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 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has issued the next decree of pardon. Press-Service of the President told APA, the decree is concerning totally 96 people. There are Rasim Akbarov, former battalion commander, Aleksandr Umnyashkin, former department head of the Ministry of Health, Bayram Guliyev, nephew of ex-speaker Rasul Guliyev and others among the pardoned people. But there are no sentenced journalists among the pardoned people. |
 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has issued an order for increasing monthly compensation to IDPs for food expenditures, Press Service of the President told APA. According to the order, the monthly compensation allocated for improvement of IDPs social protection is increased by 50 per cent from September 1, 2008. The Cabinet of Ministers has been obliged to solve all issues arisen from this order. |
 Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev urged the country’s Foreign Ministry to establish diplomatic relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Foreign Ministry is preparing the draft agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with these separatist regions recognized by Russia recently, APA quotes RIA-Novosti. Russian troops will stay in the region for uncertain time by request of the “presidents” of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. |
 Russia has recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s independence. Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev has issued a decree for this, APA reports. Russian TV channels broadcasted the President’s statement on live. The president said that it was impossible for South Ossetia and Abkhazia to stay with Georgia after the August developments. Dmitriy Medvedev called on other countries to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s independence. On Monday both chambers of the Russian Parliament addressed the president to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s independence. |
 Azerbaijan will host a seminar on its joining the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies said the event will bring together experts and officials to discuss the dimension of activities after having acceded to the convention. Azerbaijan joined the convention on June 30. The Convention on Cybercrime is the first international treaty seeking to address cybercrime and Internet crimes by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques and increasing cooperation among nations. It is the first international treaty on crimes committed via the Internet and other computer networks, dealing particularly with infringements of copyright, computer-related fraud, child pornography and violations of network security. It also contains a series of powers and procedures such as the search of computer networks and interception. |
 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has issued a decree for implementation of law on “Environmentally safe agriculture”. Press Service of the President told APA. The Cabinet of Ministers has been obliged to submit proposals on combining the legislative acts in-force with the law to the President within two months. The Cabinet of Ministers has to report to the President about the rules of environmentally safe and traditional agricultural production. The Cabinet of Ministers has also been obliged to report to the President about the list of natural and unnatural measures used in environmentally safe production, document forms of the agricultural subjects, rules of certification and functions of the accreditation bodies according to the national and international standards, rules of their marking, saving and carrying. |
 “Azerbaijan – Land of Fire” exhibition opens on Tuesday at the Berlin Ethnology Museum within the Azerbaijan Year in Germany. A press conference dedicated to the exhibition has been held at the Berlin Ethnology Museum before the opening ceremony, press secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Zohra Aliyeva told APA. She said director of the Berlin Ethnology Museum Viola Toenick has also attended the conference. Chief of the Museum sector of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Azada Huseynova has given detailed information about the “Azerbaijan – Land of Fire” exhibition. |
 How will the recent happenings in the South Caucasus influence the process of settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict? This question became more urgent after both houses of Russian parliament passed a decision to recognize the separatist regions in Georgia as independent states. The recent military confrontation struck a blow on the public opinion on “frozen conflicts” in the post-Soviet area, not on Georgia. Russia’s recent actions reduced belief in the possibility of military solution of “frozen conflicts” in the post-Soviet republics. This is obviously felt in various comments, reviews, interviews and news on the development sin Georgia. Is it possible that the variant on military solution of “frozen conflicts” has been removed from the agenda once and for all? Actually, putting the question in this way is wrong. It should be “Can the conflicts in the post-Soviet area be solved beyond Russia’s will?”. |
 Rapid Trident 2008 exercise will take place in Lviv, Ukraine on August 30 - September 13, Final Conference of the Predator Falcon exercise in Doha, Qatar on August 26-28, press-service of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan told APA. Azerbaijani servicemen will also attend the Basic Course for the Engineer-Officers in San Antonio, USA from August 27, 2008 until August 10, 2009 according to the bilateral cooperation plan signed between Azerbaijan and the United States. |
 Council of Europe and “Yeni Nesil” Journalists’ Union hold a conference “Media and elections: Democratic commitment of media” in Baku. APA reports that the conference is held within the framework of the joint project of the Council of Europe and European Commission “Moldova and South Caucasus – support to free and fair elections”. Parliamentarians, editors, journalists, nongovernmental organizations, analysts, foreign and local experts attend the conference. Head of Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Samad Seyidov said that one of the commitments undertaken by Azerbaijan upon accession to the Council of Europe was the democratic development of media. |
 The World Azerbaijanis Congress made new appointments in its staff. WAC press service told APA within the structure reforms in WAC Tanzila Rustamkhanli was appointed as a Turkic World adviser to WAC co-chairs, Javidan Elbars Guney as an Adviser on Azerbaijani affairs, Siyavush Mustafayev as an adviser on Karabakh issue, Orkhan Aras (Germany) as WAC publicity responsible person in Europe, Samir Turan (Balakishiyev) as a chairman of Youth Council. WAC established its Press and Information Service staffing by Ali Nijat, Yagut Misirkhanli and Rahim Sadigbeyli. |
 The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is commemorating the International Day of the Disappeared (30 August) with photo exhibitions in Barda and Baku that focus on the continuing tragedy of persons missing in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. ICRC Delegation in Azerbaijan told APA that the exhibitions will be held between 27 and 30 August in Barda’s art gallery and on 29 August in Baku’s Modern Art Centre. The theme of the two exhibitions is "Help clarify their fate". The events are intended to raise public awareness on the issue of persons who went missing in the relation to the conflict and the continuing anguish of their families. The exhibitions display over 40 photos of families of persons unaccounted for and film sequences in which the families express the agony of uncertainty regarding their loved ones. |
