Official news
Receiving Germany's Federal Foreign Minister, Franc-Walter Steinmeier in Baku today, Azerbaijan's President, Ilham Aliyev, has said that issues concerning the development of Azerbaijani-German cooperation in political, economic, and other spheres were widely discussed in the German Capital several days ago, Trend reports.
Speaking about his recent official visit to Germany, the Head of the Azerbaijani State emphasized that it would bring the bilateral relations to a new level. Mr. Aliyev said the very good development was observed in all spheres of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and added that the visit of the Head of the German Foreign Office would have a crucial importance in the further development of relations between the two states.
For his Part, Mr. Steinmeier said that the German party had been very satisfied with the visit of the Azerbaijani economic mission, which accompanied the Azerbaijani President during his visit to Germany. The German diplomat expressed a hope that the recent visit of the Azerbaijani President to Germany would bring bilateral relations between the two countries to a new level.
Azerbaijan's President, Ilham Aliyev, signed an order on awarding honorary titles to those persons who have achieved great services in the field of education and health care in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.
In accordance with the Presidential order, the honorary title of "Honored Teacher of Azerbaijan Republic" was awarding to Nabi Taghiyev, the title of "Honored Doctor of Azerbaijan Republic" was awarding to Suleyman Jaffarov. Also by Presidential Order, ten residences of Nakhchivan were awarded with the Order of "Taraggi" ("Progress") for their great services in the social and economic development of the Azerbaijani enclave.
By another order of the Head of the Azerbaijani State, Nuraddin Babayev was awarded with a personal Presidential grant for his services in the field of development of TV and radio in Nakhchivan.
On February 20, 2007 the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, received the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Georgia, David Tkeshelashvili, Trend reports. The meeting focused on the relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia and ways of strengthening the co-operation with regards to the environmental protection. The Georgian Minister delivered greetings of the President of Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili, to Ilham Aliyev
The Prime Minister of Moldova, Vasily Tarlev, briefed the media on February 22 on his arrival to Baku that Moldova supports the principles that the territorial integrity of all CIS countries recognized at the beginning of 1990 should be unchanged and that it needs to resolve the conflict in a peaceful and diplomatic way.
According to Tarlev , Azerbaijan and Moldova have good prospects within GUAM ( Georgia , Ukraine , Azerbaijan and Moldova ), which was achieved to include the issue of "frozen conflicts" in the agenda of the UNO. "We will support each other," he stated.
Commenting on the negative position of several countries with regards to including this issue in the agenda of the UNO, the Prime Minister of Moldova stated that this was considered as double standards and separatism is one of the sources that increase and develop financing of terrorism and that separatism is the root of these conflicts. "There is a good political interaction and bilateral and international co-operation between Azerbaijan and Moldova. I hope that this visit will assist in developing bilateral relations," Tarlev said.
The Primer Minister of Moldova visited Martyr's Avenue and Avenue of Honorable Burial.
On February 22, six agreements between the Governments of Azerbaijan and Moldova and a protocol as a result of the Intergovernmental Commission were signed in Baku. They were
- Agreement "On co-operation" in statistic sphere,
- Agreement "On co-operation" in the sphere of health and medical sciences,
- Agreement "On co-operation" in the sphere of State finances,
- Agreement "On co-operation" in the spheres of geodesy, organization of the use of land, cadastre, cartography and distance probing of the land
- Agreement "On co-operation" in the sphere of environmental protection
- Agreement " On co - operation " in the migration sphere.
Presently the legislative and legal base between the two countries comprises of 40 agreements. According to the sides, signing new agreement will provide an impulse to the development of the co-operation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev appealed the nation on 23 February in connection with the 15th anniversary of Khojaly genocide. He attributed this bloody crime as the tragic page of the Azerbaijani history.
Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh
The presentation of the book "Khojali genocide: thousand signatures - one requirement", published by the Association of Assistance to Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ASCSDA) and dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Khojali tragedy, took place in "Hyatt Regency" Hotel on 19 February 2007. The event brought together the representatives of the Government, deputies of the Azerbaijani Parliament, scientists, intellectuals, heads of NGOs and other guests.
Vice President of ASCSDA, Vali Alibeyov, the book presents historical facts, legal documents regarding Khojali genocide, committed by the Armenians against Azeri people, as well as historical materials on Nagorno-Karabakh, material concerning terrorist acts committed for long years by the Armenian nationalists.
Other representatives of ASCSDA, Muslim Mammadov, Kamil Salimov and Musa Yagub said that it is a traditional campaign with regards to Khojali tragedy and requirement to recognize this tragedy as genocide all over the world. The presentation of this book will take place in Hague on February 26, 2007, in March - Saint-Petersburg and thereafter in the USA, Germany, Belgium, France, Slovenia, Bulgaria and other countries. ASCSDA will try to present Khojali tragedy to the discussions of the parliaments of other countries. Professor, MP Yagub Mahmudov and other scientists and experts spoke about Armenia's efforts to fake up the history, as well as ethnic cleansing and occupation polity and terrorism of Armenia against Azerbaijan beginning from 1988. They based their opinions on the facts.
