IN 2004 THE STATE BUDGET DEFFICIT IS PLANNED TO BE REDUCED UP TO 0.7% OF THE GDP
"The Minister of Finance holds the position of the budget deficit reduction and this process will pass gradually", - the Minister answered. The state budget for 2003 has been approved with the deficit of 1% of the GDP.
"In accordance with the project, the growth in the GDP for 2004 is forecasted by a level of 9% of incomes and expenses of the state budget - more than by 10%, - the Minister has said.
By the words of Mr. A. Alekperov, the Minister of finance will represent the project of the state budget for 2004 to the Government up to the end of the current week. The Minister of Finance has noted that experts of the International Monetary Fund approved main parameters of this document.
As "Interfax-Azerbaian" has been informed by the source in the Government, it is planned that the budget incomes will make 6.7 - 6.8 trln. manats, the GDP volume - 37.3 trln. Manats.
The State budget of Azerbaijan for 2003 has been approved with a deficit in a volume of 331 MM manats or 1% of the GDP. Incomes are planned in a volume of 6.092 trln manats, expenditures - 6.423 trln.manats.
FOR JANUARY - AUGUST 2003 CONSUMER GOODS BY A TOTAL OF 9.9 TRLN MANATS WERE REALIZED FOR THE PEOPLE OF AZERBAIJAN
In accordance with the information received in the State Statistics Department of Azerbaijan, the most part of public expenses makes purchasing consumer goods. So, for the past period, the consumer goods of this category were purchased by a total of 6.6 trln manats (67.6%). Correspondingly, expenses for non-food goods made 3.3 trln manats. In comparison with the analogous period of the past year these indexes grew correspondingly by 9% and 12.8%.
For the same period services for people were rendered by a total of 1.8 trln manats, what is higher than the index of the past year by 10.7%. The juridical persons rendered 68.9% of total services and the physical ones - 31.1%.
THE AZERBAIJAN BUSINESSMEN ARE INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT OF THE WB ON SUPPORTING THE SMALL BUSINESS
By his words, in the end of September the Mission of the WB will arrive in Baku for discussion of this issue. "Within frameworks of this project with a cost of $12 MM the realization of three components - business structure foundation, information centers and realization of the business-incubator production project is provided", - he has said.
By his words, the Confederation is interested by creation of the information centers and "business-incubators". By plans, this project will be realized during four years. The realization of this project has been included in the strategy of the WB's assistance to Azerbaijan for 2004 - 2006. By estimates of the WB's experts, a credit allocation for realization of this project is expected in the next year, Interfax - Azerbaijan informs.
THE SPANISH BUSINESSMEN WILL VISIT TO AZERBAIJAN
Officials of companies carrying out activities in the production and sales of construction materials, drags, repairs and mounting the medical equipment, foreign trade, services sphere, consulting, agriculture, TV communications, ecology as well as industrial, knitted wear-weaving, furniture production.
THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA WILL CONSIDER NEW SUGGESTIONS ON THE KARABAKH ADJUSTING
As it is known, on September 15 the co-chairmen of the Minsk Group meet in Vienna. After the negotiations in Vienna during 10 - 15 days on the neutral territory the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of :Azerbaijan and Armenia with participation of co-chairmen. "At this meeting we shall consider new ideas of co-chairmen on adjusting this conflict", - V. Guliyev has said.
THE NAGORNY KARABAKH AUTHORITIES DECLARE THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO GUARANTEE LOW PRICES FOR BREAD
At the press-conference in Khankendy he touched to the problem of recent growth in prices for bread by approximately 15% in the Nagorny Karabakh. The Vice-Premier has noted that in spite of record crop of the current year in volume of 100 thou tons, it is practically impossible to guarantee low prices for bread.
"Nagorny Karabakh has common economy and customs with Armenia. If there are efforts to keep prices in Nagorny Karabakhs artificially, local bread producers simply will not deliver it to Armenia, where bread deficiency exists constantly", - Mr. Bakhsiyan has told.
GEORGIA HAS EXECUTED THE NATO REQUIREMENTS TO THE ARMY STANDARDS BY 70% - 80%
By his words, such estimates were done at the recently held meeting with the chiefs of the force structures and specialists engaged in execution of obligations on individual cooperation of Georgia with the NATO.
The President thinks that in the next time Georgia will be ready to joining in the NATO as well the European Union.
THE AZERBAIJAN LAW-ENFORCEMENT ORGANS HAVE ARRESTED TWO CONVICTS, WHO HAD RUN DOWN FROM A PRISON IN RUSTAVY
Totally 65 fugitives from 129 convicts run down from the prison in Rustavy were already arrested. Eight of them surrendered to the authorities, five of them were arrested by the Russian servicemen from the troops located in 15 km from Rustavy; else two figutatives were arrested in Azerbaijan. The most majority of the figutatives served their sentences for serious crimes and were sentenced to freedom depriving for terms from 10 up to 20 years. Nobody of them was armed.
