FERROSTAL TO SUPPLY EQUIPMENT German Ferrostal has won a tender for major equipment supplies for the Bahar Gas Pipeline, a source from SOCAR's foreign economic relations department reported Monday. Also supplying the construction of the pipeline was Ferrostal after winning a relative tender. Under the tender terms, the company is to provide pipes, pistons, steel bars, bolts, and other equipment totaling some $350,000. BAKU PHARMACEUTICAL ENTERPRISE PUT ON SALE The Department for State Pro...... полностью

SOCAR's BTC SHARE SHRINKS TO 25% Chief of SOCAR's foreign economic relations department Valeh Alasgarov held a news conference at the company Friday to update journalists on the meeting of the Executive Committee on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Project on March 25 in London. The keynote event in the British capital, where the participants in the project shared stakes, was the reduction of SOCAR's part in the project from 45% to 25%. bp has 38.2%, Statoil - 9.58%, ENI - 5%, Itochu - 3.5%...... полностью

IRAN ADMITTED TO COMMISSION ON CASPIAN BIORESOURCES Iran got an official membership in the Commission on Caspian Bioresources in its two-day 17th meeting in Baku, one of the Azeri participants in the event told AssA-Irada Friday. The necessity of Iran's admission came after requirements by the International Convention on Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora Species, CITES to approve sturgeon fishing quotas in cooperation with all the Caspian states. These circumstances are expected to introduce som...... полностью

US REPUBLICAN MEETS OPPOSITION LEADERS The director of the US International Institute of Republicans (IIR) in Azerbaijan Mark Forre met with chairman of the Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan Etibar Mammadov and leader of the PFPA reform wing MP Ali Karimli Thursday. The US visitor spoke of the revival of the IIR office in Azerbaijan and his tours to the regions of Azerbaijan in a bid to forge cooperation. The parties exchanged views on upcoming seminars for political parties under ...... полностью

PRESIDENT ALIYEV VOICES SYMPATHY OVER MOTHER QUEEN's DEATH Azeri President Aliyev visited the residence of the British ambassador in Baku to commemorate the mother of Queen Elizabeth the second. He made notes in the book of condolences, where he expressed his deepest sympathy to the United Kingdom and its people over the Queen Mother's death. "The Queen Mother's death brought a great sorrow and grief to your country and people. I share your lament and express my deepest condolences", the Presi...... полностью

EURASIAN ECONOMIC FORUM DUE IN ALMATY A Eurasian economic forum under the auspices of the Davos Forum is due in Almaty, Kazakhstan on April 7-9. The gathering will center on prospects of development of economic ties in the region, establish relations with potential investors and present drafts and programs. Participating in the forum will be government officials, businessmen, diplomats and representatives from international financial organizations. Leading the Azeri delegation will be Deputy Pr...... полностью

The group raised concerns for Azerbaijan’s national security By Azernews StaffMembers of a dangerous criminal gang arrested in Baku last week for suspiciously watching the President’s apartment were repatriated to Russia in the early hours of Tuesday. They proved to have the maps of strategic installations in Baku and a detailed plan of President Aliyev's residence. Rumors on the President’s security had been sweeping through Baku during the week due to the lack of thorough information on th...... полностью

Georgia is second to the US to hold military consultations with Azerbaijan in the run-up to the Baku-Ceyhan Azerbaijan and Georgia have launched consultations to ensure security and effective performance of the Eurasian Transport Corridor, particularly the security of oil and gas pipelines in the region. For this purpose, Georgian defense minister, Lieutenant General David Tevzadze paid an official visit to Baku Monday on the invitation of his Azeri counterpart Colonel General Safar Abiyev. ...... полностью

AGGOL PRESERVE TO BECOME NATIONAL PARK The Alternative Zukkov Nobel Foundation has allotted $40 million for establishment of a national park in lieu of the Aggol preserve. German experts in cooperation with the Azerbaijan Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has developed a program to set up a network of national parks, according to minister for ecology Hussein Baghirov. Under the program, the reserve situated in Agjabadi and Beylagan provinces will be expanded to 16-17,000 hectares, the...... полностью

SOCAR ANNOUNCES CHEMICALS TENDER The SOCAR Offshore Oil and Gas Production Unit has announced a tender for procurement of chemicals in four lots, the purchase of 100 tons of KMS, 400 tons of FXLS, 1000 tons of liquid FXLS and 450 tons of caustic soda, according to a SOCAR source. Participation fee is AZM400,000 plus 18% VAT. The closing date for bidder data is April 29. Bids are welcome before May 8 this year. The security bid for the first lot is AZM6 million, the second is AZM20 million,...... полностью

