Official News
On August 17, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev accepted the delegation headed by UN High Commissioner for Affairs with Refugees and IDP`s Antonio Gutteres.
On August 16, President Ilham Aliyev accepted the delegation headed by Mohand Lansar, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Areas Development, and Sea Fishery of Morocco.
M. Lansar delivered a letter from Moroccan King Muhammad VI to President Ilham Aliyev. In this letter the King of Morocco expressed his wish to give a new impetus to bilateral relations to optimal use of big potentials of the two countries. He also pointed out that his country will do all possible to strengthen the legal framework of bilateral cooperation, investments, and trade.
Azerbaijan will never allow creating the second Armenian state on its territory, the President ilham Aliyev stated during the meeting with the heads of Azerbaijani diplomatic missions to abroad. The President emphasized that this position of Azerbaijan is unambiguous and beyond discussion. We think that this issue can be solved by stages within the Prague process. The territories of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenians must be liberated, and both refugees and IDPs must return to their native lands including Nagorno-Karabakh. Only after all this the status of Nagorno-Karabakh can be discussed within international legal norms and the successful examples existing in the World, stated the Azerbaijani President.
Ilham Aliyev told that during the peaceful negotiations, the Armenian party resorted to various tricks which do not correspondent with the reality. The reality is based on international legal norms. The international legal norms demand to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan and its part Nagorno-Karabakh became an UN member. All the countries including the countries-co-chairmen of the Minsk Group of OSCE recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, stated the Head of the State.
The President also told that works carried out in Azerbaijan, the position of Azerbaijan had already had its visible effect on the situation in the region. Preservation of health and friendly relations with neighbouring countries, and their strengthening reinforce our position, and increase the role of Azerbaijan in the region. I would like to say once more that these relations are built on the positive basis and answer our national interests. Our relations with neighbouring countries must be the priority for us further. They must be developed in the sphere of policy, economy, and culture, he summarized.
On August 16, according to the President`s decree, Arif Nizam oghli Alishanov was appointed the Chairman of Teleradiobroadcatings of Azerbaijan CJSC.
On August 16, President ilham Aliyev issued an order on the dismission of Chairman of the Agency for Author`s Rights Kamran Sultan oghli Imanov. The President`s other order was to appoint Abutalib Gambar oghli Samadov the Chairman of the Agency for Author`s Rights.
On August 14, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on the recall of Ambassador of Azerbaijan to US and Mexico, and Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan in the Organization of American States Khafiz Pashayev. The President`s other order was devoted to the appointment of Khafiz Pashayev the Deputy Foreign Minister and the Rector of the Diplomatic Academy within the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan.
On August 18, President Ilham Aliyev approved the Agreement on Cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and the International Centre for Development of Migration Policy (ICDMP). This agreement was signed in Baku on June 27, 2006.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan was told to take necessary measures to put the agreement into effect. The Foreign Ministry was told to inform ICDMP about the fulfillment of domestic procedures which is needed to put the agreement into effect.
President Ilham Aliyev also signed a decree aimed at increase in efficiency of legal proceedings on the stage of modernization, extending of judicial manpower, determination of territorial jurisdiction of courts, and providing of activity of new courts. The decree stipulates the extending of numbers of the judiciary of Azerbaijan on 153 judges, and the determination of the corresponding staff of judiciary according to the courts
On August 18, President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on development of law enforcement agencies. The degree is aimed at simplification of appeals sent to law enforcement agencies, judicial services rendered both to legal and physical persons during the state registration, in notarys offices and other appropriate agencies, improvement of work of penitentiary institutions and officers of the courts, as well as increase in the quality of legal expertise and other directions.
On August 18, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on reconstruction and protection of historical and architectural monuments of Baku.
Foreign Policy
The preparation for the official visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Latvia is underway, Tofig Zulfugarov, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Latvia told. The diplomat pointed out that the exact date of the visit had been determined yet, and bilateral consultations were carried out. The Ambassador also added that that will be a return visit. The official visit of Latvian President Vayra Vike-Freiberga took place on October 3-5, 2005.
