April 25
Nearly 70% of work on Shah Deniz-2 project done
Nearly 70 percent of the work on the "Shah Deniz-2" project has been finished in Azerbaijan and Georgia within the Southern Gas Corridor, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said
at the SOCAR International Practical Conference on "Caspian Basin and Central Asia: Trade, Logistics, Oil Processing and Oil and Chemistry" in Baku. He said that the work on the project has been considerably accelerated.
April 26
President Ilham Aliyev, his spouse attending 7th UNAOC Global Forum
The 7th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations was held in Baku. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening of the forum. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Malta's President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Chairman of the Council of the Republic of Belarusian National Assembly Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other high-ranking officials are also participating in the event.
Spanish FM names priority areas for activity in Azerbaijan
Spanish companies are interested to work in Azerbaijan in the spheres of infrastructure, petrochemistry and industry, Foreign Minister of Spain José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil said within the framework of the Azerbaijani-Spanish business forum in Baku.
"Economic relations with Azerbaijan are very important for us, because Azerbaijan is an access to the Central Asian and Asian countries," the minister said. "At the same time, Spain for Azerbaijan is a bridge to countries of Latin America and North Africa."
April 29
President Aliyev attends opening of Mughanli-Yevlakh section of Baku-Shamakhi-Yevlakh highway
President Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the newly-reconstructed Mughanli-Yevlakh part of the Baku-Shamakhi-Yevlakh highway. The head of state was informed that the total length of the two-lane road section was 115.15 kilometers. The reconstruction of the highway started in March 2010 under the relevant order of President Ilham Aliyev.
April 30
Moody's: SOFAZ assets help cushion low oil prices' negative effect on Azerbaijani economy
The international ratings agency Moody's Investors Service has confirmed Azerbaijan's long-term issuer ratings and senior unsecured debt ratings at Ba1. Concurrently, Moody's also confirmed the Southern Gas Corridor's state-guaranteed senior unsecured debt rating at Ba1. Azerbaijan's long-term and short-term foreign-currency bond and deposit ceilings remain unchanged at Ba1/NP and Ba2/NP, respectively. At the same time, the long-term local-currency bond and deposit country ceilings remain unchanged at Ba1.
Moody's also confirms that Azerbaijan's large stock of foreign currency assets held in the State Oil Fund (SOFAZ), the country's sovereign wealth fund, helps cushion the economy and government balance sheet, and gives Azerbaijan time to adjust to lower oil prices.