THE BULGARIAN SOCIOLOGIST MR. PLAMEN NIKOLOV: MR. ILHAM ALIYEV HAS WON DEAFENING VICTORY IN THE PRESIDENT ELECTIONS AND DEFEATED HIS MAIN RIVAL MR. ISA GAMBAR
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The Premier of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev has won the deafening victory in the President Elections and defeated all his rivals; he has gathered votes by a number exceeding in some times ones gathered by his main rival M. Isa Gambar. The Bulgarian sociologist and observer from the OSCE Mr. Plamen Nikolov has declared about this in his interview to the independent TV Channel "Leader"; he took part in the opinion poll conducted by the Baku Sociologist Service "The Transparent Elections".
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: About 300 local and foreign businessmen met with the chief officials of the Ministry of the Economic Development of Azerbaijan. The meeting has been organized by the initiative of the businessmen, which would like to express their opinion on events emerged in the Azerbaijan capital once after the elections.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: In the next five years the government of Azerbaijan plans to create 600 thou new job places. The major number of them will be available in the regions of the country and touch such fields as farming and agricultural products processing. The Minister of the Economic Development of Azerbaijan Mr. Farkhad Aliyev has declared about this.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: In the end of November the second sitting of the Businessmen Council under authorities of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic will be held in Baku.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: On January-September 2003 the operating companies and joint companies in Azerbaijan increased the oil production on the onshore fields by 13.4% - up to 638 thou and gas production by 16.1% - up to 80.945 MM cubic meters in comparison with the analogous period of the past year.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: On Monday the press-service of the SOCAR has informed "Interfax -Azerbaijan" Agency that the sitting of the Board of the Directors of the Pipeline Company BTC Co. (Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan) will be held on October 22 - 23 in Turkey. They have also reported that Mr. Natiq Aliyev the President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) would preside at this sitting. It is expected that the agenda will include the technical, commercial and finance issues of the construction of the Main Exporting Pipeline (MEP) Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan. The members of the Board of the Directors will also be acquainted with the construction of the Turkish sector of the oil pipeline and terminal located in Ceyhan port.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: By 2010 3.8 MM bbl of oil will be produced daily on the fields of the Caspian Sea, the Deputy Minister of Oil of Iran Mr. Khamdolla Mokhammed-Nejdad has said. At the present time in average 1.3 MM bbl of oil daily are produced here, he has said.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: One of the influential members of OPEC - Kuwait - considers that the present prices for oil are too high and OPEC should accept a decision on measures of keeping prices on a level no higher $28 per a barrel on out of turn conference, December 4.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The co-chairmen of the Minsk Group of the OSCE will arrive to the region of the Nagorny Karabakh Conflict in the first decade of November and will provide the new ideas for its adjusting. The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Mr. Vilayat Guliyev has informed the journalists about this.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: On January - September, 2003 the volume of the capital investments to the economy of Azerbaijan has made 12.067 trln. Manats and this is by 70.9% higher than on January - September 2002.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The foreign companies working in Azerbaijan, hope that the favourable investment climate in the country will be kept after the election of Mr. Ilham Aliyev as the President of the country.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: On November 5 the Mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with the Deputy Director of the Second European Department Jone Weckman-Lynn at the head will arrive in Baku, the first Vice-Premier acting the Premier Mr. Artur Rasi-zade has said.
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The President of Georgia Mr. E. Shevarnadze has declared today that "Azerbaijan has been and remains the strategic satellite and friend of Georgia". During the briefing in the State Office he has said that "it is not indifferent for Georgia as the events develop in the neighbor friendly state".
BAKU.20.10.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The law-enforcement organs of Azerbaijan have arrested else two persons in suspicion of organizing the mass disorders in Baku on October 15 - 16.
As the sociologist has noted, in the day of the President Elections two sociologist studies were carried out. It is so called "exit poll", i.e. the polling elections at the exit from the polling station and so called "quick count". In the case of the first poll an elector once after poll an elector anonymously fill up the questionnaire, where minimum of questions are: sex, age, education and a candidate supported by him.
By the words of Mr. Plamen Nikolov, the Bulgarian specialists arrived in Baku else in summer and conducted all preparation work. In particular, they familiarized with protocols of the previous elections and analyzed the structure of the polling stations and this allowed them making up necessary selection as far from all polling stations were polled. As well the agreement on conducting the poll by the Azerbaijan sociologists form the organization "Transparent Elections" will conduct elections and the Bulgarian experts will carry out necessary consultations and control for researches. The accuracy of our studies is so high that in the Parliamentarian Elections we absolutely precisely forecast, how many deputy places two parties from the list will receive. As to the rest, errors make approximately half a percent.
