Official chronicle
April 24
The four-day international show-jumping tournament in memory of national leader Heydar Aliyev wrapped up here with Grand Prix finals, which were watched by the Head of State, President of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev, his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva and President of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, her Highness Haya bint al Hussain, President's official website reported.
April 25
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has Monday received US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Tina Kaidanow. They exchanged views on various issues, including Azerbaijan-US bilateral relations, current state of and prospects for talks over settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as regional affairs.
April 26
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to appoint Adil Mammadov the head of Gobustan district executive power.
Upon another Presidential order, Mammadov was released from his post of the head of Bilasuvar district executive power.The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has also signed an order to appoint Mahir Guliyev the head of Bilasuvar district executive power.
Upon another Presidential order, Guliyev was released from his post of the head of Astara district executive power. Under another Presidential order, Taleh Garashov was appointed the head of Astara district executive power.
Upon another Presidential order Garashov was released from his post of head of Neftchala district executive power.Under another Presidential order, Ismayil Veliyev was appointed the head of Neftchala district executive power.
Veliyev was released from his post of head of Gobustan district executive power. Upon another Presidential order, Veli Guliyev was released from his post of head of Zangilan district executive power.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received special representative of the Iranian President for Caspian affairs Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh, the Azerbaijani President's official website reported.
They discussed bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Iran and the current state of the ongoing talks to prepare legal status of the Caspian Sea.
The parties underlined the importance of the summit of Heads of State of Caspian countries held in Baku.
President Ilham Aliyev attended an annual general meeting of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) on Tuesday, Azerbaijani President's official website reported.
Prior to the meeting, the Head of State familiarized himself with improvements and rebuilding works around the building of the Academy.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov.
Shmakov underlined the necessity of the 2nd conference on "Migration problems and challenges: role of Trade Unions" to be held in Baku.
April 27
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to award Arif Rahimzade the Shohrat Order ("Glory") for his active participation in public and political life of the country.
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to appoint Rashad Mammadov the head of the Office of State Flag Complex at the Cabinet of Ministers.
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to increase the salaries of employees of the scientific and research institutions of the National Academy of Sciences financed from the public budget.
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan today received BP Chief Executive Officer Robert Dudley .
In meeting, the long-years successful cooperation was underlined.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited Friday Sabunchu settlement of Baku over on-site inspection of what have been done thus far to implement instructions the Head of State gave with respect to socio-economic development of suburban settlements of Azerbaijan`s capital.
April 27 saw the 88th birthday of Academician Zarifa Aliyeva, prominent Azerbaijani ophthalmologist scientist .
April 28
The third meeting of Council of Presidents of Azerbaijan and Ukraine took place following a private meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine, Azerbaijani.
Members of the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian delegations also attended the meeting.
Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine signed Joint Declaration on future development of strategic partnership relations of Presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ukraine, the Protocol of the third meeting of Council of Presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ukraine, Action Plan on Comprehensive Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ukraine for 2011-2015.
President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Republican Congressman from the state of Pennsylvania, member of the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Co-chairman of the working group on Azerbaijan, Bill Shuster.
The delegation included Republican Representative from New-Jersey, member of the House Natural Resources Committee and Veteran's Affairs Committee, John Runyan, Republican Representative, member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Adam Kinzinger, Republican Representative from Wisconsin, member of the Financial Services Committee and the Joint Economic Committee, Sean Duffy, Democratic Representative from Louisiana, member of the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Small Businesses, Cedric Richmond, Democratic Representative from Connecticut, member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Christopher Murphy.
The current state and prospects of various directions of Azerbaijan-US bilateral relations, energy cooperation and other issues were discussed during the meeting and the participation of Azerbaijan in peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan and its contributions to international counterterrorism operations were noted.
President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych today was given an official welcome in Azerbaijan. A guard of honor was lined up at the square decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine have today met in private, Azerbaijani President's official website reported.
During the meeting, the presidents said bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine were developing successfully in a variety of fields.
They stressed the importance of high-level reciprocal visits in terms of strengthening relationship.
The presidents said good potential exist for development of cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, energy, humanitarian and other spheres.
The parties also exchanged views bilateral, regional and international issues
The President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych has today visited the Alley of Honor to commemorate the National Leader, architect and creator of the modern independent state of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and laid a wreath at his tomb.
Azerbaijan and Ukraine start serious consultations on liquefied gas supply, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev told a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich in Baku.
April 29
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva have today familiarized themselves with exhibitions "AITF 2011" 10th Azerbaijan International Tourism and Travel Fair and 2nd Azerbaijan Domestic Tourism Exhibition.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of congratulation to Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on country's national holiday - Queen's Day.
