 18. A book of condolences was opened in the Norwegian embassy in Baku following the death of the renowned researcher, traveler and scientist Thor Heyerdahl, who passed away on April 18 at the age of 87. Those willing to express their sympathy can attend the embassy from April 22 to 26. "When Thor Heyerdahl passed away, Norway lost an original and spe...... полностью

The Iranian embassy in Baku has issued a statement, saying that "the US ambassador to Azerbaijan is making irresponsible statements to media on human rights in Iran". The statement says that the US envoy's allegations are ungrounded and come as a continuation of the US's animosity policy against the Iranian people. "Ultimate human rights of the unhappy Palestine people are being infringed upon now by the regime that has occupied Jerusalem. However, the US is turning a blind eye to all these. Of...... полностью

The top gathering is the first following the Soviet break-up to determine the Caspian status President Heydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan left for Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Tuesday to take part in a summit of the Caspian nations. The Presidents of the littoral states are expected to sign a Caspian declaration in the Turkmen capital. In an interview with journalists at the Bina Airport of Baku, the President said that the Caspian Presidents would come together at last to discuss the issues that had for a...... полностью

JOINT VENTURES HIKE OIL OUTPUT BY 10% Joint oil and gas producing ventures produced 182,445,000 tons of oil and 24,955,000 cubic meters of gas in the first quarter of 2002. The oil and gas production volume rose by 8.7% to 2001, according to a SOCAR source. Over-fulfilling the plan were Anshad Petroil, which produced over 10972.5 tons of oil (43.4% over the plan), Salyan Oil - 75,843.3 tons (12.4%) and Azgerneft - 10932.8 tons (5.1%). Last year Anshad Petroil over-fulfilled the projection by 6...... полностью