Moreover, surprises waited the Bulgarian sociologists in Baku as in the day of elections the Central Election Committee could not "identiy" them in any way by technical causes and they started studies only by 11 o'clock, i.e with delay by several hours. Meanwhile if elections go actively (just this took place in Azerbaijan) just since the morning many electors go to vote. "That is why a value of 62% votes in support of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, which was registere by midday appeared low as we had supposed. By the words, our second study "quick count" affirmed this. In a number of poll stations our observers received voting results once after counting the ballot-papers and as it had appeared voting results exceed data received during the exit poll. So even by the most pessimist estimates, Mr. Ilham Aliyev has received as minimum 72% of votes, meanwhile the Chief of "Musavat" Mr. Isa Gambar gathered maximum 13%", - Mr. P. Nikolov has emphasized.
As to the information that the local sociologist service ADAM has received opposite results during poll "exit poll" conducted on October 15 is at least lie, by opinion of Mr. Plamen Nikolov. "Our investigation has been conducted with large reliability reserve and we far recovered the range of possible errors or if to say simply reinsured ourselves. In any case the point is in how many votes, but not by how many votes did Mr. Ilham Aliyev gather more than the Chief of "Musavat" Mr. Isa Gambar. Mr. Isa Gambar lost the elections with "crash" and professionals have no doubts in this", - the Bulgarian sociologist Mr. Plamen Nikolov has resumed.
THE AZERBAIJAN BUSINESSMEN SUPPORT THE POLITICAL STABILITY IN THE COUNTRY
They condemned the organizers and participants of the mass disorders provoked by radical opposition as a sign of disagreement with the results of elections of the President of the Republic, the members of the meeting have emphasized that the political stability is one of the factors, which are necessary for the business development in Azerbaijan. The more guarantees of the political stability, the more means will be readily allocated by the foreign investors to the economy of Azerbaijan.
By the opinion of the President of Baku Steel Co. Mr. Paolo Pyarviz, the held President Elections in Azerbaijan show that and further the political stability will be kept in the country. However, the events of October 16 have received resonance abroad in some degree and frightened potential investors. So, by his words, a number of clients in the hotel complex Hyat Regency reduced by 30% after occurred disorders. But they were those, who had arrived in Baku for conduction business negotiations and opening own business, he has emphasized.
The members of the meeting has accepted the statement, where they condemned the actions of the radical opposition and destructive policy of the opposition parties "Musavat", "Umid" and the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan. As well the businessmen expressed their support to Mr. Ilham Aliyev, elected as the President of the country.
THE CHIEF OF THE MINISTRY OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AZERBAIJAN: THE MAJORITY OF NEW JOB PLACES WILL BE CREATED IN NON-PETROLEUM SECTOR
It is supposed to ease conditions of credit allocations and create the relevant funds.
As well he has noted that in this year it is supposed to allocate 57 bn manats from the National Business Support Fund. By the results of nine months 38 bn manats were allocated for the business development. These means were transferred for financing of 321 business projects in 46 towns and regions of the country. Moreover, especial attention was paid to the regions of the country. So, 80% of the financed projects were realized out of capital. Besides, in choosing the projects for further financing those ones were preferred, which provided the production an processing. 14 banks carry out the crediting these projects. Owing to the realization of the business projects in this year supplementary 5 thou job places will be opened in Azerbaijan.
In the last year 12 bn manats were allocated above 12 bn manats. These means were distributed amid 49 businessmen from 18 regions. Owing to the credits the businessmen created 1400 new jobs. During 2003 - 2005 250 bn manats are provided for allocation in purposes of the business development in the country.
THE SECOND SITTING OF THE BUSINESSMEN COUNCIL UNDER AUTHORITIES OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC WILL BE HELD ON NOVEMBER IN BAKU
As the Minister of the Economic Development Mr. Farkhad Aliyev has informed journalists, for the present the agenda of the sitting has not approved and the working groups of the council are engaged in this.
The Business Council has been created in accordance with the order of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic dated from August 27, 2002. The authorities of the Council include determination of the state assistance ways and working out of mechanisms of assistance to businessmen, of preparation of the suggestion on improvement of the legal base in this field.
The first sitting of the Businessmen Council was held on July of this year. The members of the sitting agreed on creation of 11 working groups of the Council on the individual directions. As well the Day of the Businessman has been founded and it will be celebrated on April 25 every year; as well a decision on annual competition "The Best Businessman of the Year" conduction has been accepted. The Council members also approved the conduction of "Days of Open Doors" - periodical meetings of the representatives of the business circles with the responsible workers of the Ministry of the Economic Development and other state structures.