President Aliyev expressed hope in the letter that Azerbaijan-Netherlands ties, friendly, and cooperative relations would further develop to serve the two countries' peoples.
The Head of State extended best wishes to Queen Beatrix and wished her robust health, successes in her activities and friendly people of Netherlands peace and prosperity.
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on measures to build a new clinic in Sabunchu district of Baku, the Azerbaijani President's official website reported.
Upon the order, the President's Reserve Fund will allocate two million manat to Sabunchu district executive power to build and provide necessary equipment to the new clinic in Sabunchu district of Baku.
The Ministry of Finance is in charge of ensuring allocation of funds provided by the order.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev offered condolences to Morocco's King Mohammed VI in connection with numerous human losses as a result of terror act in Marrakesh.
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on strengthening of material-technical base of the National Academy of Sciences.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev offered condolences to his U.S counterpart Barack Obama in connection with numerous human losses as a result of natural disaster.
Parliament
April 26
The rules for replacing prisoners' punishment with correctional work or fines were announced after the removal of the article on restricting liberty from the Azerbaijani Criminal Code.
Azerbaijani courts need to be authorized to deny the right of persons, convicted for heinous crimes, to pardon.
MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev made this proposal when he was speaking at a meeting of the Parliament's committee on legal policy and statehood issues on Tuesday.
Prisoners will be allowed to hold labor holiday in freedom following the changes to the Azerbaijani Code of Execution of Punishments.
The Azerbaijani Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and State Building discussed the additions and changes to the Code on Tuesday.
The Azerbaijani legislation does not allow prisoners to contact with relatives through Skype.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has proposed to use Skype for foreign prisoners to contact with their families, Deputy Justice Minister, the head of the Penal Service Madat Guliyev told Trend.
April 28
The sanctions envisioned by the Article on criminal liability under car accidents will be amended in Azerbaijan.
The bill "On Supplements and Amendments to the Penal Code" envisions different, depending on the gravity of damage, sanctions for harming a suffered persons as a result of careless driving.
April 29
The Law "On Language" which is under development at the moment will reflect preservation of the Azerbaijani language, Azerbaijani Parliamentary Culture Committee Chairman Nizami Jafarov told Trend on Friday.
The rules of issue of mortgage to young families will be simplified in Azerbaijan, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Intigam Babayev told reporters on Friday.
There will be developed a program of solution of social problems of the youth, which will be included in the state program as a separate bloc, he said.
Foreign policy
April 25
Azerbaijan and Russia closely cooperate on the Nagorno Karabakh issue at different levels, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in an interview with Moscow News newspaper.
Discussions over development of the State Program "Azerbaijani Youth in 2011-2015" were held.
The discussions hosted by the Youth and Sports Ministry were attended mostly by representatives of Azerbaijan-operating youth organizations.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Tina Kaidanow.
The Defense Minister of Azerbaijan and the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan held discussions over the date of conduct of the Regional Response-2011 military exercises.
Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, Gen.-Colonel Safar Abiyev has received the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza on Monday.
April 26
Azerbaijan hopes that it will be possible to coordinate uncoordinated issues during the current meeting of the special working group on the preparation of the Convention on the Caspian Sea's legal status, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said on Tuesday addressing the meeting, which is underway in Baku today.
Yaver Jamalov , the Azerbaijani defense industry minister, received Alexander Mishenko , Ukraine's ambassador to Azerbaijan. Speaking at the meeting, Jamalov highly appreciated Azerbaijani-Ukrainian bilateral relations in different spheres.
The 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy was marked in Azerbaijan.
The event at the building of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan were attended by Mirhasan Hasanov, Chairman of the Union of Chernobyl Invalids, Tahir Suleymanov, Deputy Chief of the Department on Social and Political Issues of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Natig Mammadov, a representative of the Labor and Social Protection Ministry, and Chernobyl invalids.
April 27
Kazakhstan considers Azerbaijan as a key partner in the Caucasus, the chairman of the Kazakh Majilis Ural Mukhamedzhanov said during a meeting with a delegation of Azerbaijani parliamentarians headed by the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov in Astana.
The Prosecutor Generals of Azerbaijan and Lithuania signed a memorandum on cooperation in the fight against corruption in Baku, Lithuanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kestutis Kudzmanas told Trend on Wednesday. According to the memorandum, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office Anti-Corruption Department and Lithuanian Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption will cooperate to facilitate such goals.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received the Head of the Kuwaiti Diplomatic Academy Abdulaziz Al-Sharek .
Al-Sharek appreciated the establishment and the activity of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. He stressed that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to education.
