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The Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan held a lesser-scale, but important surveys and actions in its activity. One of them is the idea, put forward by the representatives of the Association’s member-NGOs and intellectual workers, of re-comprehending the important national liberation movement of “20 January” events in Azerbaijan, which was proposed to be declares as the day of “National pride.”
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One of the initiatives put forward by the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan is the large-scale international campaign to confer the status of a “hero-city” on Baku. The role of Azerbaijanis, Baku oil and Baku oilmen is huge in the victory over Fascism. About 600 000 Azerbaijanis voluntarily went to the battlefield during World War II. 300 thousands of them sacrificed their lives to gain the Glorious Victory. Baku oilmen produced 80% of the overall volume of oil production in the home front. In spite of all these, the governing bodies of the USSR refused to award Baku with the status of “hero-city.” We have addressed the prominent leaders of the society and got the support to restore the historical justice.
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ACSDA held a large-scale survey on “Municipal elections in Azerbaijan.” Choosing municipalities as the subject of inquiry, we decided that it was important to involve every citizen in the administration process. During the survey, we tried to find out what the citizens expect from municipalities, which measures should be taken to increase the level of efficiency of bodies of local self-government and other aspects.
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The Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan held a large-scale sociological survey on “365 days of Ilham Aliyev’s presidency” in August-December, 2004. The basic goals of the given survey were to define tendencies formulated during the government of the new president, reveal the basic problems of the society and seek their solution ways. We found out the opinion and mood of the population on different questions in the course of the survey, by determining the circle of problems that concern the population most of all, tried to create a particular bridge between the mass and the government.
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 The Council of Europe (CE) has developed an action plan on support to free and just presidential elections in Azerbaijan. “The action plan envisages a range of arrangements, including translation into the Azerbaijani language and publishing of CE book Guideline on Elections & Media which is of educational character. The action plan also envisages trainings for lower election committees, workshops for national watchdogs,” CE Secretariat reported to Trend News. According to the Secretariat, CE also plans to develop an action plan on media. The plan will envisage trainings to improve professionalism of the journalists engaged in electronic and written journalism, including studying of legislation and other issues. |
 Luis Maria de Puch, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, will visit Azerbaijan from 1 to 3 July, the Council of Europe told Trend News on 30 June. Puch plans to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as Oqtay Asadov, speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Artur Rasizade, Prime Minister, and Elmar Mammadyarov, the Foreign Minister, during his visit. The President of PACE also will hold meetings with members of the Azerbaijani delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly, representatives of different political parties and civil society, media and diplomatic missions in Baku. |
 “Head of the Democratic Elections Centre Rauf Zeyni, chairman of the Turkish Universities’ Graduates Association Chingiz Bayramov and the head of the Association of Social Problems Research Maharram Zulfugarli have been announced candidates to the presidential position of the National Forum of NGOs,” Deputy Chairman of the National Forum of NGOs Rauf Zeyni said at a press conference in Baku on 30 June. Former President of the National Forum of NGOs Azay Guliyev retired, since he was elected chairman of the Council of State Support to NGOs attached to President. Rauf Zeyni will be fulfilling chairman’s duties by the 7th out of turn meeting of the organization. |
 A total of 30 entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan made a statement in the meeting on presidential elections. “We, as a group of representatives of independent entrepreneurs, believe that the achievements of Azerbaijan in the international arena and improvement of the welfare of the population are services of the current President Ilham Aliyev. Therefore, we state that the current head of state Ilham Aliyev should be the president of Azerbaijan for the next five years,” the businessman Hadji Khalil Garaahmadov said in press conference on 30 June. |
 Amendments to improve the targeted social assistance mechanism in Azerbaijan will come effective July 1 said Natig Gasimov, Officer of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. According to the amendments, the period during which targeted social assistance benefits are received is doubled to one year. At present applicants receive targeted social assistance benefits from 1st day of a month if he applies before 15th day of the month but they receive it from the 1st day of next month if he applies after the 15th day of the month. Under the amendments, applicants will receive benefits from the first day of the same month irrespective of their application date. |
 President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko arrived in Azerbaijan for one-day working visit. Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents held tete-a-tete meeting yesterday, APA reports. Then the negotiations continued with the participation of the delegations. Not any documents was signed during the meeting. Following the negotiations, the presidents attended the opening ceremony of the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko’s monument in the front of “Dostlug” Cinema House in Baku. Yushchenko looked at the 0.85-hectar area allocated for the new building of the Ukrainian Embassy and residential buildings for its staff. In the evening Yushchenko attended the opening of Ukrainian Cultural Days in Azerbaijan in the Green Theater. |
 Benelux Azerbaijanis Congress organized a conference entitled “Azerbaijan – the East’s first democratic country: 90 years from the past to future” in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Representatives of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Diasporas in the Netherlands, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Netherlands Fuad Isgandarov and representatives of the local political parties attended the conference, Press-Service of the State Committee on Azerbaijanis Living Abroad told APA. Chairman of the Benelux Azerbaijanis Congress Sahil Gasimov delivered a welcoming speech. Professor Musa Gasimli made a report on the history of Azerbaijani Democratic Republic, Ambassador Fuad Isgandarov spoke about the Azerbaijani-Dutch relations and tasks laid before the Azerbaijani Diaspora. |
 Azerbaijan’s Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov has today signed a document on his country’s joining Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime, reports APA’s Bureau. Afterthat, Azeri Minister met with Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis to discuss the development of relations in the IT sector. Terry Davis expressed his gratitude for Azerbaijan’s joining the convention and expressed hope that the country’s parliament will soon ratify the document. He unveiled his plan to visit Azerbaijan at the year-end. |
