News in Brief

C4 security chiefs may meet in March
A meeting of  the Russian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, and Armenian security council secretaries may be held in the first ten days of March, a diplomatic source has informed AssA-Irada. This meeting was initiated by the Russian Security Council Secretary, Vladimir Rushaylo, during his recent official visit to Baku. The issue of  regional security on the eve of possible war against Iraq will be the focus of the Caucasus Four meeting. The security council secretaries will discuss uniting efforts in the face of international terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking. The date of the meeting has yet to be agreed.

Cease-fire broken again
Armenian armed formations on a mountain top in the Krasnoselsk District of Armenia subjected Azerbaijani Army positions to random fire in the Gadabay District of Azerbaijan between 17.00 and 17.45 on February 18. The Armenian army was silenced after retaliatory fire.
No casualties were reported.

New OSCE PA chairman expected
The new OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) chairman, George Bryus, is due to arrive in Baku shortly. According to Milli Maclis (Azerbaijani parliament), the main target of the trip is to become more familiar with the country and to exchange views on progressing relations between Azerbaijan and OSCE. The visitor will also resolve the issue regarding the assembly's rapporteur on the Upper Qarabag conflict. The authority of the rapporteur appointed by the former OSCE Parliamentary Assembly chairman has not been specified, triggering concern among Azerbaijani MPs, who have expressed their objections to the rapporteur.

Accused spies undergo closed trial
A Baku court last week started legal proceedings in a case involving three Azerbaijani citizens accused of spying for Russia's military intelligence service. The defendants, Sayyar Axundov, 51, Mubariz Axundov, 43, and Sergey Namazov, 43, who were detained in July 2002, face charges of collecting data about Azerbaijani military units and facilities, as well as  international oil contracts and the presence of Afghan and Chechen rebels in Azerbaijan.
The trial is closed to the media.

Caspian status meeting in Baku
The heads of working groups on the Caspian status from all the five littoral nations will meet in Baku on February 26-27, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told AssA-Irada on Monday. Experts from Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are to discuss the wording of a convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.
This meeting was recently postponed for the third time.

Electoral Code in focus
The OSCE Baku office has sent a letter to the leaders of political parties forming the Coordinating Center of the Opposition. The letter asks for official consent for a joint meeting of experts from the Vienna Commission, OSCE and the political parties in the Coordinating Center of the Opposition to discuss the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan at 16:00 on February 27. A Tuesday meeting of the center has judged this approach a step forward in improving the Electoral Code. It was decided that an expert from each area take part in the meeting.

Int'l Atomic Agency info center for Baku
The International Atomic Power Agency is to open an international atomic information center in Azerbaijan in accordance with a project forwarded by the Azerbaijani government, according to reliable sources. During their recent visit to Baku, representatives of the agency Joseph Sabol and Victor Zuskovski held talks over the issue. The total value of the project is estimated at $243,000.

Azeri citizen caught with explosives in Moscow
Law-enforcement bodies of Moscow have informed Russian news agencies on Wednesday that the police found over one kilogram of a highly explosive substance in the possession of an Azerbaijani citizen, 32, in the Russian capital. The arrested Azerbaijani citizen is alleged to belong to one of the extremist organized criminal groups.

9.7-per-cent surge in January GDP
The Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee has informed AssA-Irada that GDP amounted to AZM2.359 trillion in Azerbaijan in January, exceeding last year's indicator by 9.7 per cent. The total volume of industrial produce in January rose by 5.8 per cent to AZM1.838 trillion compared to last year. In the same timeframe, AZM 993.6bn has been invested in fixed capital, topping the 2002 figure by 66.8 per cent. Meanwhile, nominal incomes of the population increased by 8.5 per cent year-on-year, reaching AZM1.591 trillion.  Reportedly, per capita income in January made up AZM196,900.  Average monthly salary per worker increased to AZM361,100 in January this year, an increase of 21.2 per cent compared with 2002. The number of registered unemployed as of February 1 is 51,126.

New development program for Ganca
A program is being drawn up with the Ministry of Economic Development to speed up the social-economic development of Ganca city. The ministry has told AssA-Irada that work is underway in Ganca to improve water supply and put the automobile plant into operation. Ganca took only a one per-cent share in the 2002 GDP of Azerbaijan with approximately 65,000 unemployed in the city. The new program will anticipate route specific steps to address these problems.

Loans for entrepreneurs
The Ministry of Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, which controls the National Assistance Fund has finalized search for agent banks to distribute funds of AZM57bn in the form of loans. A spokesman for the ministry has told AssA-Irada that Atabank, Emrahbank, Azdemiryolbank, Rabitabank and Dekabank won the bidding thereby bringing the number of banks to issue loans to businesses to 11. The 2002 state budget had envisioned AZM13bn to loan entrepreneurs through the fund. AZM50bn of AZM57bn allocated for this year will be aimed at entrepreneurial development, with the other AZM7bn to be utilized to raise the employment rate in the country.

New customs point
A new customs point, Yeni Sangacal, was established in accordance with a decree by the State Customs Committee chairman. The press service of the committee has told AssA-Irada that the new point will conduct customs control of ships entering the Sangacal terminal intended to transport crude and oil products. Preliminary works for opening the post have already commenced and regulations approved.

Int'l Insurance Co to launch reinsurance
The International Insurance Company will start shortly to reinsure smaller insurance companies. The International Bank of Azerbaijan has reported to AssA-Irada that this will prevent cash flow from Azerbaijan to foreign countries and companies. The company has collected AZM4bn last year from the 25 insurance services it provides.
The company's charter capital is estimated at $5 million, which amounts to 43 per cent of the total capital of insurance companies operating in Azerbaijan.