During the week the Armenian Armed Forces continued violating the ceasefire in the frontline.
Vardan Oskanyan, Armenia Foreign Minister, said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may be resolved in 2007. He said it during the today joint press-conference with the Head of the German Foreign Office, Frank-Walter Steinmeier which was held in Yerevan, Trend reports referring to www.newsarmenia.ru .
Mr. Oskanyan said that he had discussed this issue with his German counterpart during their meeting by stressing that he "showed a careful optimism to the issue".
The head of the Armenian Foreign Office said that he had taken party in the peaceful negotiations on the resolution of the Karabakh issue for 14 years, and there had been a plenty possibilities when the issue seemed nearly to be resolved, however, then it appeared that its resolution postponed.
"The document lying on the table of negotiations gives hope that the conflict will be completely resolved in 2007. However, there are a dozen of unresolved issues," he said and added that after Armenia holds its parliamentary election in May, 2007, "a negotiations window would remain open".
"Taking into consideration the position of the Azerbaijan and Armenian parties, one may expect serious advances in the resolution of the conflict in this year," said Mr. Oskanyan.
Peter Semneby, the EU Special Envoy to South Caucasus, said during the today press conference being held in Baku that it is time to establish relations between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh and that EU is presently doing its best to create bonds of trust between the both parties, Trend reports. According to him, this issue was discussed with the Azerbaijan Government during his visit to Baku.
Touching some statements concerning the fact that initiatives within other international organizations may impede the peaceful negotiations to resolute the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which were sounded by the OSCE Co-Chairmen, Mr. Semneby said that he did not consider that the activity of EU was intended against the work of the OSCE Minsk Group. "EU backs the activity of the Minsk Group," he said.
The EU Special Representative said that there had been moments in the peaceful negotiations over the Karabakh conflict that created optimism, however this optimism failed.
According Mr. Semneby, these are first off all: the last meeting between the Azerbaijan and Armenian Presidents held in Minsk and that one between The Foreign Ministers of the two conflict parties held in Moscow. "No advance have been occurred since the above-mentioned negotiations, and I hope that time will come when the issue is resolved and EU will certainly make its contribution to this issue," he said. According to him, after the conflict is settled, EU will have a lot of things to do in the region.
The EU Special Envoy also expressed his attitude toward the Russian position and weight in the resolution of the conflict. Russia plays a very important role in South Caucasus. He expressed a hope that Russia actions to be taken will coincide with its statements and purposes.
Answering questions put by journalists, Mr. Semneby said that the Khodjali Tragedy was a terrible crime. He said that he had met relatives of those who had been killed and had been terrified with the result of the tragedy.
As a response to the opinion from the Special Representative of the European Union for South Caucasus, Peter Semneby that it is time to establish relations with Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku officials consider that at the present time, it is impossible to establish any relations with Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Head of the Press Azerbaijan Republic . Accordingly the relations with them should be as with relations in other regions of the Country, as long as it deals with the high status of autonomy. This status means that this territorial education in the composition of Azerbaijan will be a special status.
In addition, Tagizade stressed that Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that relations will be established only after other components of the first stage of the regulations of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are realized. One of these components is a confidence-building measure, he stated. "Until other components of the first stage are realized, we cannot build confidence and develop relations with the Nagorno-Karabakh region. This involves the withdrawal of the Armenian Armed Forces from Nagorno-Karabakh, mine-cleaning, restoration of the communications and the return of internally displaced persons.
Once this has been done, the confidence-building measures will begin. In itself this process is possible," Tagizade said.
Karabakh conflict solution is not possible without establishing relations with Turkey, Novosti-Armenia quoted Raffi Ovannisyan, chairman of "Heritage" opposition party and ex-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia in his Friday interview to journalists in Yerevan. "I am sure Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation and establishing of ties between Armenia and Turkey have synchronous character and they are closely interrelated", - he said.
As per Ovannisyan , Turkey and Azerbaijan have very close ties to exclude Ankara 's influence to official Baku 's opinion and position in connection with the regulating process.
"I hope Armenia and Turkey will establish relations as Turkey's blockade on Armenia is unbeneficial firstly to Turkey itself that is striving to European Union with a considerable "luggage" of problems with its neighbors", - said Ovannisyan.
" Turkeys membership also benefits Armenia as Turkey is not able to enter European family without regulating problems with its neighbors as well as its historical problems", - summarized "Heritage" party leader.
Azerbaijan's Los Angeles Consulate-General commemorated February 22 Khojali genocide's 15 th anniversary. South California's Azerbaijani and Turkish representatives attended the ceremony.