 Some 50-70 new copies of “The Salvation” magazine issued by founder of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Mahammad Amin Rasulzadeh in Berlin in 1935-1937 were found by the Berlin-based Nizami Ganjavi Azerbaijan Institute of Culture as a part of the study of the world-known Azerbaijani writer Mahammad Asad Bey’s works, Nurida Atashi, director of the Institute told APA. Rasulzadeh, Munshi, Mammadzadeh, Gulu, Azeri, Nuhoglu and Ali wrote for the monthly magazine of the Azerbaijan National Salvation Movement issued under the slogan “Freedom for the peoples and independence for the nations”. |
 OCSE Office in Baku has organized a seminar for the Azerbaijani judges and investigators on Monday. Then seminar has been dedicated to the national legislation and international mechanisms for combating the money laundering, sources at the OCSE Office in Baku told APA. Deputy Head of the Office Alexis Shahtakhtinsky said such kind of trainings would improve the professional skills of the Azerbaijani court-investigative bodies’ staffs. |
 UN World Food Program will stop its activity in Azerbaijan from today, WFP told APA. The organization has provided IDPs with 165.000 tons of food at the price of $115 mln in Azerbaijan within 15 years. WFP assisted 450 refugees in 1995-96 years and the number decreased by 70.000 last year. The refugees will be at the competence of Azerbaijani Government, because of the end of program. WFP assisted Azerbaijan with 4 kinds of food -12kg flour, 1.2kg vegetable oil, 900gm sugar, 300gm salt. The organization has allocated $7mln within a year. |
img=left]http://avciya.az/eng/uploads/posts/2008-07/1214911616_hasrat-rustamov.jpg[/img]Azerbaijan Democratic Party has fixed next meeting on August 1, Hasrat Rustamov, First Deputy Chairman of Party told APA.
Agenda of the meeting has already been determined. The assembly will consider participation of opposition party in presidential elections. If opposition party participates in the election, presidential candidate will be nominated and decision will be submitted to CEC. Rustamov declined to take stance on the decision beforehand. |
 Secretary General of the Parliament of the Netherlands Mrs. Jacqueline Bichevel will visit Azerbaijan on July 7, Elchin Bashirov, First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Embassy to the Netherlands told APA. The quest, visiting Baku at the invitation of head of Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) Administration Safa Mirzayev, will arrange meetings at the Azerbaijani Parliament and will discuss prospects of the mutual relations between the parliaments of the two countries. |
 Last month was remembered with a number of important events for the European part of former USSR. Eastern Partnership initiative of the European Union put forward by two Baltic countries – Poland and Sweden and offered to cover Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia was new for most. Actually, prelude of Eastern Partnership initiative happened earlier – on April 21. At the meeting of the European Parliament vice-president of Christian Social Union of Bavaria Ingo Friedrich initiated to establish Eastern European Union that will be joined by Ukraine, Moldova and countries of the South Caucasus. |
 Baku will host the 3rd conference of Azerbaijani diplomatic missions and consulates on July 7-11, Khazar Ibrahim, Spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, APA reports. The conference to be attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will discuss various aspects of foreign policy and future strategy of Azerbaijan. Heads of various state bodies of Azerbaijan will attend the assembly. |
 “It is considered how the assistance rendered by the US in connection with the presidential elections in Azerbaijan is compliant with the country’s legislation,” spokesman for Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibrahim told journalists, APA reports. According to him, if the assistance is compliant with Azerbaijan’s legislation as before, there will be no problem. The US has allocated $3.2mln. assistance to different organizations in Azerbaijan in connection with the presidential elections. |
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Resolution 884 (1993)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 3313th meeting, on 12 November 1993
The Security Council
1. Condemns the recent violations of the cease-fire established between the parties, which resulted in a resumption of hostilities, and particularly condemns the occupation of the Zangelan district and the city of Goradiz, attacks on civilians and bombardments of the territory of the Azerbaijani Republic;
2. Calls upon the Government of Armenia to use its influence to achieve compliance by the Armenians of the Nagorny Karabakh region of the Azerbaijani Republic with resolutions 822 (1993) , 853 (1993) and 874 (1993) , and to ensure that the forces involved are not provided with the means to extend their military campaign further;
3. Welcomes the Declaration of 4 November 1993 of the nine members of the CSCE Minsk Group (S/26718) and commends the proposals contained therein for unilateral cease-fire declarations;
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Resolution 874 (1993)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 3292nd meeting, on 14 October 1993
The Security Council
2. Reiterates again its full support for the peace process being pursued within the framework of the CSCE, and for the tireless efforts of the CSCE Minsk Group;
3. Welcomes and commends to the parties the Adjusted timetable of urgent steps to implement Security Council resolutions 822 (1993) and 853 (1993) set out on 28 September 1993 at the meeting of the CSCE Minsk Group and submitted to the parties concerned by the Chairman of the Group with the full support of nine other members of the Group, and calls on the parties to accept it;
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Resolution 853 (1993)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 3259th meeting, on 29 July 1993
The Security Council
1. Condemns the seizure of the district of Agdam and of all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijani Republic;
2. Further condemns all hostile actions in the region, in particular attacks on civilians and bombardments of inhabited areas;
3. Demands the immediate cessation of all hostilities and the immediate complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces involved from the district of Agdam and all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijan Republic;
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Resolution 822 (1993)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 3205th meeting, on 30 April 1993
The Security Council
1. Demands the immediate cessation of all hostilities and hostile acts with a view to establishing a durable cease-fire, as well as immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from the Kelbadjar district and other recently occupied areas of Azerbaijan;
2. Urges the parties concerned immediately to resume negotiations for the resolution of the conflict within the framework of the peace process of the Minsk Group of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and refrain from any action that will obstruct a peaceful solution of the problem;
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