Last Monday brought joy and happiness to many families вЂ" Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to pardon 100 prisoners. It comes as the seventh decree after the presidential elections, which resulted in release of 1192 prisoners. Previously, President Aliyev undersigned a decree on 20 March to release 266 prisoners, including 30 people included in the CE list of political prisoners.
A new party - Fazilat вЂ" adopted its charter and program in a Constituent Assembly held at the International Press Club on 20 June. Gunduz Hajiyev was elected the chairman of the party and Mehdi Daraferini became the deputy chairman. After the Assembly Hajiyev said that party unites over 2,000 people. The party leader plans to participate in the parliamentary elections and will nominate his candidate from the Imishli constituency.
Meanwhile PACE summer session started in Strasbourg on 20 June. Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation headed by Samad Seyidov attended the session.
On 21 June President Aliyev received delegation headed by Dmitriy Medvedev, the head of the Russian President’s Administration. Noting the strengthening of bilateral relationships, in particular, successful development of economic relationships Aliyev noted the intensified rise of goods turnover would be better example of cooperation. He stated that announcement of 2005 as the year of Azerbaijan in Russia and 2006 вЂ" as the year of Russia in Azerbaijan would promote further consolidation of bilateral bonds among the nations. Medvedev with satisfaction noted the intensification of progress in all spheres in Azerbaijan, including the economic filed.
The same day the President held a meeting dedicated to the problems and refugees and internally displaced people. Aliyev said that 400bn manats has been spent on the improvement of social welfare of refugees and internally displaced people. Reminding of his pre-election promise the President said no refugee camp will be left he in the country, and the refugees settled in Barda. Saatly and Sabirabad will be replaced to new settlements.
On 21 June the French Foreign Ministry spread a statement on the recognition of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Jean-Batist Mattei, an official of the French Foreign Ministry, stated on the on0recognition of the �Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’ by France as an independent state. As to the parliamentary elections in Nagorno-Karabakh held on 19 June, he said that it impedes the peace process, and will not give effective end for future of the territory.
on 22 June two documents on Azerbaijan were put discussions at the PACE summer session held in Strasbourg while considering the implementation of the CE obligations by Azerbaijan. Co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Group, Andreas Gross, a Swiss parliamentarian, and Andreas Herkel, an Eston parliamentarian, made a speech on the Activities of Democratic Institutes in Azerbaijan, while Malcolm Bruce, a British parliamentarian, delivered remarks on Execution of Resolution N 1359 on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Gross noted the positive processes observed in Azerbaijan over the past 3-4 months amid the importance of the forthcoming parliamentary elections. He spoke about the opposition rallies held without any pressures, as well as commencement of a dialogue between the authorities and the opposition.
Andreas Herkel, the CE co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, noted Azerbaijani government’s efforts directed at maintaining the right of free assembly. MP supported the sanctioning of the opposition rallies and hailed the commencement of the opposition-authorities dialogue.
Taking the flow Malcolm Brice, the CE co-rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, marked the progress in the resolution of the problem, but claimed on its existence. He spoke about people condemned for being relatives of the opposition leaders. “We hail all presidential decree on pardon. If they were issued before, then no problem of political prisoners would exist in Azerbaijan,” he said.
Noting the progress in the establishment of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan, Gross came out with an interesting proposal. He stressed the importance of allocation of 25 seats in the parliament for opposition. Regarding the proposals Ali Ahmdaov, the executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, told Trend that criticized Gross’s statement. В"It is interference into Azerbaijan’s internal affairs. It also testifies that Gross and democracy are absolutely different notions. The people of Azerbaijan, but not Gross will determine how many people and from which blocs will be elected to the parliament,” he underlined.
The co-chairs attempted to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan. They proposed to include the issue on prolongation of the mandate of the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation in 2006 into the final document depending on the democratic organization of forthcoming parliamentary elections in the country. However, the proposal was rejected. В"PACE believes that Azerbaijan will hold fair and transparent elections,В" the document says.
On 23 the head of state received John Colston, NATO Deputy General Secretary on Defense Planning. The President noted the successful development of cooperation with Azerbaijan and NATO and said that introduction of an Action Plan on Individual Partnership raises Azerbaijan to a qualitatively new stage. He reminded of active participation of the Azerbaijani military in the peacekeeping operation in different world countries, adding that Azerbaijan was the reliable partner of NATO. Colston voiced his hope in further development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO.
The same day Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev received Colston.
On 23 June President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev received Minister of Finance of Georgia Valeri Chechelashvili.
Having described the Azerbaijan-Georgia relationship as steadily developing and expanding in various spheres, the Head of State recalled his recent meeting in Kiev with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, and particularly underlined the two countries] cooperation in such large-scale energy projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipelines construction.
Georgian Finance Minister Valeri Chechelashvili agreed that the Azerbaijan-Georgia cooperation was considerably enhanced, and described the realization of the global energy projects as a graphic evidence of that. He noted the cooperation was of great importance not only for the two countries but also for the whole region.
On 23 June PACE summer session hosted the first meeting of the PACE sub-committee on Nagorno-Karabakh problem. The meeting took a paper by Rassel Johnston. It was resolved to organize the next meeting in Paris on 12 September.
On 25 the opposition comprised of the National Democratic Party, Vahdat, Liberal-Democratic Party, Great Establishment Party, and the Turkish National Party, hold a rally from �20 January’ subway station to Galaba square. The action was supported by some non-governmental and youth organizations. The protestors voiced strict notes on the establishment of terms for holding free and fair democratic parliamentary elections. The notes also concerned the parties represented in Azadlyg party.
On 26 June Azerbaijan celebrated the establishment of the National Army. The current parameters of the Azerbaijani Army meets the international standards. The Azerbaijani military today successfully participates in peacemaking operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
A solemn ceremony was held at the Gulustan Palace of Baku on June 25 in connection with 87th anniversary of Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. In his remarks Defense Minister Abiyev said that the Azerbaijani Army get more and more strengthened day by day and is ready to liberate the occupied lands thanks to care and attention attached by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ilham Aliyev.
The same President Aliyev participated in a ceremony dedicated to graduation of High Military School. In he speech the President said that the government will always attach great importance and care of the armed forces. In 2003 the defense expenses comprised $135m, while in 2005 - $300m. The President promised the policy to continue in future. The head of state said that the Azerbaijani army is the most improved one throughout the South Caucasus. В"The enemy must know the Azerbaijani army is in condition to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan any time,” the commander-in-chief underlined.
The preparations for the celebration of 130th anniversary of the national press day to be marked on 22 July. This day symbolizes the issue of the first publication in Azerbaijan �Akinchi’ in 1875 under the leadership of great Azerbaijani thinkers Hassan bay Zardabi. President Aliyev undersigned a relevant decree to organize the festivities in this connection.
Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizada was conferred the highest title of France вЂ" Order of Honorable Legion вЂ" for his merits in the development of political, economic, and cultural relationships between Azerbaijan and France. On 20 June the French Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Rolan Blattman, awarded Rasizada the order. Rasizada is a co-chair of the joint intergovernmental commission Azerbaijan-France.
And the last, the Azerbaijani flag will flutter in the highest point in South America. Last week the Azerbaijani rock-climber, Faik Mursagulov, climbed the pick of Mc-Kinli, and put the Azerbaijani flag. 13 climbers participated in the expedition with participation of one Azerbaijani, currently residing in Moscow, Russia, Israfil Ashurlu.