The agreement signed by the governments of Turkey, Greece and Italy in July 2007 to build a pipeline to ship gas from the Caspian region and Central Asia to European markets will be joined by Azerbaijan soon, and a new contract will be inked, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Hilmi Guler, has said. Guler said in parliament during discussions on the country’s 2009 state budget that the conduit, to be commissioned in 2013, will pump 12 billion cubic meters of gas a year. 3.6bcm o...... полностью

The consequences of last week’s accident on a sub-sea pipeline stretching from Azerbaijan’s oldest Caspian oil field, the Oil Rocks, to the Baku Bay have been eliminated, president of the state oil company SOCAR has said. According to Rovnag Abdullayev, the damaged section of the Oil Rocks-Dubandi pipeline has been replaced and the conduit is back on track. Abdullayev said the accident had not caused suspension of output and crude was being transported to the shore by tankers afterwards. “W...... полностью

A private TV channel, Channel-S, opened in Azerbaijan’s western Shaki District on Monday. The new broadcaster with a 50-member technical support and creative staff, which has a new three-story office, will present programs in Azeri eight hours a day. The TV channel will be initially broadcast only in Shaki and some adjacent regions. It will be broadcasted through satellite from 2011.*... читать

The Icharishahar underground station in Baku was reopened on Monday after renovation operations. President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the station located in the center of the capital. Head of the Baku subway administration, Taghi Ahmadov, said 15 million manats ($18.75 million) had been spent on the overhaul. Special transparent glass was used in the design of the facility. The upgrade work at the subway station, which was earlier called Baki Soveti, had commenced in November 2007...... полностью

One person has been killed and 15 others injured in 13 incidents involving mines and unexploded ordnances in Azerbaijan this year, according to a local group working to counter explosives. 14 of the affected persons were civilians, including the killed individual, and two were servicemen. The explosions took place in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, Terter, and Khojavand districts, which are located on the frontline with Armenia, Hafiz Safikhanov, head of the Azerbaijan Public Union for Campaign against Mi...... полностью

The first-ever billiards Heineken Cup among amateurs was held in Baku December 22-27. Fazil Mammadov beat his rival Faig Sadykhov 5:4 in the final of the competition, which was organized by Ideal-L, Dutch brewing company Heineken International’s official distributor in Azerbaijan, with the support of the Azerbaijan Billiards Federation. A total of 140 youngsters played the games of the free pyramid type. The most successful players were conferred with a diploma of the Federation, a pecuniary...... полностью

Global financial meltdown has caused problems for only one bank in Azerbaijan – UniBank. The crisis has brought about not a threat of bankruptcy, but certain challenges for local banks, and UniBank is no exception, Aftandil Babayev, deputy board chairman of the National Bank of Azerbaijan (NBA), told the press Tuesday. Babayev noted that UniBank has appealed to the NBA for assistance due to lack of re-financing sources. The central bank approved the request and lent 50 million manats ($61.7...... полностью

Recent unfounded media reports on the threat of bankruptcy faced by numerous banks in Azerbaijan have sparked tension and uproar, a top official at the country’s central bank has said. “These reports stem not from bias, but, in most cases, from lack of awareness,” Aftandil Babayev, deputy board chairman at the National Bank of Azerbaijan (NBA), told a press conference held at the bank on Tuesday. Local media reports circulating in the past few days said 10 private banks in Azerbaijan are fac...... полностью

The Azerbaijani economy is expected to grow 15 per cent in 2009 after growth of 20 per cent in 2008, amid global financial meltdown, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) predicts. “Azerbaijan retains the title of the fastest growing economy in the EBRD region, and the top reformer of the year, but the impact of the global financial crisis will increasingly be felt,” EBRD senior economist Anita Taci said. “The sources for foreign investment will become much scarcer and Az...... полностью

