"THE AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES" PURCHASE TWO AIRCRAFTS FROM THE EUROPEAN AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING CONSORTIUM AIRBUS
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
The State Concern "Azal" (The Azerbaijan Airlines) plans to purchase two passenger aircraft from the European consortium Airbus A - 319 and A - 320. A cost of each one varies from $38 up to $40 MM. The General Director "AzAL" Mr. Jahangir Askerov has informed about this.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
The first on six French helicopters of the Company Eurocopter will be delivered to Azerbaijan on September this year. Then monthly up to February 2005 one helicopter will be delivered to Azerbaijan.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
The Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan intends to increase the production of grapes in 3 - 4 time in Azerbaijan - up to 200 - 300 thou tons in a year, the Minister of Agriculture Mr. Irshad Aliyev has informed.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
On April 16 the meeting of the Foreign Ministries of Azerbaijan and Armenia Mr. Elmar Mamedyarov and Vardan Oskanyan will be held in Prague.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
Ukraine has suggested to Azerbaijan "synchronizing of efforts" in execution of peace-making operations including in Iraq. The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mr. Evgenii Mrchchuk has declared about this after negotiations with the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Mr. General-Colonel Mr. Safar Abiyev, who came to Urkaine within frameworks of two days visit. "There are wide opportunities for activating of cooperation and synchronization of some degree of our actions including peace-making ones in Iraq", - Mr. Marchuk has said.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
As experts have predicted, the Moscow meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan on adjustment of the legal status of the Caspian Sea has not brought any significant progress. In spite of traditionally optimistic tone of the communique on results of the meeting ("significant progress in agreeing the project of Convention On the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea), the sides have confirmed that a differences on separate key aspects of the status are kept still".
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
More than 50% works have been executed on the Azerbaijan piece of the MEP Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan (BTC). $130 MM was spent for carrying out of these works and it makes above 40% of a cost of the Azerbaijan piece. The official of the Company CCIC - the general contractor on the construction of BTC Mr. Juan Buolos has told to journalists.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
The construction of the second pumping station on the Azerbaijan piece of the pipeline Baku -Tbilisi - Ceyhan, which is located in the Yevlakh Region, will be completed on September of 2004.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
The consortium including some companies headed by the French Total studies the project of oil transportation from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan through the territory of Iran to the Persian Gulf. The informed source in the Ministry of Oil of Iran has informed about this in the interview to the agency Mehr. By his words, the main problem is about that for the present it is not clear, what oil volumes may be produced in these countries. This issue may be cleared up only after Kazakhstan starts the development of the largest field Kashagan.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
Moscow and Ashgabad conduct negotiations on issues of realization of plans of reconstruction of the gas transport system "Middle Asia - Center" for increasing volumes of deliveries of "the blue fuel" from Turkmenistan. The agreement on cooperation in the gas field signed by the Presidents of both the countries Mr. V. Putin and Mr. S. Niyazov provide the joint actions of Turkmenistan an Russia on the development of the gas transportation system "The Central Asia - Center".
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
This year the JC "Azerenerji" plans to pay out $27 - 30 MM in account of redeeming credits received from the international finance structures on carrying out of energetic projects.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
Azerbaijan is not so interested in credits of the International Monetary Fund - the Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan Mr. Avaz Alekperov has expressed such opinion.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
In the first quarter of 2004 ships of the CSC transported 3.178 MM tons of cargos. As Media-Press has been informed in the press-service of the shipping company this is by 323 thou tons more than for the analogous period of the past year and by 378 thou tons more than it was planned. Totally the forecast was executed by 113.5%.
BAKU.09.04.2004.MEDIA-PRESS:
Moscow and Tehran intend to offer a project of straitening the international transportation route "Sever - Yug" through the territory of Azerbaijan to Baku. It has become one of the most important results of the visit of the President of the OJC "The Russian Railways" to Iran.
By plans, the agreement on this should be signed this year and deliveries of aircrafts will be carried out in 2005 - 2006. The aircrafts will be purchased for credits of the European banks.
We shall remind that earlier AZAL purchased two aircrafts "Boeing - 757". A total of the contract with the American producers has made $121 MM. Manhattan bank and Barklays Bank allocated the credits for this project.
ON SEPTEMBER THE FIRST FRENCH HELICOPTER PUMA WILL BE DELIVERED TO AZERBAIJAN
By the words of the General Director of the State Concern "The Azerbaijan Airlines" (AzAL), the contract on deliveries of two helicopters Super Puma accounted for 20 persons and four ones of brand BC - 155 have been signed with the Company Eurocopter.
A total cost of the contract has made 52 MM euro. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic has allocated means for purchase as mainly oil workers operating in the Caspian Sea use services of the helicopter park. And AZAL in its turn will redeem to the SOCAR by execution of its orders for flights. A period of redeeming the debt depends on volume of orders carrying out by helicopters of AzAl. At the present time the State Concern carries out works for the SOCAR by means of helicopters MI - 8 by 2.7 bn manats p. m. in average.
The agreement on purchasing the helicopters from the Company Eurocopter has been achieved on October 2002. Initially it has been supposed to purchase a technique by credit. However further a decision on refusal of the credit for high interest rates was accepted.
AZERBAIJAN PLANS TO INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF GRAPES IN 3 - 4 TIMES
50 thou tons of this volume will make desert species and the rest ones - technical species.