THE AZERBAIJAN STUDENT WERE AWARDED BY SERTIFICATES OF THE TURKISH ASSOCIATION OF THE TOURIST AGENCIES
"30 students of the tourist faculties from a number of the Baku higher education schools were awarded by certificates in accordance with their going through a period of training in Turkey, which took place on July - August 2003. During their work they got habits and experience in the tourist business-organizing field, mastered methods of torist services in accordance with the international norms. All these knowledge will help them in the development of the torist business in Azerbaijan", - they noted in the Ministry.
It was the first going through a period of training of the Azerbaijan students in Turkey within frameworks of bilateral agreement on teaching staff in the tourism field between the TAA and the Ministry of Torurism of Azerbaijan. It is planned that such goings through a period of training will become annual, and the next one will be held in summer 2004.
On August 2002 the President of Azerbaijan Mr. Geydar Aliyev approved the State Tourism Development Program for 2002 - 2005, the plan of measures for its carrying out, directed to tourism industry foundation. The development of information base, professional staff teaching, high-quality service providing, integrating tothe world tourism infrastructure are among them.
"LUKOIL" MAY PURCHASE A SHARE OF "ENI" IN THE PROJECT OF "SHAKH-DENIZ"
The oil company "LUKoil" and the Italian company Agip (the producing department of ENI) share on parity rates the joint company LUKAgip, which shares 10% in the project "Shakh-Deniz".
"It is possibly that we will buy a share in this project from ENI", - the Chief of the Russian Company has said. "We revise the structured of our assets. There are not still a decision. We still calculate and scarcely the purchase will take place in this year", - the Agency Bloomberg quotes Mr. V. Alekperov.
The contract on the development of the field "Shakh-Deniz" already was signed on June 1996. The following companies are the shareholders: bp (25.5%, the project operator), Statoil (25.5%), the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (10%), LUKAgip (10%), OIEC (10%), TotalFinalElf (10%) and TPAO (9%).
As INTERFAX-ANI reminds, on December 2002 Agip declared about the intension of selling its share in the JC LUKAgip. Besides of this, LUKAgip shares 24% in the project of development of the oil field Meleiha (Egypt).
Very recently the suggestion was made in the analytical report of the investment company "Aton" that "LUKoil" may sell its share in the project "Shakh-Deniz" as the company optimizes its sharing in the oil and gas projects and as if has the intension of refusing of those of them, where it is not the operator. Furthermore just then Mr. V. Alekperov has declared in Baku that "LUKoil" will not consider the possibility of selling its 5% share in the project "Shakh-Deniz". At the same time he disproved affirmations that as if "LUKoil" has chosen the consultative company, which is engaged in searches of a company, which is ready for purchase of the share of "LUKoil" in "Shakh-Deniz".
At the same time Mr. V. Alekperov has noted that further the company repeatedly will return to this project. And if then the last phrase was understood as the hint on possibility that the company will return to its share sale, now it becomes clear that Mr. V. Alekperov implied just on contrary.
FOR EIGHT MONTHS AZERBAIJAN IMPORTED OVER 2.5 BN CUBIC METERS OF GAS
The deliveries are carried out by the contract between the SOCAR and company "Itera", in accordance with which 4bn cubic meters of gas will be delivered to Azerbaijan by price of $52 for 1000 cubic meters. The gas is transported by the system of the gas pipelines Shirvanovka - Gazi - Magomed.
Besides of this, else 1.5 bn cubic meters of gas will be purchased from "Itera", however already by the contract of the company with the the JC "Azerigas" concluded in the spring of this year. However, deliveries within frameworks of this agreement are not carried out for the present.
MR. VICTOR KALYUZNI: RUSSIA OPPOSES TO LAYING OIL- AND GAS PIPELINES THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE CASPIAN SEA
He has noted that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan study plans of laying the pipeline, which would connect Aktay with Baku and then the export system Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan through the Caspian bottom.
By the words of Mr. V. Kalyuzni, the realization of this project is of danger for the Caspian environment. The Russian side suggested to discuss this serious issue during one of sessions of the international ecological forums on the Caspian Sea held in Kazakhstan; however the Kazakhstan organizers left this matter out of the frameworks of the conference. By the opinion of Mr. V. Kalyuzni, there are opportunities enough for laying oil- and gas pipelines through "easily controlled land areas", and using the sea bottom is not purposeful. "We all should understand that the Caspian Sea is the unique reservoir. And if something emerges here, this will touch all five Caspian states", - Mr. Kalyuzni has emphasized.
THE KAZAKHSTAN FIELD "NORTHERN BUZACHI" ENTIRELY BECAME A PROPERTY OF THE CHINESE CNPC
As it is known, on August CNPC purchased 35% share of the Saudi company Nimir Petroleum in the JC "Texaco Buzachi Inc". Just then the Chinese Consortium declared on intension of purchasing the rest 65% from the second shareholder of this project - the American Chevron Texaco, however the concrete terms of conclusion of such agreement have not been called.
