* Azeris marks World Refugee Day * The World Refugee Day, June 20, was for the first time marked in Azerbaijan. * Among the various undertakings were meetings with refugee and IDP communities, a series of seminars and a painting contest for refugee children held by the Norwegian Refugee Council  in the city center. * An official ceremony with a concert program and dinner-party was arranged at the Cultural Center of Azersun Holding on Friday on the initiative of UNHCR. * On the same day, a confe...... полностью

* Azeri, Ecuadorian musicians to release joint album * A joint Salam Hola concert project with Azerbaijani and Ecuadorian musicians will be carried on, as the first concert held at the Republican Palace of Baku last October held the interest of the audience. * The organizer and initiator of the concert, composer Siyavus Karimi has told AssA-Irada the second concert will be arranged after its financial problems are settled, as    organizational expenses for the first concert cons...... полностью

* Partners' credits to be used in BTC construction * "Azerbaijan will conduct construction of its section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline at own expenses, as we have sufficient funds for the time being. To avoid interruption in the construction work, credits will be borrowed from bp and other partner companies," President of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic, SOCAR, Natiq Aliyev has told AssA-Irada. * According to him, as the European Bank for Reconstruction...... полностью

* Strategy to boost non-oil sector drawn up * A 3-year program of activities to boost the non-oil sector in Azerbaijan has been drawn up at a one day workshop at Quba Hall of the Hyatt Regency Hotel of Baku on Monday. * The workshop, a follow-up to the May 7-9 Investment Conference, was organized by the Ministry of Economic Development and the World Bank. * Intended to discuss and refine an Integrated Non-Oil Trade and Investment Strategy (INOTIS) for the rapid expansion of jobs and opportunit...... полностью

* Pressure group demands punishment of Armenia * The Qarabag Liberation Organization (QLO) was incensed at the action program submitted by the newly established coalition government of Armenia to parliament last week. The point is that under the program Upper Qarabag is to be included in the budget of Armenia, while a special paragraph underlines "Upper Qarabag will be never given to Azerbaijan". The QLO has issued a statement regarding the issue. The statement regrets that international organi...... полностью

So far the following twelve candidates have declared themselves to be running for the post of president in the fall elections: Yunus Oguz (National Unity), Elsad Musayev (Great Azerbaijan), Araz Alizada (Social-Democrat), Ali Karimli (People Front Party, reformers), Gudrat Hasanquliyev (PFPA, unifiers), Lala-Sovkat Haciyeva (Liberal), Etibar Mammadov (Party of National Independence), Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev (Motherland party), Ilyas Ismayilov (Adalat), Isa Qambar (Musavat), Rasul Quliyev ...... полностью

* Japanese Speaker visit expected * A Japanese parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker is expected to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan, Japanese ambassador to Azerbaijan Toshiyuki Fujiwara has told AssA-Irada. * According to the diplomat, the date for the visit is still to be determined, as expansion of bilateral interparliamentary relations will be discussed during the visit. President presents military honors   * President Aliyev issued a decree on Tuesday to award 163 mili...... полностью

New gesture from Athens to boost relations * The itinerary of the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Magriotis, who arrived in Baku last week for one-day visit, was grueling. The mission was to produce a report by Greece on work done in Azerbaijan and as a gesture to strengthen bilateral relations, as well as advance mutual confidence. * Greece held the European Union (EU) presidency over the past six months. * Taking into account the close relations between Athens and Yerevan, as well as the...... полностью

* BTC construction at 1km a day * The constriction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan moves forward 1km a day, while a 7 km-long pipe has been welded and laid in the 2-meter deep trench, a source from the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) has told AssA-Irada. * Land treatment work has been carried out in the area of 25 km along the corridor, with 700 pipes welded. * The construction of the BTC was launched near the Sangacal terminal as 39,000, 11 meter pipes will be used for the constr...... полностью

Azerbaijan will sell state-owned shares in mobile phone operators Azercell, a Turkish-Azerbaijani JV, and Bakcell, an Israeli-Azerbaijani JV, by the end of 2003, Minister for Economic Development (MED) Farhad Aliev told journalists on Tuesday. "We are currently assessing the government's stakes in these joint ventures, as we will offer the shares to foreign partners after the evaluation is over. If they refuse, the shares will be put on sale in an investment tender or privatized in another way...... полностью

