Official chronicle
Azerbaijani and Latvian presidents Ilham Aliyev and Valdis Zatlers highly appreciated the result of negotiations on relations between two countries in the political, economic, social and cultural fields.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
"I was extremely saddened to learn the numerous human casualties and destruction as a result of the natural disaster that happened in Your country. On my own behalf and on behalf of the Azerbaijani people, I express deep condolences to You, the families and friends of the victims, all the people of Brazil. I hope for the speedy recovery of the wounded and injured," the letter said.
The First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP Mehriban Aliyeva visited "Putti" art gallery in Riga.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev together with his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva and accompanied by Latvian President Valdis Zatlers and his spouse Lilita Zatlere on January 17, visited the Freedom Monument, a memorial located in the center of Riga on Brivibas bulvaris.
As part of President Ilham Aliyev`s official visit to Latvia, First lady of Azerbaijan, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador, MP Mehriban Aliyeva has today met with Latvia's First Lady Lilita Zatlers the AzerTaj state news agency reported.
The first ladies had a warm conversation at the tea table.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has met Latvia`s Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has met Speaker of Latvia`s Saeima Solvita Aboltina.
Azerbaijan`s first lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador, MP Mehriban Aliyeva has visited Monday "Saule" Social Development Center in Riga.
Jan. 19
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on awarding the employees of the 'Səs' newspaper ('Voice') the honorary title of 'Honored Journalist'.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on awarding Aghabey Askerov the Order for Service to Motherland.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received today credentials of newly appointed ambassador of Switzerland to the country Mrs. Sabine Ulmann Shaban.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday approved the Agreement on military and financial cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Government of Turkey, signed on Dec. 16, 2010 in Ankara.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order establishing Presidential pension for people who have became disabled during the 20 January tragedy, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
Upon the order, the amounts of pensions for people who have became disabled during the 20 January tragedy are as following:
For disabled of 1st group - 150 manat
For disabled of 2nd group - 130 manat
For disabled of 3rd group - 100 manat.
The pensions will be paid by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Azerbaijan from social protection and social provision of the Public budget.
Jan. 20
Azerbaijan commemorated the 21st anniversary of the January 20th tragedy.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva on Thursday morning arrived at the Alley of Martyrs to commemorate the victims of the bloody January tragedy.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received on Thursday Belgian ambassador Philippe Jottard who has completed his diplomatic mission in the country.
Jan. 21
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on holding a solemn ceremony on the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijan's state independence. The decree envisages conducting a solemn ceremony on the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijan's state independence. Also it was instructed to approve the Action Plan on the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijan's state independence.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today become familiar with the course of the ongoing reconstruction works in the territory of the ship-repair plant which are being carried out in the framework of the program of expansion of Baku Boulevard.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today inaugurated a Heydar Aliyev Park, Heydar Aliyev Center and "Jirtdan" children`s entertainment park here in the settlement of Lokbatan.
Parliament
Jan. 21
The Azerbaijani parliament will discuss the issue of ratifying the agreement on security cooperation in the Caspian Sea. It was recommended to submit the final declaration of the leaders of five countries and the agreement on security cooperation in the Caspian Sea to the parliament for ratification, MP Zahid Oruj said.
Azerbaijan will adopt a law on names, the Parliamentary Culture Committee Chairman Nizami Jafarov said. He said the Institute of Information Technologies of the Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) has conducted a fairly extensive work on the study of names and prepared a mechanism of naming - "traffic light".
Foreign policy
Jan. 17
A Turkish delegation headed by Chief of the Turkish Gendarmerie Forces, Army General Necdet Ozal, launched an official visit to Azerbaijan.
Jan. 18
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze paid a working visit to Azerbaijan.
Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin passed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's gratitude to Caucasus Muslims Office Chairman Sheikh-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade during a meeting in Baku. Medvedev thanked the religious leader for his attention to the issues mentioned in a letter dated Dec. 20.
A book titled "Ilham Aliyev-new national leader of Azerbaijan" in Russian language has been published in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The book was published on demand and financial support of the Bishkek-based Foundation for Support to the Policy of Turkish-speaking countries.
Deepening of relations with Azerbaijan is of great importance for Austria, Austrian President Heinz Fischer said. President Fischer hosted a New Year reception for the Vienna diplomatic corps on Monday.
Jan. 19
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and Turkish Gendarmerie Forces Chief Necet Ozel discussed the dynamics of cooperation in the military and technical spheres and the situation in the region.
Azerbaijan has received an observer status in the prestigious African Union.
Azerbaijani Ambassador to Egypt Shahin Abdullayev presented his credentials to African Union Commission (AUC) Chairman Jean Ping at the organization's headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze.
The victims of 20 January tragedy were commemorated in Ukraine as a result of the joint activities of the Union of Azerbaijani Youth of Ukraine (UAYU), Ukrainian Assembly of Students and Youth under the Parliament of Ukraine and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ukraine.
Azerbaijani ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova issued a statement on the 21st anniversary of January 20th tragedy.