By the information of the newspaper, the purchasing of the rest share in the field "The Northern Buzachi" occurred on September and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan Mr. Vladimir Shkolnik has approved already this.
In the next time CNPCf hopes to increase the annual level of oil production up to 1MM tons (at the present time about 300 thou tons are produced there). Earlier ChevronTexaco planned this, however it has not managed to receive an approval of the Kazakhstan Government.
The developed supplies of the field "The Northern Buzachi" are estimated approximately by 300 - 500 MM bbl of oil. Its potential supplies may make 1bn bbl of oil.
The CNPC operating in Kazakhstan since 1997, has over 85% stocks in the JC "CNPC - Aktobemunaygaz", which produces annually over 5 MM tons of petroleum. Since this summer the company started transportation of its oil by the system of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
Besides of this, the Company "KazMunayGaz" and CNPC achieved the agreement on working out of the FR (feasibility report) of the project on the construction of the Kazakhstan oil export to the Western China up to the end of the current year. The Chinese companies also pretend on mastering the structures on the Kazakhstan shelf of the Caspian Sea.
Media-Press: We shall remind that the CNPC is the active player and on the Azerbaijan petroleum market, where it shares in two projects. The CNPC joined in the first of them, aimed to rehabilitation and development of the unit "Kyursangi-Garabagli" with estimated supplies of 100 - 150 MM tons of petroleum only in the past year, after purchasing a share in it from the European Reconstruction and Development Bank. In the same year it extended its participation and in the second project too, and increased its sharing in the operating company Salyan Oil up to 50% in account of purchasing a share of the Saudi company Delta Hess. The rest 50% belong the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.
"KAZMORTRANSFLOT" WILL INCREASE CAPACITIES OF THE PORT AKTAU AFTER THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE OIL BERTH
The company "Kazmortransflot" transports petroleum from Aktau to Makhachkala, Batumi and Iranian port Neka. Annually 2.5 MM tons of petroleum are delivered to Makhachkala by transit corridor Baku-Batumi - 1.8 MM tons. For today 25 vessels operate in these trends; thery were rented from the companies of the Caspian states.
THE PIPELINE ODESSA - BRODY NEED NOT IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL OIL
Also Mr. V. Gonchar has reported, that now talks with Poland on the Caspian oil transportation from Odessa to Brody and further by railway are continued. He has said that also negotiations on the Caspian oil supplying within ranges from Brody up to Germany and Czech Republic by the pipeline "Druzba".
"That is not occasionally that just at this moment suggestions on reverse and filling the pipeline by the technological oil appear. These actions have an aim to break the further development of the project of the Euro-Asian Oil Transport Corridor", "The German Wave" quotes Mr. Gonchar.
Mr. Gonchar also denies the necessity of expectation for new solution of the Government on destiny of the pipeline Odessa - Brody. By his words, this pipe has been determined already as the transport corridor to Europe.
THE PRESIDENT OF BP LORD JOHN BROWN: RUSSIA IS ABLE TO BECOME A MAIN OIL SUPPLIER OF CHINA AND EUROPE
"As before, the Middle East is still the significant source of energetic resources, however in connection with intensity growth in this region a possibility of oil deliveries causes serious fears. The resource base of Russia, probably is the largest in the world excepting the Saudi Arabia and Canada", - Mr. Brown has said.
Besides of this, he emphasized that "the foundation of the companies "TNK-BP" has a great importance in restoration of the leading role of Russia in the world economy". "The investments to this project in a total of $7.7 bn are the first step in the realization of the long-term projects of bp in Russia within the field of the energetic resources", - Mr. J. Brown has said. - And the foundation of "TNK-BP" will become the main factor in the system of the global safety in the energetic resources field".
After the recent joining the explored oil supplies of the company "TNK-bp" made 5 bn bbl, and daily production - over 1 MM bbl. By accounts of experts, "TNK-bp" will become the third in oil production volumes within Russia and the eighth in the world.
THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE THIRD HYDROSTATIC UNIT HAS STARTED AT THE MINGECHAVIR HEPS
At the present time out-of-date turbine has been demounted and four energetic units operate on the HEPS, and one is in the reserve. The completion of the reconstruction is expected by 2004.
As it has been mentioned in "Azerenergy", earlier the JC was not able to make repairs of such scale and foreign companies received orders for similar works. So, the specialists of the Indian company BCL earlier carried out repairs of 2nd, 4th , 5th and 6th generators of the Mingechavir HEPS. After these works a capacity of each energetic hydrostatic unit grew from 60 MVt up to 70.4 MVt. Besides of this, at the station the works on cables replacement and Managing Automatic Systems modernization have been made. All works were done within frameworks of the project "Reconstruction of town Mingechavir".
The last years the situation in the field changed basically. Timely prophylactics and repairs are conducted, the enterprises are supplied stably and reliably by necessary standby details.