CHINA INTERESTED IN AZERI OIL FIELDS Representatives from the International Chinese Petrochemical Cooperation showed interest in some of the fields on Absheron Peninsula, including Muradkahnly, and oil bearing regions on the Peninsula, the lower Kur plain, in Buzovna-Mashtaga, Surakhany-Garachukhur and Pirsaat during their March visit to Baku, according to a competent source from SOCAR. The Chinese corporation launched its operations in Salyan Oil in April after investing $52 million in the co...... полностью

CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM GAS BLOCK COMPLETING The construction of a steal and gas block in the 440 Mega Watt strong Shimal regional power station has been fulfilled to 70% to date, Azerenergy joint stock company said Monday. The construction was launched in June of 2000 by Japanese Mitsui after winning a relevant tender. Main preparatory and mounting work has been done, with a staff of 736 people, including 476 national personnel. Old installations in the new area of the station are being replac...... полностью

PRESIDENT RECEIVES CREDENTIALS OF CHINESE ENVOY President Aliyev received credentials of Chinese ambassador to Azerbaijan Chzhan Siyun Saturday. Handing in the credentials, the Chinese diplomat said that Azerbaijan and China are friendly nations and China is ready to put bilateral relations on higher level. He assured the President he would his utmost to enhance cooperation. The ambassador conveyed regards of head of China Szyan Szemin to President Aliyev and invited him to take part in an offi...... полностью

PRESIDENT ALIYEV ACCEPTS SUMMIT INVITATION Azeri President Heydar Aliyev has had a phone conversation with his Turkmen counterpart Safarmurad Niyazov Friday, as the two exchanged views on issues of bilateral cooperation, especially collaboration in the Caspian. President Niyazov invited the Azeri President to the summit of Caspian nations, due in Ashgabat on April 23-24. President Aliyev accepted the invitation, the Presidential Press Service said Saturday. CHINESE FILM WEEK IN BAKU A Chin...... полностью

MPs started Tuesday's session of parliament on the occupation day of Kalbajar, another Armenia captured Azeri province, by standing in silence tribute to those who were killed in the occupation. Opposition minded parliamentarian Igbal Agazadeh proposed to include in the agenda the issue of breaking off talks with Armenia and refusing the services of the OSCE Minsk Group. His proposal comes ahead of the scheduled discussion of the Garabagh conflict at the Armenian parliament on April 4. Speaker...... полностью

Visiting US official not ruling out possible anti-terror operations in breakaway Garabagh US and Azerbaijan are opening up a new stage of military cooperation, as the visiting US defense delegation focused on a working plan of cooperation in Baku last week. Also interesting is that the head of the US mission Mira Ricardel didn’t rule out the possibility of joint US-Azeri anti-terror operations in Garabagh, the breakaway region of Azerbaijan in an interview with journalists. The US-Azeri mil...... полностью

Azeris urge world recognition for the genocide Azerbaijan people mourned over March 31, the Genocide Day of Azerbaijanis with a number of undertakings held. On this day, March 31 of 1918 tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis were killed by Armenians under the Bolshevik cover. It is noteworthy that Armenians pursued the genocide in the heart of Azerbaijan, the capital Baku. It was not only human lives that were claimed, but also historic and architectural monuments of Azerbaijan, schools and hos...... полностью

SHELL IN $1.8BN US OIL DEAL (BBC, March 26) - Oil giant Shell has agreed to pay $1.8bn (Ј1.3bn) for Pennzoil-Quaker State, the biggest US motor oil company. The Anglo-Dutch company plans to keep Pennzoil-Quaker States raft of brands, but will be cutting 15% of the firm's staff, about 1,230 people, to eliminate duplications. The deal is the latest in a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the energy industry, which started last year. Two weeks ago, Conoco and Phillips Petroleum approved a p...... полностью

AZERBAIJAN GRANTED SIXTH-GRADE CREDIT RATING An Azeri delegation led by minister for economic development Farhad Aliyev negotiated with German Hermez Kreditferixerunq AG on insurance of Azerbaijan-bound loans in a recent working visit to Germany. The company was provided with documents on economic reforms in Azerbaijan and measures to better the investment climate. Following the talks, Hermez Kreditferixerunq AG decided to raise Azerbaijan's credit rating to the sixth grade since January 1, 2...... полностью