On August 16, Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met the delegation headed by Moroccan Ministeer of Agriculture, Development of Rural Areas, and Sea Fishery Mokhand Lansar. During the meeting the two officials exchanged their opinions concerning the possibility of further expanding of cooperation between the two countries, both bilaterally and within international organizations.
Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan, Namik Abbasov, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan told journalists on August 14. According to him, the visit will be paid in autumn this year. The Ambassador underlined that negotiations concerning this issue are being held at present, and the visit can take place in October-November 2006.
Over the last two years, Azerbaijan has joined 39 international conventions, Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told during the Baku Conference of heads of diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan to abroad held ion August 14. Over this period, Azerbaijan bilaterally has signed 300 agreements in different spheres with different countries. According to him, over the last two years the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and US has strengthened and extended even more. Our relations with Russia are developed in the form of an intensive dialogue at a high level. Our relations with the North neighbour are characterized by the growth of rates in trade and economic relations, as well as active cooperation in humanitarian and others fields. According to the Minister, Turkey remains the most entrusted, strategic partner of Azerbaijan, and supports Azerbaijan not only in energy and transport projects but also in important issues of the World policy and economy. Over the last two years, Azerbaijan developed
its relations with such countries like Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and other countries. Our relations with the South neighbour were raised on a new level as a result of the mutual visits at the high level. In addition Azerbaijan dynamically develops its relations with China, Japan, and South Korea in the sphere of policy, economy, science, culture, and education.
В"The issue on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabajh issue is our routine work, and today President Ilham Aliyev gave concrete instruction in this respect, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbuloghli told journalists on August 14 commenting his participation in the regular meeting of heads of diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan to abroad. According to the diplomat, the Head of the State described the shapes of the foreign policy of Azerbaijan. We shall build our routine work within it, told the diplomat. . P. Bulbuloghli also told that the president particularly marked the necessity of work with NGOs in those countries wher Azerbaijan has its diplomatica representative offices to explain the position of Azerbaijan to them to be closer to one another.
The visit of Ukrainian President Victor Yuschenko to Azerbaijan which was expected in the autumn this year remains in the agenda, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Ukraine Talat Aliyev told.. He pointed out the exact date of his visit will depend on the results of the meeting of the Azerbaijani-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission have not been determined yet. Negotiations are held in this issue.
Members of the British Parliament are expected to pay visits to Azerbaijan, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Great Britain Rafael Ibrahimov told journalists. Six or seven members of the House of Commons are expected to visit Baku on October 2006 and members of the House of Lords in November 2006. The British MPs are about to get acquainted with the situation and problems of Azerbaijan with the purpose to render necessary aim to the country. According to R. Ibrahimov, this is a part of the work which Azerbaijan fulfills as lobbying.
The visit of members of NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Committee for Defense and Security to Baku is expected in October 2006, Leila Abdullayeva, the Press AttachГ© of the Mission of Azerbaijan to NATO. According to her the exact date of the visit has not been determined yet, since the representatives of NATO Headquarters, as well as NATO Parliamentary Assembly. At present Turkey presides in this committee and the curator of this committee is Vahid Erdem, the Vice-Chairman of NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He has already visited Armenia with the aim to prepare his report on the South Caucasus.
It also should be noted that the visit of Chairman of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Pierre Lellouche is also expected to come to Azerbaijan in the autumn.
In this autumn, Anna Fotyga, the Polish Foreign Minister and Bronesh Boreshevskiy, the Marshall of the Senate of Poland are about to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Poland Vilayat Guliyev told journalists last week. He also pointed out that the visit of the President of Poland to Azerbaijan remains in the agenda, but its date has not been determined yet.
According to V. Guliyev, the meeting of the Polish-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission will be held in Poland in September 2006. During the meeting, economic issues, as well as all possible methods of expanding of the commodity turn-over will be discussed.