FOR NINE MONTHS OIL PRODUCTION ON ONSHORE FIELDS OF AZERBAIJAN CARRIED OUT BY THE OPERATING COMPANIES AND JOINT COMPANIES HAS GREW BY 13.7%, GAS PRODUCTION - BY 19.9% IN COMPARISON WITH THE PLANNED RATES
The volume of oil production carried out by the operating companies and JC has exceeded the plan by 13.7% by results of 9 months, the officials of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan have informed the Agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan". As it has been reported by the SOCAR, the onshore gas production volume exceeded the plan rates by 19.9% on January - September.
THE SITTING OF THE BOARD OF THE DIRECTORS OF BTC CO. WILL BE HELD IN TURKEY ON OCTOBER 22 - 23
Within the frameworks of SOCAR visit to Turkey he will meet the managing officials of the state pipeline company BOTAS, which is the general contractor of the Turkish sector of BTC and the company Tekfen, which carries out the construction of the oil terminal in the Mediterranean port Ceyhan.
SOCAR press-service has also informed that Mr. N. Aliyev would participate in some meetings in the Ministry of Fuel and Natural Resources of Turkey. It is expected that he would discuss the question of the development of the organizing measures ensuring the completion of the construction and putting into operation the Turkish sector of the pipeline by the end of the next year.
The press service of BP-Azerbaijan Company has informed "Interfax - Azebaijan" Agency that totally $1.5 billion have been spent already. "We expect that totally by the end of 2003 up to a half of planned works will be done", - they said in the press service.
The following companies are the shareholders of the MEP construction: BP (30,1%), SOCAR (25%), Unocal (8,9%), Statoil (8,71%), TPAO (6,53%), Eni (5%), Itochu (3,4%), ConocoPhillips (2,5%), INPEX (2,5%), TotalFinaElf (5%) and Amerada Hess (2,36%).
A length of the oil pipeline BTC makes 1767 km. The construction works has been started in April 2003 and will complete at the end of 2004. The export of the Azerbaijan oil from Ceyhan port is planned by the second quarter of 2005.
IRAN FORECASTS INCREASE OF OIL PRODUCTION IN THE CASPIAN SEA
By information of Mr. Mokhammad-Nejdad, the self-cost of the oil production in the Caspian Sea makes about $5 per a bbl if not to count the Tengiz field, where similar rate varies from $2 up to $2.5.
In connection with the forthcoming growth of oil production in the Caspian Sea the Deputy Minister has showed the role of the corridor "North - South" for exportation of energy carriers here.
THE PRESENT PRICES FOR OIL ARE TOO HIGH, THE MINISTER OF ENERGY OF KUWAIT THINKS
The Minister of Energy of Kuwait, the Chief of the Management of the Kuwait Oil Corporation Sheikh Akhmad Fahd Al-Akhmad Al-Sabakh has declared this. By his words, reducing the production and oil export by 900 thou bbl per a day by OPEC as well will not promote to reduction of prices cut. At the same time the Minister has emphasized that this decision will enter into force even at the case if by the beginning of November the price of the oil "basket" of the OPEC will remain higher than $28 for a barrel.
"However at the conference on December we will analyze the situation at the energetic markets with takint into account the positions of the countries - large oil producers, which do not enter the OPEC and in the first turn they are: Russia, Norway and Mexico and take decision on keeping the pricing corridor, developed by the cartel management and making as before $22 - 28 for a barrel.
As to the suggestion of Venezuela - the third country of the OPEC - on increasing the pricing amplitude from $25 up to $32 for the barrel and as the Kuwait Minister has affirmed, "the members of the conference in Vienna will hear the concrete suggestion of Karakas and take the adequate decision on a base of consensus in accordance with the OPEC regulation.
THE CO-CHAIRMEN OF THE MINSK GROUP OF THE OSCE WILL ARRIVE IN THE REGION OF THE NAGORNY KARABAKH CONFLICT
Wellcoming the activating of the negotiations process, which delayed for the President Elections both in Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Minister has noted that nevertheless Azerbaijan expects, that the principal position of Azerbaijan will be taken into account in new suggestions of co-chairmen. In opposite case we will not be able to accept them, Mr. V. Guliyev has noted.
ON JANUARY - SEPTEMBER INVESTMENTS TO THE ECONOMY OF AZERBAIJAN HAS GROWN BY 70.9%
By the information of the State Statistics Department of the Republic, the foreign investments made more 9.777 trln manats, the domestic ivestments - almost 2.290 trln manats. In comparison with the analogous period of the past year the volume of the foreign investments has grown by 81.2%, and the domestic ones - by 37.4%.
The main sources of the investment were: proper means of the enterprises - 10.194 trln. Manats, bankl credits - 251.2 bn, the budget means - 320.5 bn manats, the means of out of budget funds made 104.9 bn, the proper public funds - 331.4 bn manats.
In accordance with plans, the volume of the capital investments to the economy of Azerbaijan has made 13.2 trln manats.