ROUNDTABLE ON STABLE DEVELOPMENT OF CIS NATIONS Azeri NGOs, including the Caspian Ecological Program (CEP) and the Regional Ecological Center, are expected to focus on a draft document "Conception to create conditions for transition to stable development in newly independent states" at a roundtable at the Training Center of the Ministry for Public Health Thursday. The draft was first discussed in Moscow Tuesday, President of the Azeri NGO, Union for Stable Development Fikrat Jafarov has said. ...... полностью

EU UPHOLDS INVIOLABILITY OF BORDERS The Inter-parliamentary Cooperation Committee between Azerbaijan and the European Union in its third meeting in Brussels last week reaffirmed inviolability of borders and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as principles for the solution to the Garabagh conflict. The parties adopted a document "Final resolution and recommendations", backing the development of bilateral cooperation in all spheres and the integration of Azerbaijan into European entities. The...... полностью

US MILITARY TO VISIT BAKU A delegation of the US Defense Department is expected to pay a working visit to Baku Wednesday. The purpose of the visit by American members of the US-Azeri Consultation Group is to discuss prospects of bilateral military cooperation following the repeal of Section 907 to the Freedom Support Act, the US embassy in Azerbaijan said Monday. The US military are led by Mira Ricardel, US spokesperson in Eurasian nations for Deputy Defese Secretary for international securit...... полностью

The Azerbaijan people will commemorate the Day of Genocide on March 31. The date has been marked since 1998, when President Aliyev issued an edict “On genocide of Azerbaijanis”, as the first document to give political and legal assessment to the atrocities perpetrated by Armenians in the name of their “Great Armenia” obsession. On this day, the President and state officials usually visit the Cemetery of Martyrs to do homage to those who fell victim to Azerbaijan’s independence and sovereignty,...... полностью

The ethnic Azeri leader of Iran Dr. Mahmudali Chehraganli was conferred two awards during the first week of his visit to Baku. The prestigious Mammadamin Rasulzadeh Award, an honor founded after the great ideologist of the first Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918-1920, was presented to the leader of the National Liberation Movement of South Azerbaijan, Iran, Tuesday. The decision to award M. Chehraganli was made in 1996 on the recommendation of the late ex-president of Azerbaijan Abulfaz ...... полностью

The "Friend of Journalists" title founded by the Azerbaijan committee for journalistic rights "Ruh" was awarded in a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Hotel of Baku Friday, after President Aliyev was voted the overall winner in a survey among 62 respondents. The poll was conducted among editors, heads of three TV companies and six journalistic associations. "Ruh" chairman Aflatun Amashov said that President Aliyev had won among 63 candidates. According to him, last year was contradictory for Aze...... полностью

OFFSHORE OIL PRODUCTION 5% BELOW LAST YEAR The Offshore Oil and Gas Production Unit produced over 132,321 tons of oil in January and February of 2002, or 4.9% below the same period of last year. The shortage came despite over-fulfillment of the plan by 6.4%. "Balakhanineft" oil and gas production unit showed the best performance, extracting 36.000 tons of crude and fulfilling the projection by 13.5%. Among other well-doers were "Bibiheybat" unit, which produced 20.900 tons and over-fulfill...... полностью

SHAHDANIZ PARTNERS SIGN HGA WITH GEORGIA By Azernews Staff The partners on the transportation project of Azeri gas from the Shahdaniz field in the Caspian to Turkey signed the Host Government Agreement (HGA) with Georgia in Tbilisi Thursday. The signing ceremony took place in the Sheraton Hotel, where the President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze and other senior officials witnessed the signing. The Agreement was ratified by the Georgian parliament on December 19 and by the Azerbaijan parliam...... полностью

AZERI PUBLIC EYES OSCE PERFORMANCE The Azerbaijan public mulled OSCE activities towards the resolution of the Garabagh conflict last week in the aftermath of the OSCE chairman and Minsk Group co-chairs’ visit to the region. UN part lobbied Democratic Congress-2 focused on the results of the recent visits by the acting OSCE chairman and the Minsk Group co-chairs to the region in its Wednesday meeting. Chairman of the Congress Sabir Rustamkhanli told journalists DemCongress-2 was concerned ove...... полностью

An unofficial meeting of the speakers of four Caucasus parliaments, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Russia, is due in Saint Petersburg on March 26. The meeting is held as part of the International Forum of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council and the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly and dedicated to combat against terrorism. The speakers will discuss regional problems, issues on solution to ongoing conflicts and fight against international terrorism.... читать

The Union for Independent Architects (UIA) has adopted an appeal to President Aliyev, the parliament and UNESCO to celebrate the jubilee of the Azeri capital, Baku that turns six thousand years. The union calls on the parliament to debate the issue and says celebrations should be held under UNESCO and by other Turkic nations.... читать