Opening Kyrgyzstan's embassy in Azerbaijan has been discussed in a bilateral meeting between the Kyrgyz Parliamentary Speaker Zhogork Kenesh Ahmatbek Keldibekov and Azerbaijani Parliamentary Parliamentary обсуждался накануне на двусторонней встрече спикера Жогорку Кенеша Ахматбека Келдибекова и председателя Милли Меджлиса Азербайджана Октая Асадова , в рамках работы II пленарного заседания Парламентской Ассамблеи тюркоязычных стран .
Azerbaijan has transferred the Chairmanship in the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking countries ( TurkPA ) to Kazakhstan.
April 28
U.S. congressmen discussed with Azerbaijani MPs strengthening the OSCE Minsk Group's activities.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received the delegation led by co-chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' working group on Azerbaijan Bill Shuster .
At the meeting the U.S. Congressmen expressed their satisfaction on US-Azerbaijan cooperation, underlined Azerbaijan's important role as an U.S. ally. Besides, they highly assessed Azerbaijan's contribution and support to the fight against international terrorism, the country's increasing role in global energy security, its participation in the security of regional and global stability.
Darius Vallis , Lithuania's Chief Prosecutor, and Zimantas Patsevichius, Chief Director of the Special Investigations Department, paid an official visit to Azerbaijan. The guests were received by Zakir Garalov, Chief Prosecutor of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani diplomats attended an annual forum of the American Jewish Committee.
April 29
Justice Ministers of Azerbaijan and Georgia Fikret Mammadov and Zurab Adeishvili at a meeting on Friday examined a number of concrete proposals over cooperation between the two structures.
Political movements
April 26
The employees of the Main Police Department and prosecutor's office in Baku initiated a search in the central headquarters of the Musavat Party in the territory of Binagadi district.
The search is conducted on the basis of the court's decision on a criminal case filed due to the unauthorized rally held by the so-called Public Chamber on April 2, spokesman for the Prosecutor General's Office Eldar Sultanov told Trend.
A criminal case was filed on Art. 233 (Organization of actions promoting infringement of a social order or active participation in such actions) and Art. 315 (Resistance or application of violence concerning the representative of authority) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
Nine people were accused.
April 25
The proposals on strengthening the military-patriotic education of Azerbaijani youth have been developed, the chairman of the national council of voluntary military-patriotic sport-technical society, Major-General Novruzali Orujov told Trend.
He said that these proposals will be submitted to the government in the nearest future to be included in the state program "Azerbaijani youth in 2011-2015".
April 27
The Azerbaijani youth must actively participate in the modernization of Azerbaijan, Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party Ali Akhmedov said at a conference on "Azerbaijani Youth and Modernity" today organized by the youth association of the New Azerbaijan Party for party activists in Naftalan.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
April 25
On April 24, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions in the Berkaber village in the Armenian Idjevan region at 13.55-14.00 at the Azerbaijani troops in the Gizilhajili village in the Gazakh region, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend.
Further, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from positions in the Javahirli village in the Agdam region at 23.30-23.35, from positions outside the Kuropatkino village in the Khojavend region at 01.00-01.10 on April 25, the ministry said.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.
April 26
On April 25, the Armenian armed forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani troops from the positions in the nameless heights in the Jabrayil region at 16.10-16.30.
Further, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from positions in the Gorgan and Garakhanbeyli villages in the Fuzuli region at 01.30-01.45 and 02.00-02.05 on April 26, the ministry said.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.
April 27
On April 26, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions in the Vozashen village in the Armenian Ijevan region at the Azerbaijani troops in the nameless heights in the Gazakh region at 21.00-21.10.
Further, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from positions in the Tapgaragoyunlu village in the Goranboy region at 10.00-10.10, the ministry said.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.
On April 27, the Armenian armed forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani troops from the positions outside the Garagashli village in the Agdam region at 19.25-19.35, from the positions outside the Horadiz village in the Fuzuli and the nameless heights at 17.00-17.05 and 04.20-04.30 on April 28.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.
April 28
On April 28, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from positions in the Berdavan village in the Noenberyan region of Armenia at the Azerbaijani troops in the Kamarli village in the Azerbaijani Gazakh region at 16:15-16:20 and 16:30-16:35, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.
The Armenian armed forces opened fire from positions in the Parakavar village in the Ijevan region of Armenia at the Azerbaijani troops in the Kohnagishlag in the Azerbaijani Gazakh region at 02.50- 02.55 on April 29, from positions outside the Kurapatkino village in the Khijavand region at 16.55- 17.00 on April 28, the ministry said.
Further, the Armenian armed forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani troops from positions in the nameless heights in the Jabrayil region at 21.40- 21.50 and from positions in the nameless heights in the Gadabay region at 22.30- 22.50, as well as outside the Gorgan village in the Fizuli region at 21.20- 21.30 and 01.10- 01.20 on April 29, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.