The visit of Chairman of the Permanent Committee of the All-China Asembly of People`s Representatives of the People`s Republic of China U Bango to Azerbaijan is expected in October this year, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to China Yashar Aliyev told. He pointed out that over the first half of the year, the commodity turn-over between Azerbaijan and China made up $167 m. The export of the production fromAzerbaijan to China was raised by 27 per cent.
. The Georgian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation worked in Batumi last week. Within the commission, a meeting between the Georgian and Azerbaijani Prime Ministers Zurab Nogaideli and Artur Rasizade will be held on August 16. Then, a meeting of Georgian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental will be opened. After the completion of the working meetings and talks, the Azerbaijani delegation visited the Adjari Museum, as well as the littoral zone of Batumi-Sapri and the Customs Terminal of Sapri.
On August 17, the Georgian-Azerbaijani business-forum was opened, which was attended by the Azerbaijani Prime Minister and other members of the Azerbaijani delegation, as well as business people of the two countries. Prior to the completion of the forum, the ceremony of the signing of documents was held, after which a joint press conference of Zurab Nogaideli and Artur Rasizade was held .Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli together with his Azerbaijani colleague, visited the Batumi Mosque, Batumi Sea Port LLC, as well as the Central Park of Batumi.
On August 18 the meeting between the Azerbaijani Prime Minister and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was held in Batumi. The Georgian President expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, and showed interest in the results of the meeting of the Azerbaijani-Georgian intergovernmental commission which was held in Batumi.
Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict
On August 13, 2006, since 22.05 till 23.00, from the positions within 3.2 km to the north-west of the Village of Jerabert of the Tartar District of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenians, the opposite positions of the Azerbaijan Army were subjected to automatic and machinegun fire by Armenian forces. The enemy was backfired and stifled. No information about casualties as a result of this fire reported.
On August 17, three Armenian captives kept in Azerbaijan were returned to Armenia. Kept within July 2006, three Armenians Galumyan Martun Kolyalevich, Karapetyan Goren Victorovich and Aleksanyan Roman Arkadevich were returned to the Armenian party side on the border territory between the Village of Balajafarli of the Gazakh District of Azerbaijan and Ijevan district of Armenia. The handing over of the captives became possible owing to the State Committee for Captives and Missing People and the Defense Ministry through the mediation of International Red Cross and Crescent Organization.
On August 17, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev accepted the delegation headed by U.N. Higher Commissioner on Refugees and IDPs Antonio Guterres.
During the meeting, Aliyev pointed out that the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenians, as a result of which more than one million people have become refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is the key problem for Azerbaijan. He pointed out that Azerbaijan takes necessary measures to improve the living conditions for refugees and IDPs, and told that in the nearest future, all tent camps will be removed. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that this visit will give further opportunities to expand the relations between Azerbaijan and UN Refugees and IDPs Higher Commissariat.
Within their visits to Azerbaijan, on August 16 UN High Commissioner on Affairs with Refugees Antonio Gutteres and the delegation headed by Pirkko Kourulay, the Chief of the European Office of UN High Commissariat visited regions populated by refugees and IDPs.
The Chairman of the Committee on Affairs with Refugees and IDPs, Vice-Primier Ali Hassanov together with the guests visited the camp of refugees. The guests visited the temp camp of Galaygayan located in the Sabirabad, Bilasuvar, and Beylagan Districts. UN representatives have got acquainted with the life the refugees live there.
Today the key role for UN Higher Commissariat on Affairs with Refugees and IDPs to bring to the attention of the international community the information about the existing situation with refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan, and help the Azerbaijani Government to return its refugees and IDPS to the territories where they were driven from., stated the UN Refugees and IDPs High Commissioner. According to him, since the last year the UN High Commissariat reconsidered its position toward Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs. From now on the Government of Azerbaijan will play an important role in this issue, but in any case UN High Commissariat will pay much attention to the situation with refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan, and will do all possible to steadily solve this issue, he told.