THE FOREIGN COMPANIES IN AZERBAIJAN HOPE THAT THE FAVOURABLE WORKING CONDITIONS WILL BE KEPT
As the Agency of the Oil Information has been informed in the press-service of the Russian Oil Company "LUKoil", this company accounts that Azerbaijan will follow further by the way of reforms and amplify the achievements of the country under the leadership of the new Head of the State.
"The traditional ties of friendship and mutually profitable partnership, which always existed between oil workers of both the countries, will be kept and multiplied for flowering of our peoples", - "LUKoil" has emphasized.
We shall remind that at the present time in Azerbaijan this Russian company shares 50% in the project of the development of oil fields Zikh and Govsani, on a par with the Italian Agip ( the developing branch of the Italian ENI), participates in the company LUKAgip, which shares 10% in the project "Shakh-Deniz" and as well it has 80% in the Production Sharing Agreement in the shelf structure Yalama.
As well the American ExxonMobil hopes on keeping the favourable conditions for the foreign investors in Azerbaijan. The company hopes to keep the relations, which were established with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (the SOCAR).
"Soon we plan to start the drilling on the new structure "Zafar-Mashal", where our company is the operator", - the Agency of the Oil Information was informed in the press-service of Exxon-Mobil.
The company has 30% in the project "Zafar-Mashal" and more 8% in the project of the development of the fields "Azeri-Chiraq-Guneshli".
The Norway oil and gas company Statoi does not expect any changes in the investment regime in connection with the election of Ilham Aliyev, the AOI has been informed in the press-service of the Baku Department of the Company. "We do not plan changing our plans or strategy in Azerbaijan and the Caspian region as a whole", - the Chairman of the Press-service has added.
Statoil shares 8.71% in the project of the construction of the Main Exporting Pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan, 8.5633% in the project ACG, 25.5% in the PSA by "Shakh-Deniz".
ON NOVEMBER 5 THE MISSION OF THE IMF WILL ARRIVE IN BAKU FOR ESIMATING TAX POLICY OF AZERBAIJAN
"The chief matter of visit will be discussion of the questions of the cooperation and consideration of the changes in the tax policy of Azerbaijan for the next year", - Mr. A. Rasi-zade has said.
He has noted that on November the Board of Directors of the IMF is able to consider the issue on allocation of the next credit tranche to the country within the frameworks of the program of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Furthering.
As it has been informed earlier, the Government of Azerbaijan considers the opportunity of income tax rate since 2004, which is different by regions and branches. The IMF opposes to such system of taxation, it realizes the program PRGF in the Republic with a cost of $100 MM and counted up to 2005.
In 2001 - 2002 the Republic has received two credit tranches by $10 MM, on May 2003 - the third tranche by $16 MM. Up to the end of the current year Azerbaijan accounts to receive the fourths tranche in a total of $16 MM. The means are allocated for a term of 10 years with 5.5 favourable period with 0.5% of annual rate.
As a whole since 1992 Azerbaijan has received credits by $400 MM from the IMF, "Interfax - Azerbaijan".
AZERBAIJAN HAS BEEN AND REMAINS THE STRATEGIC SATELLITE AND FRIEND OF GEORGIA, MR. E. SHEVARNADZE HAS DECLARED
As to results of the President Elections in Azerbaijan, Mr. Shevarnadze has noted that "Results of these elections do not cause any doubts, they show moods of the overwhelming majority of the Azerbaijan population, which has supported Mr. Ilham Aliyev".
The President of Georgia has said that "after elections Azerbaijan met temporary problems", which, by his words, "certainly will be overcome".
THE POLICE CONTINUES ARRESTS OF PERSONS, WHO HAS ORGANIZED DISORDERS IN BAKU
The source in the MI of the country has informed the agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan", one of the arrested men is the leader of the Public Party Mr. Panakh Gusseynov, which supports the leader of the party "Musavat" Mr. Isa Gambar, which is considered the chief organizer of disorders in Baku. The second arrested person is Mr. Ibragim Ibragimly, the Deputy Chief of the Party "Musavat".
Thus, a number of arrested persons in suspicion of the organizing and participation in the mass disorders on October 15 - 16 in Baku has reached 7 persons. They are: the Chief of the party "Umid" Mr. Igbal Agazade, the leader of the party "Ehrar" Mr. Vagif Gajibeyli, the General Secretary of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Mr. Sardar Jalalogly, the Deputy Chairman of the Party "Musavat" Mr. Sulhatdin Akper and former leader of the Organization of the invalids of Garabakh Mr. Etimad Asadov.
We shall remind that on October 15 - 16 the radical opposition has organized mass disorders in Baku expressing their disagreement with the defeat of the leader of "Musavat" Mr. Isa Gambar in the President Elections.
The law-enforcement organs have arrested totally about 200 persons in claim of participation in the mass disorders in the last days.