Elin Sueymanov, Consul-General informed the attendants of the 1992 events and Armenia's aggressive policy. At the same time he stressed Azerbaijan was the leading country in the region despite the unsolved Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict that cannot be said about Armenia . Engin Ansay , Turkey 's Consul-General in his turn underlined his country's solidarity with Azerbaijan .
Azerbaijan does not see the need to change the format of negotiations regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. According to the Head of Foreign Relations Department of the Executive Apparat of the Azerbaijani President, Novruz Mammadov, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group still have the opportunity to demonstrate a more decisive position. "They may do it and it is high time to do it. Positions on other conflicts are expressed, but in case of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the responsibility is put on the conflict sides. Why was there no such position in connection to Kosovo , Israel and Palestine ?" Mammadov questioned.
Foreign Policy
Commenting on the position of Azerbaijan, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, stated that Azerbaijan is interested in regulating the question around the nuclear program of Iran through diplomatic ways, Trend reports. Official Baku considers that the question should firstly be considered within International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Foreign Minister of Germany, Frank-Walter Shtaynmayer, stated that the placement of Anti- Missile System and their necessity should always be considered very accurately. Presently many European countries consider the placement of such system, but I think that it needs to discuss the question with all sides, German Foreign Minister said.
German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmayer, stated in Baku that the European Union (EU) is interested in the development of cooperation with Azerbaijan as an energy exporter country, Trend reports. He made this statement after a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov.
Germany, as an EU chairing country, intends to put every effort to intensify cooperation with the South Caucasus within EU's New Neighborhood Policy. The talks with the Azerbaijani Minister touched upon the bilateral relationships. The German Minister appraised reforms held in Azerbaijan in the economic and democratic spheres and attributed them as important for the establishment of legal state and development of democracy.
Key attention was attached to energy cooperation, regional problems, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and development of bilateral cooperation, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister stated. Key attention was attached to energy cooperation, regional problems, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and development of bilateral cooperation, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister stated. Issues linked with the announcement of 2008 as a Year of Azerbaijani Culture in Germany were also discussed.
Peter Semneby, the EU Special Envoy to South Caucasus, said during the today press conference being held in Baku that within the next three years, EU is expected to grant €100 mln to Azerbaijan.
He said that this figure would be less than those funds which would be granted to Georgia and Armenia within the EU Neighborhood Policy Action Plan. He explained it by the fact that Azerbaijan would receive comparably more economic possibilities in a next few years.
During today's joint press conference in Tbilisi with his German counterpart, Franc-Walter Steinmeier, Gela Bejuashvili, Georgia's Foreign Minister has said that Georgia has dynamic relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and stable relations with Armenia, Trend Correspondent to Georgia reports.
He added that issues connected with regional security were discussed during the meeting with his German counterpart. Georgia's relations with Russia were acknowledged by both parties as the key issue. " Germany is glad that the tension in Georgian-Russian relations has eased," said the German Federal Foreign Minister. He stressed that Germany and other countries used their relationship with Russia to turn conflicts available on the territory of Georgia , together with other issues that Georgia was interested in, into a subject of discussion with the Russian party.
For his part, Mr. Bejuashvili stressed that him and his German counterpart had discussed the issue of what Germany could do to improve Georgian-Russian relations. "We discussed the relations with our other neighbours as well," added the Georgian Foreign Minister.
The Statement of GUAM regarding the status of Kosovo, which was announced at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on 20 February, says that Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova (GUAM) calls to ensure stability in the OSCE region while making its decision on the status of Kosovo, the Press Service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reports.
According to the Press Service, the common statement of GUAM participating countries says that the international community should pay attention to the security and stability not only in Western Balkan, but in all regions of Europe.
"It is very significant that the future decision of the U.N. Security Council on the status of Kosovo should not be a dictated force, but should lean on the consent of both conflicting sides," the statement read, Caucasus Press reports.
In particular such a decision should be based on the full observance of the items of the resolutions of the Security Council in 1999, Helsinki Concluding Act and observance of human rights.
The helicopters of Iran flew over Astara district of Azerbaijan for nearly one hour at 11:00. The local inhabitants link this case with the issue that the President of Iran is in Iranian Astara. In addition, it was said that except these three helicopters, other ones were also seen. The Press-Service of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said that the Ministry has no information on violation of the air space of Azerbaijan by the Iranian helicopters
The Iranian side explained the reasons of violating the air borders of Azerbaijan through non-intentional actions. According to the Head of the Press-Service of the Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan, Mejid Feyzullai, the President of Iran, Mahmud Ahmadnejat, really was in Iranian Astara city in the morning of February 22, which borders with Azerbaijan . The helicopters violating the air borders were accompanying the Head of Iran during the trip.