The statement of OSCE`s Chairman`s Special Envoy Andjey Kaspshik on the fires on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan does not hamper to approve a resolution toward Armenians by the Council of Europe, - Agshin Mekhtiyev, the Representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe told journalist on August 14. According to him, Azerbaijan must keep its activity in this direction on by all means. Andjey Kaspshik` estimating fires as natural processes complicates the adoption of the resolution against Armenians by the Council of Europe, told the diplomat.
Andjey Kaspshik`s attitude toward the facts of the setting out of the fires on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by Armenians was not unbiased, told Akif Naghi, the Chairman of the Organization for the Liberation of Karabakh.
In the connection with the fires on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Andjey Kaspshik, OSCE`s Chairmans Special Envoy held a monitoring of this territories. He did not make Armenians responsible for these fires. However, the population of the neighbouring villages who are eye-witnesses of these fires told that the fire emerged after Armenians had used special inflammable substances.
Over the period January-August 2006, Armenian forces violated the cease-fire regime about 70 times, Ilgar Verdiyev, the official of the press-service of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry. Over this period, Azerbaijani positions were subjected to automatic and machine-gun fires by Armenian forces. If earlier Armenians violated the cease-fire regim in Gazakh District of Azerbaijan, but now they violate it in the Tartar direction, pointed out I. Verdiyev.
On August 17, Samad Seyidov, the Head of the Mission of the MPs of Azerbaijan to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe told journalists that the parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe takes all the necessary steps to bring to the attention of the international community the whole truth about the Karabakh issue and fires on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.These issues are discussed not only during the Parliamentary Sessions, but also in committees, and during other meetings, S. Seyidov told.. He added that the issue of the fires set out by Armenians on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and the monitoring to be held by expert groups in this connection was raised risen within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The results of our activity will be fruitful in the autumn, he added. S. Seyidov mentioned that the visit of Lord Russell Johnson, the Chief of the Interim Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to the regio
n is expected soon. He added that during the conference of the Heads of diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan abroad to be held on August 17 the Nagorno-Karabakh issue will be discussed. MPs and the Speaker of the Parliament will also speak at this meeting.
Azerbaijani diplomats put forward proposals on the presiding in the Co-Chairmanship in the Minsk Group of OSCE by turns to US, Russia, and France, Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Metin Mirza told journalists on August 14. This idea was proposed and discussed during the meeting of heads of diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan to abroad. According to the Azerbaijani diplomats, that will allow making the country-Co-Chairman responsible for the process of peaceful negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
M. Mirza also told that during the second part of the meeting, Araz Azimov, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan told diplomats about the process of peaceful negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. The diplomats discussed issues of expanding of propaganda in this direction. Appropriate suggestions in this respect were made during the meeting.
В"At present UN discuss the fires on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan demands the retreat of Armenian forces from the territories spread by the fires, told Araz Azimov. According to him, Armenian units should retreat for a distance of 20 km. It is necessary to launch operations aimed at the cleaning of the territories affected by the fire, and operations with the participation of ecologists and other specialists to eliminate the consequences of these fires, as well as the carrying out of recovery works are needed, he told.
The illegal activity on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including the illegal settlement of Armenians continues, the Deputy Foreign Minister told. Sure, the scope of this process can be different, pointed out A. Azimov. However, the information we have now allows us continuing the consideration of this issue, he added.
Political Life
В"No complaints concerning the election campaign from candidates of the municipal elections has been received by the Central Election Committee, Natig Mammadov, the Chairman of the Central Election Committee of Azerbaijan.
It should be mentioned that the re-run election, by-election, new election, and the first election to 604 municipalities of the country will be held in October 2006. At present, the election campaign to be completed till the day before the Election Day is underway.
The number of candidates participating in the election campaign is 4.615 persons, Azer Sariyev, the Chief of the Press service of the central Election committee told journalists.