Representatives of the Azerbaijani Ministries of Economic Development and Foreign Affairs, as well as the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) have taken part in a conference on revival of Iraq with support from the US and British governments held in London. Organized by the US embassy in London and the Organization of UK Trade Partners, the gathering brought together the two countries' state officials, representatives from the coalition states and international organizations, ...... полностью

Coordinator of the Center for Defense of Religious Belief and Freedom of Consciousness Ilqar Ibrahimoglu voiced concern on rise in facts of violation of civil and political rights of women believers at a news conference at the Baku Press Club on Thursday. Over 3,000 complaints have been submitted to the Center over the past 5 years, Mr. Ibrahimoglu said. In particular, the head-geared women face with problems in entrance to universities, official registration in the place of residence, employm...... полностью

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Peter Schieder arranged a news conference following the Bureau meeting on Monday. Avoiding taking a view on the four-year program developed by the newly established coalition in Armenia, stipulating non-return of Upper Qarabag to Azerbaijan under any circumstances, Mr. Schieder said the PACE fall session would hear a report from Rapporteur for Upper Qarabag, British parliamentarian Terry Davis. He also noted that Armenia wou...... полностью

Secret service begins deporting Azeris from border * The Iranian special service bodies began to deport the residents of the East Azerbaijan province along the Azerbaijani-Iranian border last week. In parallel, two military bases of the Iranian Air Forces have been situated on the Khoruzlu mountain surrounding the Ardabil and Parsabad provinces bordering Azerbaijan, the World Azerbaijanis Congress (WAC) has told AssA-Irada. * WAC quoted its representative in Ardabil as reporting that Pashazada ...... полностью

* Iran before a precipice? * Scenes from past signal change in Iran * Students of Tehran University for over a week have gone out into streets to protest against Iran's clerical regime, with most of the teachers joining them. The protesters clashed with the police and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, with several reported killed and injured. Tensions are growing. * Dark clouds hang over Iran like 25 years ago, stimulating the people to protest. People in Iran are unwilling to live under cu...... полностью

* 90th jubilee of Azerbaijani operetta to be marked * Azerbaijani people are marking the 90th jubilee of the first national operetta, Arshin Mal Alan (retail merchant), by great composer Uzeyir Hacibayov, this year. * The Arshin Mal Alan film based on the operetta of the same name, written by Uzeyir Hajibayov in 1913, was first produced in 1945, with Rasid Behbudov playing the leading part. The film was dubbed in 86 languages and shown in most countries. * The operetta will also be staged in Sa...... полностью

* Huge increase in oil transport * The Caspian Shipping Company (CSC) is expected to increase its oil transportation capacity by 67 percent in 2004, chief of the Company Aydin Basirov has told journalists. * "For the time being, we can transport 12 million tons of oil and oil products per annum. But we will be able to increase the figure up to 20 million tons after we have received new tankers," Mr. Basirov said. * The Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod is currently building four ta...... полностью

* 170bn AZM allotted from state budget for investment program * A total of 170bn manats out of Reserve Fund of the state budget have been spent for projects implemented under an investment program in the country thus far. * Finance Minister Avaz Alakbarov has told AssA-Irada among them are the projects on rehabilitation of Vayxir water reservoir, accomplishment of the construction of Naxcivan Airport and restoration of Philharmonics. * According to him, 48bn manats out of 115bn manats allocat...... полностью

* Bilateral co-op agreement to be signed * Turkish Ministers for Interior Affairs Abdulgafar Aksu and Justice Cemil Cicek will arrive in Azerbaijan for an official visit early in July, Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ahmet Unal Cevikoz has told Azernews. According to him, issues on expanding cooperation between the relevant structures of the two countries and legal assistance will be discussed, as well as an agreement on bilateral cooperation is planned for signing during the visit. PA CE rap...... полностью

President praises Salvation festivities * "The high-level festivities organized on the occasion of Salvation Day actually mirrored the country's stable political situation and the public mood," President Heydar Aliyev said in a meeting with governmental officials at the Presidential Palace on Monday. The President watched the concert on TV organized in the National Park, expressing his delight with its program. * However, he did not conceal his dissatisfaction with poor fireworks show of the fe...... полностью

