Official chronicle
Dec. 27
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Azerbaijan has summed up the year 2010, and sportsmen and trainers were presented awards, AzerTAj state news agency reported. President of the Azerbaijan Republic and president of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony on the occasion.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order to hold Bahram Mansurov's 100th anniversary, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving a series of intergovernmental agreements, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving the structure of the Ministry of Education, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
The Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration approved the Action Plan related to the 21st anniversary of the January 20 tragedy".
Dec. 28
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has participated in the opening ceremony of the Oguz-Gabala-Baku water pipeline, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree awarding captain Ahmed Abdullayev a Medal for Bravery, AzerTAj state news agency reported. Captain Abdullayev was awarded posthumously for bravery in the defense of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order approving 2011 budget of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAR), AzerTAj state news agency reported.
First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP Mehriban Aliyeva attended in laying the foundation of school of modern type and presentation of techniques of communal services in Bina settlement of Khazar district, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
Dec. 29
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on Wednesday to pardon a number of prisoners, official website of President reported.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has today been awarded with "Journalists' Friend" as a result of 2010. The award to the President was presented by the chairman of the Press Council Aflatun Amashov.
Political movements
Dec. 27
The chairman of the opposition Civil Solidarity Party will resign, Sabir Rustamkhanli, the chairman of the party, said at the IX conference of the youth organization of Civil Solidarity Party.
Azerbaijani opposition parties Azadliq, National Salvation and Great Azerbaijan refused from joining "People's Majlis", Ahmed Orudj, the chairman of Azadliq party, told Trend. The forum initiated by the PFPA-Musavat political bloc was attended by independent candidates and candidates of the opposition Azerbaijan National Independence Party, Classic Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Azadlig Party, Democratic World of Azerbaijan Party and the Azerbaijani People's Party. The meeting discussed the elections and the post-election situation. A proposal was voiced to establish an alternative to the Azerbaijani parliament, tentatively referred to as the "People's Parliament."
Dec. 28
The agreement was reached to create the political bloc Karabakh founded by Umid party and Azerbaijani Democratic Party (ADP), ADP told Trend. A decision was made to start the process of establishing the bloc in early January 2011. This decision was made at a meeting held at the ADP headquarters between the Chairman of Umid party Igbal Aghazadeh and ADP chairman Sardar Jalaloglu.
A public chamber has been established at the third forum of Azerbaijani opposition. Opposition parties that supported the declaration on the establishment of the chamber expressed the need to conduct electoral reforms to ensure the constitutional rights of citizens to participate in political life and in state governance. Declaration on the establishment of the public chamber was signed by Musavat Party, Azerbaijan National Independence Party, Popular Front Party, the Classic Popular Front Party, People's Party and others. It has elected nine members - representatives of political parties and NGOs. The supreme authority of the public chamber is the coordination council. The council members were elected Isa Gambar, Ali Kerimli, Yusif Bagirzade, Panah Huseyn, Mirvari Gahramanli, Agil Samadbayli, Annagi Hajibayli, Vidadi Mirkamal and Haji Ilgar Ibrahimoglu.
Foreign policy
Dec. 27
Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic has today congratulated the Azerbaijani people on the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis celebrated on Dec. 31 and New Year, the embassy reported.
Dec. 28
The joint communiqué on establishing diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan Republic and Togolese Republic was signed on December 28 at the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN, said in the statement of the Permanent Mission, received Trend on Wednesday. The communiqué was signed by Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations and by Ambassador Kodjo Menan, Permanent Representative of Togo to the UN. Mehdiyev and Menan exchanged views on prospects of bilateral relations, possible areas of cooperation and other issues of mutual interest after the signing ceremony.
Human rights
Dec. 27
Azerbaijani Ombudsman, Elmira Suleymanova received Norwegian ambassador, Erling Skjonsberg to the country, the Ombudsman's Office said. During a meeting it was noted that Azerbaijan has chosen the path of integration with Europe. Aiming to join many international conventions, the country attaches special importance to cooperation with authoritative international organizations, including the EU, and also attaches great importance to the "Eastern Partnership" programme. It was also pointed out that the Ombudsman is taking an active part in joint projects. The Norwegian ambassador was informed about the multilateral activities of the Ombudsman in ensuring and protecting human rights, as well as about the Ombudsman's authorities.
Members of the Group of National Preventive Mechanism Against Torture visited police stations N.1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Sumgait City Police Department, and the temporary detention center of the Absheron Region Police Department, following the order of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova. During the monitoring, detention conditions in the temporary detention center and Sumgait's police stations were inspected, while interviews of people in temporary detention center and those arrested in administrative order were also taken, informing them about their rights, the Ombudsman's Office said.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Dec. 27
The Delegation of the European Union and the Embassy of Poland to the Republic of Azerbaijan answered the Note Verbale of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry regarding the visit of the member of European Parliament Tomasz Poreba to Nagorno-Karabakh. The Note reads that the services of the EU High Representative/Vice President, Ms Ashton, had not been informed nor consulted about the visit, its objectives, program and contacts, the EU Baku office told Trend. MEP, the keynote speaker on Armenia Tomasz Poreba, visited separatist Nagorno-Karabakh during his recent trip to Armenia, not informing official Baku about it. In Nagorno-Karabakh he held meetings with the leadership of the unrecognized republic and discussing issues concerning the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, the situation in the region and bilateral relations, the Armenian media outlets reported earlier. In the light of illegal entry to the territories of Nagorno Karabakh, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on Dec.21 presented a protest note to the head of the EU delegation in Azerbaijan Roland Kobia and Polish ambassador Mikhal Labenda. Tomasz Poreba has been declared persona non grata by Azerbaijani authorities, and his further visits to the country are not welcomed. As Poreba explained himself, he visited Nagorno-Karabakh at his own initiative to get familiarized with the situation on the scene and prepare a report.
Dec. 28
The Azerbaijani delegation will spare no effort in the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to discuss the resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at the spring session of the organization, Eldar Ibrahimov, member of the Azerbaijani delegation to OSCE PA, told Trend. He said that a proposal will be made to adopt a specific resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh at the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, together with the views of the unsatisfactory activity of the Minsk Group. The winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will be held in the Austrian capital of Vienna on February 23-25.