The summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) will be held in early July in Monaco, vice-speaker of the Parliament and head of the Azerbaijani delegation to OSCE PA Bahar Muradova told reporters on Friday. A report on the fulfilment of the Belgrade Declaration and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) resolutions will be heard at the session. The Monaco Declaration is also expected to be adopted.

20 years have passed since the occupation of Lachin Region of Azerbaijan by the Armenian armed forces. According to APA, the Armenian army seized Lachin region on May 18, 1992 and de-facto united Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia. The town of Lachin, one settlement and 120 villages of the region were occupied by the enemy. 264 Azerbaijani soldiers and civilians became martyrs and 63 were taken hostage during the occupation.

The European Union prepared a package of proposals for confidence-building between the sides of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia said in his press conference in Baku today. “The European Union has some ideas to contribute to confidence-building between the sides of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, but the sides have not accepted the proposals yet. I hope they will accept these proposals in the near future and show their real commitment to solve the problem”.

“If EU official travels to Nagorno Karabakh, it doesn’t mean that EU recognizes it as an independent territory”, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia said in the press conference today, APA reports. Kobia reminded that the final document of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in February was an indicator of serious attention by the European Union to the South Caucasus and this conflict. Foreign ministers of 27 EU countries demanded to provide access for EU Special Representative on the South Caucasus Philippe Lefort to Nagorno Karabakh.

The United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs offered to increase humanitarian assistance to the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh, from USD 2 mln to USD 5 mln. The Armenian National Committee of America said that the subcommittee rejected Obama administration’s proposal to cut assistance to Armenia by USD 7,5 million.

Servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces will participate in NATO’s Cooperative Longbow/Lancer 2012 training which will be held in Macedonia next week, press service of the Defense Ministry told APA. The training, which will continue till May 29, is held within the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and has a purpose of mutual improvement of forces between NATO and partner countries.

The European Union Delegation in Azerbaijan held an event on the 62nd anniversary of Europe Day. According to APA, Head of the EU Delegation Roland Kobia said the organization is based on peace, democracy and rule of law. “We want to share these values with our partners, including Azerbaijan”. The ambassador said EU is intensively developing political dialogue, economic relations, energy and cultural cooperation with Azerbaijan. “EU-Azerbaijan cooperation is established on the basis of sovereignty and mutual respect”.

APA was told at the Republican Seismological Service Center that the quake was recorded on 6 km west from Sheki at 14.05 by local time today.  4-magnitude quake was felt in the epicenter and 3-magnitude in settlements near the epicenter.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addressed the world community on World Environment Day, 5 June, 2012, APA was told at the UN Office in Baku. The message reads: “As the world gears up for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), World Environment Day is an opportunity to highlight the need for a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable world. This year’s theme, “Green Economy: Does it include you?”, underscores the need for everyone to play their part in keeping humankind’s ecological footprint within planetary boundaries.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul yesterday signed a law allowing foreigners to buy real estate in Turkey, the Sabah newspaper reported on Friday quoting the president's apparatus press service. Earlier this month, the Turkish parliament passed a law allowing foreigners to buy property in Turkey. Previously it was proposed to make a buyer to be able to purchase no more than 30 hectares throughout Turkey. Under the amendments to the law, a foreign buyer may purchase up to 60 hectares of land, if it appeals to the Turkish authorities and gets permission.

The 2nd World Political Forum is held in Istanbul Congress Center. APA’s correspondent reports that the representatives of Libyan and Egyptian popular movements delivered speeches at the opening of the meeting which focuses on global processes.  The forum will continue with panels of different topics. Azerbaijan is represented in the forum by the head of the political analysis and information department of the Presidential Administration Elnur Aslanov, SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev, chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Board, Sheikh-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh and Azercell-Telekom CEO Ali Agan.

Shusha – town in the Mountainous Garabagh province of Azerbaijan, center of the administrative district (area – 289 km²). Founded by Panah Ali Khan in the 1750s, the ruler of Garabagh. Originally bore the name both of Shusha and Panahabad after Panah Ali Khan. Later Shusha turned into  the political and cultural center of the Garabagh khanate. Following the Russian occupation of Azerbaijan, Shusha became the administrative, economic and cultural center of the Garabagh province and one of the cultural centers of Azerbaijan. Shusha is the hometown of many prominent men-of-cultur of Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani Finance Ministry plans to finalize the draft amendments to the tax legislation by late June, Deputy Minister Azer Bayramov told media today. "Many questions have already been agreed," he said. "Others are under consideration." Azerbaijan may change the maximum tax income rate, the head of the department of individual registration of the Ministry of Taxes, Natig Shirinov said earlier.

State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) paid AZN 121.005 million to the state budget in April, 2012, up 30.3% compared to 2011. The company said in general SOCAR also transferred AZN 443.427 million to the state budget during January-April, 2012, up 25.6% compared to 2011. Besides, SOCAR paid AZN 15.816 million to the SSPF in April, 2012, up 36.6% from year earlier.

In January-April 2012 the Ministry of Taxes of Azerbaijan has provided receipt to the state budget of 2.24 billion manat of tax payments, the ministry said in a statement issued on Wednesday. Profit tax proceeds amounted to 46.2 per cent of total tax levies; value added tax - 20.9 per cent, income tax - 10.8 per cent, excise tax - 6.4 per cent, and other taxes - 15.7 per cent.