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BUSINESSES CALL FOR MORE REFORMS
CBN, 18 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Despite a number of improvements carried out by the government, there are some problems hampering the development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, minister of economic development, Farhad Aliyev, said at the 5th meeting of the Entrepreneurs' Council last week.
Addressing these problems, Aliyev pointed out that bribery, interference in entrepreneurial activities, the monopolization of certain types of businesses, excessive hurdles to competition within the national market and the selling of low-quality goods coupled with rising prices are the problems for national entrepreneurs.
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AZERBAIJAN GETS UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP
AssA-Irada, 28 April 2005
Azerbaijan has been elected as full-fledged member of the Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights of the UN Economic and Social Council. The list of 15 new states includes USA, Japan and Germany. Azerbaijan's 3-year tenure in the organization will begin January 1, 2006.
Azerbaijan received 31, while Latvia - 23 votes in confidential voting on the vacant seat held in the UN headquarters in New York.
The Azeri representative at UN Yashar Aliyev termed the country's membership in the commission as an important step. He said that conveying the interests of a million Azeri refugees to the international community will be a priority during Azerbaijan's membership term.
Azerbaijan has represented Eastern Europe countries in the UN Economic and Social Council since 2002. The Council is considered UN's most important organization next only to the Security Council.
UN Press release - ECOSOC fills vacancies on subsidiary bodies, including human rights panel
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| UNDP CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO SET GOOD GOVERNANCE TARGETS
Baku, 11 April 2005 - On April 11, the Ombudsperson of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ms. Elmira Suleymanova received the UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Representative Mr. Marco Borsotti.
Ms. Suleymanova in her opening remarks noted the support of UNDP in establishing the Office of Ombudsman in Azerbaijan and opening three regional offices. She expressed satisfaction with her staff and thanked UNDP for creating opportunities for the latter to attend international seminars and training to consolidate their knowledge and enrich experience.
She briefed the UN Resident Coordinator on the recent activities of her office including the presentation of the second annual report promulgated recently in the Parliament. Ms. Suleymanova said both the first and second reports received some resistance and criticism in the public.
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TIME DOES NOT WAIT
Interview with UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan
Zerkalo, 9 April 2005 (Unofficial Translation)
 BAKU, Azerbaijan - On April 7, World Health Day was celebrated globally and mother and child health was the focus of this year…
Wellbeing of the society is directly linked to the health and survival of mother and child. Logic of a closed circle, no matter how dull it may seem, is as follows: ensuring survival of mothers and their wellbeing contributes to survival and welfare of their children. And when mothers and their children survive and prosper, the society they live in thrives as well.
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PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE UN FAO
Azertag, 29 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received today Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Jacques Diouf and accompanying delegation.
He expressed satisfaction with FAO’s expanding activities in Azerbaijan, and confidence that the visit by the organization’s delegation to Baku would serve enhancing of bilateral cooperation.
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| OFFICIAL VISITS:
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO PAKISTAN
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO MOLDOVA
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| GUUAM ISSUES CALL FOR OVERALL DEMOCRATIZATION
CBN, 25 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Leaders of the GUUAM alliance - standing for Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova - ended the next summit signing declaration For Democracy, Stability and Development, in Chisinau, Moldova, on April 22. The document in particular focuses on the necessity of intensifying steps in the direction of the democratization of societies within the GUUAM member states, the regulation of frozen conflicts and joining efforts on integration in to Europe among the member states.
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| RUMSFELD BAKU VISIT LEAVES QUESTIONS BEHIND
Baku Sun, 15 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - In a display of the Caspian region's strategic importance to America, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took time out from a fast moving tour of America's war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, to pay a third visit to Azerbaijan Tuesday night, his first arrival in a year.
According to local reports, during his roughly three-hour visit Rumsfeld met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and addressed Azeri peacekeepers in Iraq and the current pace of settlement talks regarding the Karabakh conflict.