An Azerbaijani woman held hostage in the Russian republic of Daghestan has been released. Nisbat Farhadova, a resident of the Azerbaijani capital Baku, had called the Interior Ministry’s service in charge of duty centers, and informed the law enforcers that she had been locked up in a village of the Kyzylyurt district. According to her, the kidnappers - five to six individuals - had presented themselves as employees of the prosecutor’s office and police officers, the ministry said. The outlaws ...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s leading cellular operator, Azercell, has launched international roaming services with UK’s Jersey Telecom and Belarusian Best companies. The deal is Azercell’s sixth roaming agreement with the United Kingdom and the third one with Belarus. Currently, Azercell subscribers can benefit from the services of UK’s Vodafone, One2One (T-Mobile), Hutchison 3G UK Ltd, Orange, O2 (Cellnet) Telefonica, and Belarusian Velcom–MDC and JLLC Mobile TeleSystems operators. So far, Azercell Telecom...... полностью

The fourteenth international construction exhibition, BakuBuild, will start in Baku on Wednesday. Over 250 world companies will display their products at the three-day show. Unlike the exhibition held in 2007, this event will cover all fields of the construction sector. A special emphasis will be placed on the technologies of construction safety during the show, which will be organized with the support of the State Agency for Construction Safety of the Ministry of Emergencies.*... читать

The Romania-Azerbaijan business forum was held in Bucharest on Tuesday. The goal of the event, organized by the German Technical Cooperation Society (GTZ) is to hold meetings of Azerbaijani and Romanian businessmen, explore opportunities for cooperation, establish economic relations and render assistance in attracting foreign investment to the country, according to the Confederation of Azerbaijani Entrepreneurs (CAE). The CAE President Alakbar Mammadov as well as 15 Azerbaijani businessmen w...... полностью

Education Minister Misir Mardanov has dismissed allegations that the stabbing of a teacher at the Baku College of Finance on Monday was caused by a bribe. Mardanov told reporters Tuesday that the ministry had immediately scrutinized circulating reports about the instructor’s killing and some reports linking it to bribery were proven to have no merit. “This incident is very unfortunate for the field of education,” the minister said. “Yesterday, I was personally involved throughout the day in s...... полностью

Turkic nations meeting in Ankara have launched discussions on a common language. The 10-day congress of Turkic-speaking nations is focusing on relations among these countries and researching ancient monuments with inscriptions in Turkic languages. About 20 Azerbaijani linguists are participating at the event. Associate member of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof. Nizami Jafarov said problems regarding a common language of Turkic countries have been essentially solved. “Accepting Turkey...... полностью

Turkish and Azerbaijani humanitarian organizations will sign an agreement on cooperation soon. The document is to be inked either in Ankara or in Baku in the near future, as a delegation of the Turkish Red Crescent Society (TRCS) is in Baku to discuss the issue. The Turkish delegates held a meeting in the head office of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society (AzRCS) on Tuesday. The priorities of cooperation were in focus at the discussions. The TRCS President Tekin Kucukali told reporters that...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s leading cellular operator, Azercell, held an “Open Doors” event at the Caucasus University on Tuesday to kick off a scholarship program for students with outstanding academic achievements. Students attending the event received comprehensive information about the program. Those mastering such sciences as computer engineering, computer systems and networks, as well as business administration, were advised by the company’s specialists about training sessions pertinent to their fields ...... полностью

The investments being made in Azerbaijan by Britain will be increased. Consultations in this respect were held between British and Azerbaijani businessmen on Tuesday. It was stated on the first day of talks, organized by the International Bank of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), that Azerbaijan’s economy has been developing rapidly over the last few years. A protocol on cooperation was signed between the p...... полностью

The Azerbaijani government’s program targets bringing poverty rate in the country to the level of the world’s developed countries. The rate is to go down from the current 15.8% to as low as 10% by the completion of the State Program on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development in the Azerbaijan Republic for 2008-2015. The program, which was approved by President Ilham Aliyev’s decree on Monday, outlines nine strategic goals. The Economic Development Ministry is developing a three-year pl...... полностью

