Director of the Europe programme at the International Crisis Group Sabine Freizer believes it would be expedient to replace France, which is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group engaged in settling of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, by the European Union.
“I believe that the EU can play a greater role in assisting reduce tensions in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. When the chairmanship of the current French representative ends, I would recommend that the French Minsk Group position be handed over to an EU representative,” Freizer said to Trend News on 5 August.
Armenia occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by representatives of the United States, Russia and France is the intermediary for peace settlement of the conflict.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on regulations on monthly allowances of workers died or lost health as a result of professional disease or production accident in private and state enterprises, the President’s Press Service told APA.
The head of state approved regulations on monthly allowances of workers, who lost health as a result of professional disease and family members or relatives of workers, who died during production accident.
Approved rules are applicable to monthly allowances of family members of workers, who died and workers, who lost health as a result of professional disease or production accident of state enterprises, which have not been privatized yet, but decision has been passed on its privatization till publication of decree in the media, state enterprises, which have been privatized from September 27, 2003 till these rules came into force.

“Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Moscow on August 1 was positive.
As both Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandian stated at their press conference, their one-on-one discussion lasted over an hour and was held in a positive mood,” American Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza told APA.
He said the Foreign Ministers agreed to continue negotiations under the Minsk Group to reconcile their countries’ respective positions on the remaining issues as outlined in the Co-Chairs’ November 2007 Madrid Document, which sets out suggestions proposed by the Co-Chairs to guide the negotiation of a framework agreement for a final resolution.
“The Co-Chairs’ suggestions form a balanced package. It is very important to remember that no single element has been agreed. The only way any element of the Madrid Document can be agreed is if all elements are agreed at the same time in a broad package,” the Co-Chair said.
Matthew Bryza said the Co-Chairs proceed from a starting position of recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on approval of State Program on Development of Azerbaijani Cinema in 2008-2018, the President’s Press Service told APA.
The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to solve the issues related to the decree.

International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF), along with Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association announced winners of the contest held among journalists on life of mine victims, their tragedies and problems, APA reports.
IEPF President Umud Mirzayev addressing the event noted that the contest aimed to aware society about problems of mine victims via media. To him, all conflict zones have mine problem and a big part of Azerbaijani lands have been polluted with mines and UXO. Mirzayev provided information about measures taken by IEPF on combating mines, mine clearing, learning needs of mine victims, and establishing small business for them. IEPF official Siyab Mammadov added that there were 1883 mine victims in Azerbaijan and 353 of them died.

11 have been nominated for presidency so far, press service of the Central Election Commission (CEC) told APA. the candidates are chairman of New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Ilham Aliyev, chairman of United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of Umid (Hope) Party Igbal Agazadeh, chairman of Modern Musavat Party Hafiz Hajiyev, chairman of Liberal Democrat Party Fuad Aliyev, chairman of Green Party Mais Gulaliyev, employee of the Institute of Physics of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Gudrat Isagov, unemployed Yashar Ahmadov, pensioner Alimukhtar Akbarov, nurse of Sumgayit Central Clinical Hospital Sevinj Guliyeva and doctor Vugar Seyidov.

Day of Azerbaijan will be held in China on August 10. Youth and Sport Ministry told APA that the event would take place in China World Hotel. Classical, modern works, mughams and folk songs of Azerbaijan will be performed during the event. Honored artist Sevda Alakbarzadeh will perform national songs and jazz music. The guests will watch video footages about Azerbaijan’s culture, history and economy. The guests will also get acquainted with Azerbaijani sweets and carpets with national tracery on them. Heads of states and federations, sportsmen, media representatives of different countries will be invited to the event.

Documents of Mais Gulaliyev, the chairman of the opposition Greens Party, were re-submitted to the Central Elections Commission (CEC) for registration of his candidature for the presidency. “The CEC returned our documents. The relevant changes were done in these documents and the CEC has accepted them,” Gulaliyev told Trend News on 5 August.
Gulaliyev said that incorrectly mentioned name, surname and patronymic, as well as, absence of some data were the reasons for return of documents.
The Greens Party was established in 2007 and so far it has not been registered at the Justice Ministry. In April, the party’s Supreme Assembly decided to participate in the presidential elections with own candidate. Gulaliyev was officially nominated on 2 August.

On 5 August Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev presided over a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, dedicated to results of socio-economic development of the country over the first six months of 2008 and upcoming tasks. After the meeting Ali Hasnaov, the head of the public and political department of the President’s Executive Administration, gave an interview toTrend News about the issues discussed at the gathering.
Question: What issues were mainly discussed at today’s meeting presided by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev?
Answer: The meeting mulled over the results of socio-economic development of the country over the first six months of 2008 and analyzed the upcoming tasks. It was stated that over the first half-year of 2008 growth rate of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comprised 16.5%, with approximately 14% fallen on industrial production and 10% agriculture products.

The left centrist Azerbaijan Social-Democratic Party (ASDP) will make the decision with regard to participate in the upcoming presidential elections. “We took the decision regarding participation in the late meeting and neither Araz Alizade nor Ayaz Mutallibov can change this decision,” Araz Alizade, the Chairman of the ASDP, told Trend News on 5 August.
Alizade said that the statements by Mutallibov were understood incorrectly. Mutallibov said that he would not participate in the elections. Mutallibov’s rights were violated as he has not been allowed to return the country and to participate in the elections. However, our party decided to participate in the elections and we all should respect this decision,” Alizade stated. The Central Plenum of ASDP to take the final decision with regard to participate in the elections will be made in the near future,” Alizade said.

Sulhaddin Akpar, the Chairman of the Assembly of the Azerbaijani opposition party Musavat, considers unfounded the statements about the possible support of another candidate.
“Musavat cannot support another candidate. The Assembly has already made its decision,” Akpar told Trend News, commenting the statement by Rauf Arifoglu, chief editor of the Yeni Musavat newspaper and member of Musavat party, to nominate his candidature.
Arifoglu felt dissatisfaction with such a decision and wanted to nominate his candidature to the presidential post. At the same time, the Assembly’s decision cannot lead to loses in the party as it was made jointly, according to Arifoglu.

The Azerbaijani Elections Commission (CEC) begins enlightenment program through the Public Television (PTV) from 5 August. “Our aim is to improve the knowledge of voters and other elections subjects on the elections right,” the CEC told Trend News on 5 August.
According to the CEC, the first stage of the program will last by the end of August. The CEC members will report on different issues, including specification of voting lists and the rules to carry pre-elections propaganda, at the first stage. The second stage will begin at the beginning of September. This stage will include reports on election actions after pre-elections propaganda.

The Election Headquarters of the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) published a “Memory Book” for observers. The author of the book is Maharram Zulfugarli. The book includes the chronology of the elections held in Azerbaijan after it gained independence. The book also involves information on “Rights and duties of local and international observer”, “Norms of behavior for observers”, “What should an observer know” and others. The book also shortly covers 91 changes to 145th item of Election Code made by Milli Majlis in June, 2008.
ACSDA monitored the parliamentary elections held in 2005 involving more than 10 thousand local and international observers. Basing on its practice the Association expanded its activity for enlightening the people on the eve of the forthcoming presidential elections - 2008.