News in Brief

Speaker to visit UK
A eight-person delegation led by Azerbaijani speaker Murtuz Alasgarov is on an official visit to UK over March 9-14. Milli Maclis (parliament) has informed AssA-Irada that the visit is made at the invitation of the British parliament. Within the framework of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation is holding a number of meetings with both leaders of both parliamentary houses, as well as top officials in the United Kingdom, improving relations between the parliaments and the settlement of the Upper Qarabag conflict is discussed.

PM to account to Parliament
Azerbaijani premier Artur Rasizada has been challenged to address a Milli Maclis session convened to hear the government's account of work done during Rasizada's tenure. Following the announcement, vice speaker Ziyafat Asgarov told AssA-Irada that the premier's report is expected at the 5th session of parliament, and is subject to discussion by the deputies.

CE conducting two-day workshop
A two-day workshop, Rights of persons held for investigation and code of conduct, began at the Justice Ministry on Wednesday, a spokesman for the ministry has told AssA-Irada. Robert Deou (England), Iren Kok (Austria), Miroslav Novak (Poland), Council of Europe (CoE) expert Prjemislav Musialkovski, as well as Azerbaijani Justice Minister Fikrat Mammadov are to make speeches at the workshop organized jointly with the Council of Europe. Chairing the workshop is Aydin Qasimov, chief of the ministry's department for execution of court rulings.

Germany to bolster judicial cooperation
Chairman of the Azerbaijani Constitutional Court Xanlar Haciyev is on a working trip to Germany over March 10-13, as part of the Court and legal reforms project by the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). The trip aims to bolster cooperation between the constitutional courts of the two nations. Mr Haciyev is holding meetings with the Bundestag, justice ministry and judicial bodies of Germany. 

MP to participate PACE committee session
MP Rafael Huseynov will visit Valencia, Spain, over March 12-19 to participate in a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) committee on the environment, agriculture, national and regional issues. Milli Maclis (parliament) has informed AssA-Irada that a conference, Sustainable development of the Euro- Mediterranean region, to be conducted within the session will debate issues relating to the European Union enlargement and agriculture, setting up a European plant-growing charter, sustainable development of forests in Euro-Mediterranean countries, etc.. The meeting will also hold preliminary discussions on resolving pollution of Azerbaijani waters by cross-border flows prepared by Rafael Huseynov.

Azerbaijan to partake in int'l de-mining conference
The UN and the Italian Foreign Ministry will jointly organize an international conference dedicated to mine clearing efforts. Hafiz Safixanov, the coordinator for Azerbaijan of the commission for mine prohibition, will represent Azerbaijan at the conference. Hafiz Safixanov has told AssA-Irada that the event is to discuss outcomes of demining activities carried out last year, research conducted on conflict areas and other issues.

British women share experience
The British Council and public association Leading Women held a joint conference, Women: Society and Politics, in Baku on March 10. The conference provided women keen to play important role in society with opportunities for experience sharing and debates. The British Council has informed AssA-Irada that the British Ambassador to Azerbaijan also attended the conference.

Site for European House
The Azerbaijani government has suggested several buildings for European House - the European Union Baku office. According to an agreement reached by executive secretary of the European House Yanni Bosher and Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sarifov, after the selection of a building, it will be repaired using EU funds, the Cabinet of Ministers has told AssA-Irada. The new EU representative to Azerbaijan is still to be appointed, the former ambassador Rinato Batti completed his term of office in fall last year.

Business development forum due on countryside
The Business Development Forum will be held by the CDC organization in Quba District on March 15 financed by US Development Agency USAID. The forum aims to organize discussions over business development and credit with entrepreneurs in Quba, Qusar, Xacmaz, Siyazan and Xizi districts, and meetings with businessmen in Baku, Ganca and Ali Bayramli cities. The CDC Baku office has informed AssA-Irada that attending the forum will be representatives of the Azerbaijani Confederation of Entrepreneurs, the Business Development Alliance, and business-supporting international and local organizations.

CIS free trade zones top agenda again
The CIS Economic Council will conduct its regular meeting in Moscow on March 15. The only-one-day meeting will center on changes introduced to the project on the establishment of Free Trade Zones (FTZ) in the CIS space. Diplomatic sources has advised AssA-Irada that also discussed at the gathering will be issues on lowering customs duty rates imposed on exports and imports of heavy industry produce within the CIS countries, accelerating the economic integration, and insurance-related problems, etc.  Representing Azerbaijan at the meeting will be the First Deputy Azerbaijani Prime Minister, Abbas Abbasov.

1.9bn kWt of electricity generated in Feb
The Azarenerji open-type joint stock company generated over 1.9bn kWt of electricity power in February. Of this volume, 1.65bn kWt was produced through thermal power plants, while hydropower plants accounted for 253m kWt of electricity. A spokesperson for Azarenerji has told AssA-Irada that power generation rose by 17 per cent year-on-year and the consumption increased by 15.4 per cent or even over 20 per cent  occasionally. Azarenerji attributes the rise to severe winter and population's use of electric heating rather than other sources of.

Soviet Savings must be repaid
$1.6bn is required to return savings deposited in banks during the Soviet period. Currently, a draft law on this issue is being developed. Under the draft law, depositors will be differentiated as to the age, disability, and refugee or IDP status. According to the Finance Ministry, the main issue in repaying savings is to identify a source of funds. In the first version, funds proceeding from privatization and securities sales are considered one such a finance source. It is supposed that funds may be allocated in next year's state budget.

Over 6,000 physical, legal entities engaged in foreign economic activity
At present, over 3,400 legal and some 2,600 physical entities in Azerbaijan are engaged in foreign economic activity per year on average. As a result, Azerbaijan has built trade relations with more than 120 countries. The State Customs Committee has notified AssA-Irada there are currently 10 border customs houses, 20 border customs points, 4 internal customs houses, and 25 internal customs points, as well as the energy customs house, the Caspian special customs office, and the Baku Excise customs post operating in the country.

Increase in pensions, allowances being studied
Efforts are under way in Azerbaijan to bring the allowance and pension system up to international standards. The State Social Protection Fund told AssA-Irada that a plan of action will be prepared following these efforts. Increasing the basic pension and allowances, raising the average monthly salary that forms the basis for estimating pensions, and other versions are being studied.
On the average, AZM110-130bn is spent per month on paying pensions and allowances.

Rise in marine cargo
A spokesperson for the Azerbaijani State Caspian Shipping Department has told AssA-Irada that its transport fleets carried various cargoes totaling 1.9m tons over January-February this year, exceeding the forecast by 304,000 tons and the figure in 2002 by 569,000 tons. Of these cargoes, 1,75m tons were transported within the Caspian basin.  A total of 1.9m tons of cargo were carried through the routes operating in the Caspian section of the Eurasian transport corridor. Transits constitute 1.5 tons of cargoes shipped via the corridor. A dynamic rise in ferry-boats moving in the corridor was also reported. This rise amounted to, more than 206,000 tons compared to the indicator in 2002.