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, on an official visit to Azerbaijan, met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov. The economic and energy projects were discussed, Georgian Foreign Minister told media after the meeting. "We discussed the direction of implementing the Nabucco project, the way of its rapid realization to transport Azerbaijani liquefied natural gas to Romania and then to Europe. We also discussed how the delegations of Georgia and Azerbaijan must cooperate in international organizations. Of course, we touched upon the issue of security and stability in South Caucasus, " Vashadze said.
Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic expressed his condolences to Azerbaijani people in connection with the January 20th tragedy.
Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mamedbagir Bahrami expressed condolences to Azerbaijani people in connection with the January 20 tragedy.
Jan. 20
The Azerbaijani Embassy in Georgia in cooperation with the governmental bodies held events on the 21st anniversary of the January 20 tragedy. The participants of the events commemorated the victims of Bloody January 1990, as well as heroes of Georgia killed in Tbilisi in April 1989. Fraternal Georgian and Azerbaijani peoples passed a heroic way to freedom together. They had to fight together with the cruelty of totalitarianism.
The Congress of Azerbaijanis in Sweden held an event on the twenty-first anniversary of the Jan. 20 tragedy in Stockholm. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Sweden Rafael Ibrahimov and Azerbaijanis living in Sweden attended the event. The event began with a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the tragic events of 1990. Afterward, a 10-minute film about the Karabakh war was screened.
Azerbaijani Embassy in Turkey within the framework of activities to mark the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy has organized an exhibition at the Ataturk Forest Farm (Ataturk Orman Ciftligi) in Ankara.
An event dedicated to the twenty-first anniversary of the 20 January tragedy was held upon the initiative of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kazakhstan in the Kazakh National Archives. The event was attended by representatives of the Kazakh public, Azerbaijan and other diasporas in the country, embassy officials, members of the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan Friendship and Culture Association and media representatives, the embassy said.
The European Azerbaijan Society will hold a lecture series in London dedicated to Azerbaijan's future in the EU.
A memorial ceremony on the 21th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy was held at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Serbia. The event was attended by members of the Azerbaijani cultural center in Belgrade and the Serbian-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, representatives of the Azerbaijani community living in Serbia, Azerbaijani students, media representatives and the Muslim community of Belgrade.
Kuwait commemorated victims of the bloody tragedy that was committed on Jan. 20, 1990, in Azerbaijan. The event, organized by the embassy in connection with the tragedy anniversary, was attended by Azerbaijanis living in Kuwait, as well as prominent social and political figures of the country and representatives of influential media outlets.
Azerbaijani Embassy in Belgium held an event commemorating the January tragedy in Brussels on Thursday. The ceremony began with one minute's silence in memory of the Azerbaijani citizens, who were innocent victims and gave their lives for their country's independence.
Today Astrakhan commemorated the victims of the bloody tragedy that took place on Jan. 20, 1990, in Azerbaijan, Baku Narimanov district executive power said. The event was held in front of a monument to the Azerbaijani National Leader Heydar Aliyev, reared in the Astrakhan Park with the participation of leadership and activists of diaspora organizations, Azerbaijani students, public representatives and Baku's Narimanov district executive power's employees.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry expresses deep concern upon the fact that European Commission President José Manuel Barroso's speech to foreign and local media during his visit to Baku was not fully posted on the official website of the European Commission. Moreover, the quotes relating to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan were removed and replaced with other statements, the Foreign Ministry said. During the press conference held jointly with President Ilham Aliyev, Barroso expressed support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, by touching upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, among other issues.
Azerbaijani products caused great interest at the exhibition in California.The products of several Azerbaijani companies, including Azersun Holding, Aznar, M-Pro, Sirab, Badamli and Hadji Jamalhan were first presented at the largest exhibition of specialized food products in San Francisco, western region of the U.S., the general consulate of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles said
Paris hosted a ceremony to commemorate the martyrs 20 January in connection with the 21st anniversary of the bloody events in Baku in 1990.
Participants of the events, which included representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora, students, staff of the Azerbaijani embassy in France and permanent representative of to UNESCO, first visited the tomb of chairman of the first Parliament of the first eastern Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan Alimardanbey Topchubashev and editor-in-chief of the then newspaper Azerbaijan, a prominent journalist Jeyhun Hajibeyli and laid flowers on them, paid a moment of silence to memory of martyrs who died on Jan. 20 in the name of freedom and independence of Azerbaijan.
Jan. 21
The public prayer dedicated to the martyrs of the 20 January tragedy will be committed during Friday prayers in the mosques of Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Jan. 21. The prayer service will be held on the basis of Chairman of the Azerbaijani Community in the UAE Samir Imanov's request to the AUGAF religious affairs management.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Azerbaijan Philip Zhottard in connection with the completion of his diplomatic mission.
Political movements
Jan. 18
Change of political position of Modern Musavat Party was discussed
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Jan. 17
Twenty one year old Azerbaijani soldier Mammad Azadaliyev was killed as a result of the ceasefire violation by the Armenian armed forces, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.
Jan. 19
Monitoring held on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces proceeded without incident. The monitoring was held on the north-east of the Ashagi Veyselli village in the Khojavand region of Azerbaijan on Jan.19 under a mandate of the OSCE chairman special envoy, Abdullayev said. The monitoring was held on the Azerbaijani side by OSCE Chairman-in-Office Personal Representative field assistants Imre Platinus and Christo Christov.