"We have not received appeals from the official bodies regarding the violation of the air borders of Azerbaijan by the Iranian helicopters," said the Ambassador of Iran to Azerbaijan , Afshar Suleymani.
"If such case has happened, the official bodies of Azerbaijan have to appeal to the Iranian side through the Embassy. The Iranian side may investigate this issue on the base of the appeal," Suleymani said.
The Executive Power of Astara District of Azerbaijan confirmed that on February 22, the Iranian helicopters violated the air borders of Azerbaijan in the territory of this district.
The Azerbaijan Embassy has opened in South Korea reported Tahir Taghizadeh, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press
During his interview to the foreign media, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yun Yen Gvan said Azerbaijan had been working towards opening its official representative office in Seoul since the start of bilateral relations between the two countries in 1992. He also added that in May 2006 the agreement between Roh Mo-hun, the South Korean President and Ilham Aliyev, his Azerbaijani counterpart had contributed to the process.
South Korea established diplomatic missions in Eurasian states in March last year that were further developed into embassies. Azerbaijan's embassy was due to be opened last year but was then delayed, stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official. He added that trade turnover between the two countries was USD 41 mln last year.
Political Movements
The Chairman of Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP), Rasul Guliyev, is expected to be dismissed from his position and ranks of the Party on 19 February 2007, according to the decision of the Central Control
On 18 February, the Extraordinary Session of the ADP High Assembly was held with the participation of Akif Shahbazov, who was dismissed from his position as Chairman of the ADP High Assembly. Rasul Guliyev engaged in this session via telephone. ADP CCIC stated that this session, as well as Guliyev's joining the session, is contrary to the law and regulations of the Party.
According to the regulations of the Party, administrative fines will be applied to party members who participated at the session and complaints will be made to the Court regarding those dismissed from the Party.
"The Head of the Central Executive Apparat of Musavat Party, Arif Hajili, said that on February 21, the party sent a letter to the Executive Power of Baku City regarding rally scheduled for March 18, 2007.
The letter states that Musavat Party will hold a rally on March 18, 2007 from 15:00 to 17:00 from metro station Hazi Aslanov to Ukraine Square. The opposition Musavat Party holds the action to protest against the decision of the Tariff Council of Azerbaijan on increasing the prices for energy carriers and communal services in Azerbaijan.
The Chairman of Citizen and Development Party of Azerbaijan (CDP), Ali Aliyev, informed Trend that the party will appeal to the international organizations and court due to the issue that the party cannot enter into State registration.
He stated that the letter to the international organizations is already prepared. "We will send this letter not only on behalf of our party, but also on behalf of our allies in the Azadlyg Block. We will discuss this topic at the next session of the Council of Chairmen," Aliyev said. According to him, preparations for the court appeal are also completed. "The necessary documents have been collected and soon we will appeal to the court," Aliyev said.
The opposition Citizen and Development Party was created in 2006 by a group of persons who resigned from the Azerbaijan National Independence Party.
The member of the Political Council of Azadlyg Block and Chairman of Citizen and Development Party, Ali Aliyev, stated that the meeting of the Council of Chairmen of Azadlyg Block on 21 February covered the complex situation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP) represented in the Block.
According to him, the Chairman of the ADP Organizational Committee, Sardar Jalaloglu, reported on the processes in the party. "We have held discussions on this issue. We consider that negotiations need to continue to eliminate the differences as long as possible. But in any case, the potential has not increased in which to prevent the disarray of the party into two parts. We offered Sardar Jalaloglu to use this potential," Aliyev said.
In addition, the meeting of the Block focused on measures regarding the 15 th anniversary of Khojaly tragedy and appeals that will be forwarded to the international community on behalf of the Block with regards to the problem on registration of the Citizen and Development Party.
Azadlyg Block brings together 4 opposition parties - Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Liberal Party, Citizen and Development Party and Azerbaijan Democratic Party.
On 19 February, the session of the Organizational Committee for Preparation to Congress and Central Control and Inspection Commission of Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP) dismissed the ADP from his position, Trend reports.
The member of the Organizational Committee, Hasrat Rustamov, said that the reason, as well as other factors, that Rasul Guliyev was dismissed was because he insulted members of the ADP during a telephone conversation at the meeting held by a group of ADP members
Opposition parties' actions after Tariff council's decision will not have any results, said Haji Tahir Abbasli, chairman of IDP.
"Of course governmental power wishing for political movements for such step is understandable. The experience shows movements that have lived out their terms are fruitless. History has many such examples," said Mr. Abbasli.
He thinks the society does not react on that. "From the other hand opposition does not act united on the issue. However the leaders always declared if they had disagreements in other issues, they were associate in social issues," said the chairman.
Mr. Abbasli thinks the situation does not benefit the opposition. He also added the situation would affect the parties' reputation. The opposition party IDP was founded in 2001.