The Azerbaijani government is implementing key macro-economic and structural reforms, in close cooperation with the United States and the US Agency for International Development, US ambassador in Baku Anne Derse has said. She told the opening of the 4th Azerbaijan Microfinance Conference in Baku on Tuesday that micro-finance development ensures financial support to underserved and excluded members of society. “It also spurs development of small businesses. And we know that it is small and med...... полностью

The “Zangazur” tanker built in Russia’s Krasnoye Sormovo plant to the order of Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company will be commissioned on Saturday. The loading capacity of the tanker is 13,000 tons. Representatives of the community of Nizhni Novgorod and the Azerbaijani Diaspora will attend a ceremony due on this occasion.*... читать

Azerbaijan’s leading cellular operator, Azercell, continues making effort to expand the scope of its coverage and quality of mobile communication. Azercell Telecom LLC praised the results achieved in August, saying it had installed 20 new radio base stations for subscribers. Six of the stations are located in the capital Baku, one in Absheron, while the rest are located in Astara, Imyshly, Lerik, Gabala, Gobustan, Guba, Terter, Tovuz, Ujar and Zagatala districts. Azercell has installed a tota...... полностью

A meeting of the CIS countries’ border service heads will start in Baku on Wednesday. Issues relating to fighting terrorism, human and drug trafficking as well as illegal migration will be discussed during the two-day meeting.*... читать

Azerbaijan has won its 10th medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Athlete Vugar Mehdiyev claimed bronze in the 200-meter running contest on Tuesday. The Azerbaijani team currently ranks 37th at the Paralympics, with two gold, three silver and five bronze medals. Among CIS states, the country is rated fourth, next to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Previously, Azerbaijani athlete Ulukhan Musayev, vying in the men's shot put, broke a world record, winning his country’s second gold medal...... полностью

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received on Tuesday a Turkish delegation led by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Guler. During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the current state and prospects of energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey. On the same day, President Aliyev received US special envoy for Eurasian energy Boyden Gray. The prospects of cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector were discussed during the meeting.*... читать

Georgia is in talks on raising the volume of gas it buys from Azerbaijan, its energy minister Aleksandr Khetaguri said. He told the press in Baku on Tuesday that his country currently purchases 1.5 million cubic meters a day from the neighboring South Caucasus republic. “The volume will be increased in the winter. How much it will increase depends on the outcome of discussions,” Khetaguri said. Georgia stopped importing Russian gas since 2007 over a price rise. The country has been meeting ...... полностью

The United States “seriously ponders” the security and protection of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) main export pipeline, a strategic conduit pumping Azerbaijani oil to world markets, a senior US official has said. “Ensuring the pipeline’s security is pivotal and is one of the key issues on agenda,” US special envoy for Eurasian energy, Boyden Gray, told reporters in Baku. He said the BTC security issue has become more important in the past month, in an apparent reference to the brief war between...... полностью

Turkmenistan is seeking to establish long-term cooperation with Azerbaijan, a Turkmen energy executive said as officials of the two countries met in Baku to explore avenues for energy cooperation. “There is a need to boost cooperation between the two countries in a number of fields,” chairman of the Turkmengaz state concern, Baymurad Khodjamukhamedov, told a joint oil and gas conference in Baku on Tuesday. Khodjamukhamedov heads a delegation from the Central Asian state on its visit to the Az...... полностью

Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev has dismissed reports claiming the resource-rich South Caucasus republic has turned down the West-backed project on building the NABUCCO pipeline that will pump gas to Europe while by-passing Russia. Aliyev said many are trying to politicize the issue, taking advantage of rising political tension in the South Caucasus region, but these attempts have not affected talks on the project. “Azerbaijan has a reliable export route – to Georgia,...... полностью

An ATR 72-500 passenger plane purchased from France will be delivered to Azerbaijan on Wednesday, according to state airline AzAL. The delivery will be realized under an agreement reached with French-Italian regional turboprop manufacturer Avions de Transport Regional (ATR). This will be the sixth aircraft brought to the country in accordance with the agreement signed between AzAL and the foreign company.*... читать