President pardons 106 * President Aliyev has issued a decree to pardon 106 prisoners, Press Service of the President's Office has told AssA-Irada. Under the decree, 97 people have been released from the outstanding period of their punishment, while the imprisonment period of 9 convicts has been reduced. The amnesty has been applied to those who perpetrated crimes against the independence, statehood and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, attempted state cops in Ganca District in October of 1994...... полностью

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Vilayat Quliyev received an Afghan delegation led by First Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Rahim Shirzoyu on Friday. Speaking of the fact-finding visit of the Afghan mission, Mr. Quliyev said the development of further bilateral relations is of great importance for the two countries. The Azerbaijani diplomat also stressed the necessity of continuing the cooperation on mutual benefits within the framework of the Islamic Conference Organization (ICO), the Economic C...... полностью

As the end of his tenure as US ambassador draws near, Ross Wilson has been saying his goodbyes in a round of meetings with senior figures in Azerbaijan. At a final news conference at the Nizami Hall of the Hyatt Park Hotel of Baku on Monday, Mr. Wilson recalled that Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev had appreciated his diplomatic activities, awarding him with Azerbaijan's highest state award, Order of Honor, for his outstanding contributions to strengthening of bilateral relations within a ye...... полностью

The Italian government has confirmed the changes to the European Trio, comprising Foreign Ministers of Spain, ex-chairman of the union Ana Palacio Vallelersundi, the current President, Georgios Papandreou of Greece, and the waiting President Franco Frattini of Italy, which is expected to arrive in Baku on an official visit with high-ranking European Union officials Javier Solana and Chris Patten. As Italian Ambassador Ms. Margherite Costa previously told AssA-Irada Italian Deputy Foreign Mini...... полностью

Deployment of NATO forces in Azerbaijan for safeguarding the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan export pipeline has been a topic of heated discussions in the local and Russian media, as well as the international press. The US media, meanwhile, has reported on the earliest removal of the NATO contingent based in Germany. * The Turkish Hurriyyet newspaper quoted the US Wall Street Journal as reporting that the United States is expected to send 15,000  troops to Azerbaijan to ensure the security of oil pipe...... полностью

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ahad Gazzai denied local and foreign media reports on possible regime change in Iran by the US-lead coalition forces, saying it supports terrorism, as well as manufactures banned chemical and biological weapons. The Ambassador has told Azernews all activities linked with use of nuclear power have been under the control of the international organizations thus far and the process will continue. "Iran has declared its intention to use the nuclear power," Mr. Gaz...... полностью

NATO assists in clearance of unexploded ordnance from 7000 sq km * On 28 April 2003, the presentation of a Project on the Clearance and Utilization (destruction) of Unexploded Ordnances (UXO), on the territory of a former soviet military warehouse in Saloqlu village, Aqstafa District, took place during the Regular Meeting of Political-military Steering Committee of the NATO PFP (Partnership for Peace) Trust Fund Project at NATO HQ in Brussels. The disregard of the few results in enormous work fo...... полностью

* Website to the founder of the Sefevids State * An Internet site dedicated to Sah Ismayil Xatai, the eminent ruler who founded the Sefevids State and an Azeri poet, is to open at the end of May. * At the initiative of the Sah Ismayil Xatai Foundation, the site, set up in the Azeri and English languages, has compiled extensive information about the life Sah Ismayil, or Ismayil the First, lived, as well as his achievements, the renaissance of the Azeri culture and arts during his reign. * A foun...... полностью

* New onshore oil contracts * The 10th Caspian Oil and Gas-2003 exhibition and conference to be held in Baku over June 3 - 6 will be marked by signing new agreements on the development of a number of onshore hydrocarbon deposits in Azerbaijan. Following the announcement, Minister for Fuel and Energy Macid Karimov has told AssA-Irada that the ministry and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) are working on a special program in this direction, and are holding talks with several foreign oil...... полностью

First int'l investment conference * The first three-day international conference, Investing in Azerbaijan - Gateway to the Newly Independent States, was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Baku last week. * Representatives of 35 international organisations, foreign embassies, and about 300 businesses from over 30 nations, as well as Azerbaijani officials, attended the event organised by the Ministry of Economic Development through the support of the Swiss government and the International Finance Co...... полностью