 “I admit that the activity of Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party has weakened. This is connected with the problems inside the party. Opinion about the part in the society has changed,” co-chair of Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party (ASDP), ex-president Ayaz Mutallibov told APA. He said that there was divergence in ASDP concerning the participation in the elections and the plenary session of the party’s Central Committee clarified it. “I do not admit the statements that my influence has weakened. I am in Moscow, and the party functions in Azerbaijan. Of course, Araz Alizadeh should be directly engaged in managing the party,” he said. |
 The situation in Georgia will be discussed at the meeting of the Council of Europe in September and other meetings as well. Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov said Azerbaijan had clear and concrete position on this issue and Baku supported Georgia’s territorial integrity and advocated for the soonest peaceful solution to this conflict within the international law, APA reports. “We will support Georgia at the discussions”. “Azerbaijani delegation will show its position based on these principles at all meetings, including CE Bureau meeting on September 5 in Paris”, said Seyidov. He said both Russia and Georgia have already stated their positions at the Council of Europe. He predicted strained discussions at the meetings. |
 “The issue on appointing special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan is not on the agenda”, head of Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Samad Seyidov said, APA reports. He said that a number of problems related to Human Rights in Azerbaijan had been solved due to the joint activity of Azerbaijani parliament, executive power and nongovernmental organizations. “I am sure that this process will continue,” he said. |
 The Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan published the results of training organized on August 15- 21 in six regions of the country in connection with the presidential elections. The results revealed the absence of cards containing data about observers, as well as demand of documents from observers, which were not specified in the law, at different constituency commissions. The presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be held on October 15. Organized by the Association in Azerbaijani regions of Ismayilli, Goychay, Qakh, Qabala, Ganja, the training provided information on the latest changes made to the Electoral Code, recommendations of the Venice Commission, rights and responsibilities, regulations on observers’ conduct, the international experience on this issue. |
 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the delegation led by Stefan Goris, the honorary chairman of the parliament assembly of the Western European Union. Goris said that his visit aims at developing a report on processes taking place in Azerbaijan and Caspian region and efforts to provide energy security. He said he was sure that the report will also include issues on stability so much inherent in Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev said that at present the regional issues are of great significance. Head of the state said that day by day Azerbaijan is playing more significant role in providing stability, energy security in the Caspian region and in Caucasus. President expressed hope that visit of the delegation will be a good chance to get familiar with the development- related processes in Azerbaijan more closely. |
 Samad Seyidov, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to Parliament Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) and vice president of the Organization stated that it is important to study the condition of the Azerbaijani monuments destroyed by Armenians in the occupied land of Azerbaijan. “The Azerbaijani delegation to PACE supports study of these monuments’ conditions by the Council of Europe,” Seyidov said to media on 6 August. The Armenia armed forces have destroyed 1,421 cultural houses, 15 clubs in towns and 503 in rural areas, 8 libraries in regions, 32 in towns, 683 in rural areas and 10 libraries for children, 6 resort parks, 4 music schools for children, 3 theatres, 3 galleries, 464 historical monuments, about 40,000 historical handcrafts and 4.6mln books in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. |
 A monitoring will be held by the personal representative of Chairman-in-office of OSCE in the border regions located near the Barda-Agdam region on 27 August. A source from Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that from the Azerbaijani side the monitoring would be held by Pieter Ki and Antal Herdich, Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office. From the Armenian side the monitoring would be held by Irji Aberli and Vladimir Chountulov. |
 The pre-election situation in Azerbaijan may be discussed at the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) Bureau in Paris. “The issues regarding Azerbaijan are not included into Bureau’s agenda. However, the discussions may take place with regard to the pre-election situation in the country,” Samad Seyidov, Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE and Vice President of the organization, told Trend News on 26 August. Candidates have to collect 40,000 signatures within 10 days in order to pass registration in CEC. CEC has officially registered the candidature of the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev. PACE Bureau meeting will be held in Paris on 5 September. |
 Pascal Muni, an expert of the Council of Europe (CE), believes that the key task of the media is not to spread politicians’ statements, but the information, which citizens need. “It is important that media should create equal conditions for everybody,” the CE expert said at a conference in Baku on 26 August. Organized by the CE and Azerbaijani New Generation Journalist Union, a conference on the Media and elections. Media’s democratic responsibility was held in Baku on 26 August, TrendNews reported. The conference took place within the framework of the CE Actions Plan to improve professionalism of media in Azerbaijan on the eve of 2008presidential elections. The CE expert said that the condition should be created for media’s independent activity in the elections process. It is important that media should not damage moral issue, he said. |
 Azerbaijani pro-governmental Ana Vatan party (AVP) has developed arrangement plan with regard to the presidential elections. “The arrangement plan had been developed under my chairmanship. AVP will observe the election process and therefore, we need to define observer amongst party members,” MP Fazail Agamali, Chairman of AVP, told Trend News. At the fifth meeting of AVP in July, the party nominated the candidature of the Azerbaijani incumbent President Ilham Aliyev. Agamali said that AVP activity regarding the elections would not be limited only supporting Aliyev’s candidature. |
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