4.638 persons were registered out of the total number of candidates. After the completion of the process of the registration linked with the postponement of municipal elections in Nardaran, 11 candidates from this constituency were cancelled. 12 persons withdrew their candidature. Therefore, totally 4.615 persons take part in the election campaign.
A number of countries including Azerbaijan joined the Convention on Forming of Local Government with Participation of Citizens of Foreign states. According to the convention, citizens of such countries like Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Ireland, Luxemburg, Belgium and some other countries living abroad have the right to vote. The Azerbaijan foreign ministry submitted the list of these countries to the central election Committee. The Committee sent an appeal to the Ministry of Interior to reveal whether citizens of the above-mentioned countries resides on the territory of the constituencies where the municipal election to be held. According to the return appeal sent from the Ministry of interior to the Central Election committee, no foreign citizens who had resided more than 5 years in on the territory of the constituency had been revealed on the territory of 604 constituencies where the municipal election to be held. Therefore, foreign citizens will not vote during the m
unicipal election.
According to the legislation of Azerbaijan, citizens of foreign states are given the right to vote , but the main condition of this voting is the residing within more than five years on the territory of the constituency where the municipal election to be held.
State Structuring
The chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan Ramiz Rzayev returned from the International Justice Conference organized within the jubilee measures in Islamabad on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Pakistani Supreme Court. The conference bringing together the representatives of supreme courts and justice ministries from more than 30 countries focused on several problems of public interest. During the conference, discussions were held on the role of the justice in the state management, application of international norms for human rights, terrorism, human trafficking, the right of intellectual property and globalization, international arbitrage and other topics. R. Rzayev held a meeting with Pakistani Federal Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights Mahammad Vasi Zafar. During the meeting it was stated that the friendly relations existing between Azerbaijan and Pakistan serve the interests of peoples of the two countries and will further develop in the future.
A solemn ceremony marking the 87th anniversary of the formation of the State Frontier Service of Azerbaijan Republic took place on August 18. The officers of the Central Office of the State Frontier Service at the head, together with its Chief Elchin Guliyev visited the Mausoleum of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the Alley of Martyrs.
Later the first group of graduates consisting of 61 officers and lieutenants of the Faculty of Frontier Forces of the Heydar Aliyev Academy linked to the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan Republic were sworn in the Central Office of the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan Republic.
In addition, the Officers of the State Frontier Service were decorated according to the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic.
In his speech E. Guliyev pointed out that decisions were made by President Ilham Aliyev to expand the protection of state boundaries. Over the very short period of time all the security points across our state boundary were equipped with up-to-date equipment.
The opening of the Research and Development Centre of the Central Office of the state Frontier service of Azerbaijan also took place during the meeting.
Azerbaijan Internal Minister Ramil Usubov, Emergency Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov, Education Minister Misir Mardanov, Military Prosecutor Khanlar Valkiyev, Chief of the Defense Ministry Headquarters Nadjamaddin Sadikhov, Rector of the Heydar Aliyev Academy of the National Security Ministry Ziya Yusifzadeh, and other officials took part in the ceremony.
18 August is the Day of 88th anniversary of the establishment of the Frontier Troops in Azerbaijan.
A formal ceremony to mark the event will be held at the State Border Service on 18 August. On the same day employees of the State Border Service headed by Elchin Guliyev paid a tribute at the ex-President Heydar Aliyevs tomb at the Cemetery of Martyrs.
On August 19, a meeting between the chiefs of mass media sources acting in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan Internal Minister Ramil Usubov was held, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Journalists` Union, Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper of Zerkalo (Mirror) Elchin Shikhli told. Chiefs of news agencies acting in Azerbaijan, journalist`s organizations, newspapers, members of the Board of The Press Union, as well as representatives from the Ministry took part in the meeting. According to E. Shikhli, during the round table discussion, such topics as the recent arrests of journalists, relations between journalists and the police were discussed. Both parties received replies they were interested in.