Business

Baku to host int’l tourism show

Azerbaijan is expected to host the first international tourism exhibition, AITF 2002, at the Exhibition and Conference Center Grand Europe Wednesday and Thursday.

The Exhibition AITF 2002 is represented by the following sections: active and adventure recreation, tourist operators, tourist agents, cruises, educational tourism, organization of businesslike and intensive tours, organization and conduct of conferences, national tourist agencies, medical tours to sanitary centers, sanitary, ecological tourism, etc.

About 40 companies from 10 countries will take part in the exhibition. Among them are Turkish Abakus Tourism Skylife Travel, Turkish Airlines, Azeri Ateshgah, AzAL, BTI, Crescent Beach Hotel, Improtex Travel, Jet Travel, Mbask, Ran Tour, SI Travel, Positron, the Austrian tourism office, French CGTT, France Tour, Italian ISCRA Viaggi, Kazakh Amadeus Global, Russian Super Avia, Sanatorium Victoria, etc.

Stands of the Azeri Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism, the Union of Tourism and Development of Azerbaijan, the Turkish Ministry of Tourism, and the Austrian National Tourism Office are represented in the exhibition.

Assistant of General Secretary of the World Tourism Organization Mr. Chlevkov is expected to address the WHO presentation in Baku Wednesday. The following day, the conference "Great Silk Road - dialogue among the Eurasian cultures" organized by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism will be held.

Azerbaijan possesses the richest resources for development of tourism. It accommodates more than 6,000 natural archeological, architectural and cultural monuments. Azerbaijan's architectural monuments dated to the 7-17th centuries are included in the golden fund of the world architectural heritage.

Int'l financial institutions to aid Azerbaijan

Representatives from the World Bank, the Asiatic Bank of Reconstruction and Development, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund are expected to meet soon to discuss ways of providing assistance to seven poor CIS countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrghyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the WB Baku Office said Saturday.

One of the main conditions for the initiative to come true is to settle a number of problems by the governments. These include conduct of economic and energy reforms, reduction in corruption level, support for small and medium business, etc.

Azeri, Russian energy chiefs mull co-op

Azeri and Russian energy executives have focused on deepening and developing cooperation during a two-day meeting in Mahachkala, Russia. Leading the Azeri delegation was President of Azerenergy joint stock company Etibar Pirverdiyev. The Russian delegation was led by president of Russian Common Energy System regional joint stock company Andrey Rapoport.

The aspects of further improvement of power exchange between the two neighboring countries and interaction between Dagenergy and Azerenergy, as well as the issues of reliability and sustainability with parallel work schedules and implementation of energy projects were in the limelight.

The challenge of strengthening an accident prevention system was underlined, the JSC said Wednesday. The parties are exchanging energy under the intergovernmental agreement, .

Azerbaijan is keeping contacts with Russia's grid through Derbend electricity transmission lines with a high voltage of 330 kW and length of 166.4 kilometers. An agreement on joint inspection of the lines connecting Daghestan and Azerbaijan was also reached in Mahachgala, as it will offer facilities to prepare better for the upcoming winter.

State committee clears Barmek debt

The State Committee on Refugees is no longer in debt to Barmek Azerbaijan, having paid off all of its electricity arrears amid collection of only 10 % in energy charges from the population, according to Vice-Premier, chairman of the State Committee on Refugees Ali Hassanov.

The committee pays a monthly amount of AZM800 million for power consumed by IDPs, paying for 50 kW/hour for every uprooted person under the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Tender winner announced

Baku High Voltage Electrical Equipment joint stock company has been announced the winner of tenders for long-term management of Ganja and Ali Bayramli power grids following consultant recommendations and the decision of the tender commission. Four companies had participated in each tender held by the Ministry of Economic Development.

The ministry is negotiating with the winner on the signing of agreements for management of the power grids, a source from the ministry said Monday.