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| PACE MONITORING COMMITTEE DEEPLY CONCERNED BY POLITICAL CLIMATE IN AZERBAIJAN AHEAD OF NOVEMBER 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
PACE press release, Strasbourg, 25 April 2005
Strasbourg - The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting during the plenary session of the Assembly, today adopted the following declaration:
"Following the recent visit of its co-rapporteurs to Azerbaijan (18-20 April), the Monitoring Committee is deeply concerned by the general political climate in the country. Six months before the holding of the parliamentary elections, some of the basic pre-conditions for holding free and fair elections - freedom of expression and the right to hold peaceful meetings - are not met. The opposition has almost no public means of conveying its message to the electorate. The mutual distrust and accusations are preventing constructive, if any, dialogue.
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AZERBAIJAN'S DEMINING AGENCY REPORTS TO DONORS
Baku, 7 April 2005 - the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted a donor briefing on mine action situation in Azerbaijan. The main goal was to share the achievements in mine action and plans for future with the donor community as well as the representatives of the donor countries and international organizations, key related government agencies and NGOs.
Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Abid Sharifov, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Marco Borsotti, UNDP Mine Action Team Leader Mr. Sayed Aqa and the Director of ANAMA Mr. Nazim Ismaylov co-chaired the meeting.
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INFLATION SPIRALING UPWARDS
CBN, 25 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - The overall upward price movement for goods and services in Azerbaijan's economy has already become problem number one for the government. A special working group has been created by the government to study the causes of inflation.
Although the government forecasted that the annual rate of inflation would not be more than six percent in 2005, the rate has already gone up to 13-15 percent. According to the National Bank of Azerbaijan (NBA), the inflation rate for January-February 2005 was 4.6 percent, but the annual rate (in comparison to January-February, 2004) was 13.1 percent. For two months the consumer price index increased by 10 percent and the producer price index by 22 percent. NBA stated that inflation is mostly influenced by non-monetary factors; monetary factors made up only 47 percent.
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| SOCIAL REFORMS' YIELD EXPECTED SOON
CBN, 25 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - A new pension system will be established in Azerbaijan beginning January 2006, without which the implementation of individual registration system will not be efficient.
Within the new social insurance system will be separated from state social assistance.
According to the chairman of the State Social Protection Fund (SSPF), Salim Muslimov, the project calls for the introduction of a three-tier pension system, through which individuals will receive a pension dependent on social payments, basic pension rates and accumulative pension.
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OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE VISITS AZERBAIJAN
OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS VOICE CONCERN AT GROWING TENSION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
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OIL AND GAS POWERING DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH FOR AZERBAIJAN
ADB press release, 6 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan's economy is expected to accelerate, with major oil and gas projects fueling real gross domestic product (GDP) growth, at double-digit levels over the next few years, according to a major Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released today.
Following the 10.2% growth registered in 2004, Azerbaijan's real GDP growth is expected to soar to 14.5% in 2005, 19% in 2006 and 22% in 2007, says the Asian Development Outlook 2005 (ADO), the annual ADB flagship publication that forecasts economic trends in the region.
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MORTGAGES A STEP CLOSER
CBN, 18 April 2005
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Non-homeowners will be able to get mortgage loans by the end of the year, which is seen as the most optimistic scenario for developing mortgage lending in Azerbaijan. Banking authorities lobbying for the introduction of a new financial tool say that it is necessary to accumulate $30-50 million in the State Mortgage Fund to begin the distribution of mortgage loans.
The Azeri parliament passed last Friday, in the third and final reading, the law "On Mortgage," which paves the way for the distribution of mortgage loans by the end of 2005 leading to a solution of housing problems in growing Azerbaijan.
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May 2005,
Issue No. 25
Previous Issues
UNDP Azerbaijan Website
Bulletin Home Page
In tribute to the late Pope John Paul II
REMEMBER WHEN THE POPE VISITED AZERBAIJAN IN 2002
May 22, 2004
Baku Sun
BAKU - The eyes of the world were on Baku this week as the frail but apparently indomitable Pope John Paul II visited for 24 hours. The Pontiff, who turned 82 on May 19, is believed to have more than doubled the size of Azerbaijan's Catholic community during his visit by bringing an average of more than 100. Some 170 journalists registered to cover the visit.
Following a brief visit to Martyrs' Lane after arriving Wednesday afternoon, the Pope met President Heydar Aliyev and an audience of invited political, cultural and artistic leaders where he spoke in unusually direct terms about the importance of good relations between different religious, and condemned corruption equally strongly.
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