Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov accused PACE rapporteur on Azerbaijan Christoph Strasser of jaundice. "Saying that leaders of some countries will not go to the European Football Championship in Ukraine and the World Hockey Championship in Belarus, Strasser urges a boycott Eurovision-2012 song contest in Baku," Asadov said. "This demonstrates his level and biased attitude to Azerbaijan."

Azerbaijani parliament adopted an appeal to the European Parliament, PACE and the other international organizations on the 20th anniversary of the occupation of Shusha. APA reports that vice-speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Bahar Muradova read the appeal. The document contains information about the history and occupation of Shusha, as well as the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The parliament of Azerbaijan, Milli Mejlis holds its next sitting on Tuesday. According to APA, the parliament is expected to pass decision on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijani town of Shusha. There are six issues on agenda, including draft amendments in laws on protection of population’s health, business accounts, as well as Civil-Procedural Code and Tax Code. The draft law on copyrights and the prevention of piracy will also be discussed in first reading.

The list of non-governmental organizations not submitting reports to the Ministry of Finance was released in Azerbaijan. APA reports there are the names of well-known organizations in the list. Public Union of Azerbaijan Language Unity headed by MP Sabir Rustamkhanli, the Society of Red Crescent of Azerbaijan headed by MP Novruz Aslan were included in the list.  Azerbaijan Writers Union, Azerbaijan Union of Theater Figures, Karabakh Regional Football Federation, ABU Sports Club Public Union, Azerbaijan Literature Fund, Russian Community in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Writers Society, Neftchi Voluntary Sports Society, Azerbaijan Architects Union, Azerbaijan Managers Union, Azerbaijan Composers Union, Azerbaijan Cycle Sports Federation, Azerbaijan Draughts Sports Federation, Azerbaijan Handball Federation, Azerbaijan Athletics Federation, Azerbaijan-Turkish International Society of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAB) are among the organizations not reporting about their finances.

The priorities of Azerbaijan's foreign policy will remain unchanged, by maintaining its relevance and during its presidency in the UN Security Council, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to the UN Agshin Mehdiyev said in an interview with Itar-Tass. Azerbaijan headed the UN Security Council on May 1 after the U.S., which presided in April. China will have the presidency in a month. For the first time in its history, Azerbaijan was elected to the UN Security Council at the General Assembly in October 2011.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova sent a joint message on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day. The message received from the United Nations Department of Public Information Office in Baku says that freedom of expression is one of our most precious rights. It underpins every other freedom and provides a foundation for human dignity. Free, pluralistic and independent media is essential for its exercise.

Georgian Trade Unions Amalgamation will hold demonstration in connection with International Workers' Day on the Rose Revolution Square in Tbilisi on May 1. As the Trade Unions Amalgamation said, the demonstration will be peaceful. Its participants, presumably about 10,000 people will march from the square to the parliament and will hold a rally there, which will make public all the amendments to the law, which were ignored by lawmakers, but were aimed at improving the situation and protecting the rights of workers.

Syrian authorities should take the last chance given to them and immediately fulfil the plan of Special Envoy of the UN and the Arab League to Syria, Kofi Annan. Turkish President Abdullah Gul made this statement yesterday at a meeting of the National Security Committee, Sabah newspaper reported. Following the meeting, Gul said that Syria should stop the violence and move on to negotiations between the conflicting parties.

U.S. consults with Azerbaijan as a UN Security Council member on sanctions and other aspects of responding to the Iran challenge”

“Azerbaijan is an excellent partner of the U.S. and NATO in the transit of cargo to Afghanistan”

A grandiose concert was held in Baku, Seaside National Park on the occasion of the Azerbaijan-host Eurovision-2012 Song Contest. The concert was organized on the initiative of the contest’s official fan-club in Azerbaijan. Residents of Baku, the guests came to the seaside park to watch the concert held under the motto “Stars support Eurovision”.  Murad Dadashov hosted the concert. Azerbaijani representative at the Eurovision-2010 Safura Alizadeh, Georgian representative at the Eurovision-2012 Anry Jokhadze, dj China Mustafayev, Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal performed in the concert.