"Here are our demands and we intend to satisfy them in account of proper production", - Mr. I. Aliyev has said. For this it is necessary to increase annually areas of vineyards by 100 - 150 hectares, the Minister has determined. By his words, for the development of the vine growing in the republic the Ministry has created the genetic fund of vineyards by above 300 species.
We shall remind that in the beginning of 80-s Azerbaijan produced above a million tons of grape - the most rates in the Soviet Union. The Central Committee and Council of Ministers of the USSR have accepted even a special resolution on further development of vine growing in the republic. In accordance with this program the production of the grapes in Azerbaijan was to be increased up to 3 MM tons a year. However since the start of anti-alcohol company initiated by Gorbachev, the most part of vineyards in the country was destroyed and the field regressed.
THE FOREIGN MINSTRIES OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA WILL MEET ON APRIL 16 IN PRAGUE
As the agency "Mediamax" informs with a reference to the press service of the MFA of Armenia, the meeting of the foreign Ministries of two countries will be held within frameworks of consultations organized by the co-chairmen of the Minsk Group of the OSCE on the adjustment of the Nagorni Karabakh conflict.
UKRAINE AND AZERBAIJAN INTEND TO SYNCHRONIZE THEIR EFFORTS IN PEACE-MAKING OPERATIONS
Mr. Abiyev has said that the sides "have exchanged opinions on issues of cooperation with the NATO on the program "The Partnership For Peace", discussed issue of studying of the Azerbaijan servicemen in the Ukrainian high education schools, military-technical cooperation and as well analyzed military-political situation in different points of the world, especially in those places, where peace-makers serve.
By the words, as it has been informed by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, there are not losses amongst of the Azerbaijan peace-makers in Iraq, they are out of a zone of battles. The last time of communication with them was April 7.
The Azerbaijan military contingent of 150 servicemen in the south of Iraq is out of zone of battles between the forces of the coalition and Shiite rebels. "They serve as usually on the posts on guarding objects and are at significant distance from battle places", - they have noted in the Ministry of Defense.
The Azerbaijan peacemakers were delivered to Iraq in the past autumn for a year trip and a rotation of the staff took place for this period. By the words of the official of the Minster of Defense, an issue on withdrawal of the Azerbaijan contingent has not been discussed. "This issues is within frameworks of competence of the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the country and Parliament", - the source has noticed.
On this week the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Mr. S. Abiyev emphasized receiving the Ambassador of the USA in Azerbaijan that "the Azerbaijan side as a member of antiterrorist coalition intends to continue its participation in peace-making operations and is constantly controlling an activity of its detachments".
The Azerbaijan servicemen also take part in peace-making operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
THE MOSCOW MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRIES OF THE CASPIAN COUNTRIES: DISAGREEMENTS ON THE CASPIAN STATUS ARE KEPT STILL
As the newspaper "Izvestiya" informs, the main reason of this state is the position of Turkmenistan and Iran as before. As the expert of the London World Market Researches Center Mr. Andrew Neff thinks, Azerbaijan looses most of all from unadjusted status of the Caspian Sea - pretensions of Turkmenistan and Iran to a number of its fields do not give a possibility for start of their development.
From one side, Mr. E. Neff writes, the field (the block (Araz - Alov - Sharg, for part of which Iran pretends - Media-Press) has a colossal meaning for it; from the other the country depends on the foreign investors, which are ready to invest today. And tomorrow a situation may change.
Iran has a quite different situation - he does depend on neither this field nor the foreign investors. And this gives an opportunity to Iran for trade. Iran demands 20% of the sea for its ownership, participants of the northern coalition (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan) are ready to give 13%.
"It is not secret for anybody that demands of Iran are exceeded, - Mr. Andrew Neff says, - it means theoretically that sooner or later it should yield". However, most likely Azerbaijan should yield also - by the reason that in a case of breaking of negotiations it will loose more".
Media-Press: We shall remind that the contract on the development of the fields "Araz - Alov - Sharg" was signed in summer 1998. Following companies are shareholders in this project: BP - 15%, the Norway Statoil - 15%, the American ExxonMobil - 15%, the Turkish TRAO - 10%, the Canadian Alberta Energy - 5% and the SOCAR - 40%. A total of necessary investments to the project makes $4 bn.
However up to date scaled works on this block have not started still. An effort of conduction of research works here in 2001 have brought to the accident in result of which the Azerbaijan ship was withdrawn from this region by the Iranian military boats under a threat of force applying; after that event the Company BP, the operator of the project "Araz - Alov - Sharg" stopped all the works in the perspective structure.
By opinion of some analysts, Iran needs not in 20% of the Caspian Sea in such degree, but in an instrument of pressuring on Azerbaijan. It is known that Tehran is worried by activeness of the United States in Azerbaijan and continuing process of integration of the republic to the NATO. This, by the opinion of the Iranian side, may affect on its own safety.
Up to recent time, Iran was in the "shining isolation". Then Turkmenistan joined to it. "Position of this country is opportunistic, - Mr. Neff thinks, - and in the most degree in is explained by ignoring of the country when trilateral separate agreement was signed by Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on May 2003". In accordance with this agreement 64% of the northern part of the Caspian Sea were shared. In result Kazakhstan received 29% and Azerbaijan and Russia - approximately - by 19% for each one.
By opinion of Mr. Neff, this agreement has given an instrument of active affection on further development of situation: "It is quite evidently that it will play a role of a "honest broker" in adjustment of the situation".
However Baku and Tehran try to adjust the situation themselves. Several rounds of consultations between the sides have been held already and the next one is held up to the end of April in Baku, officials of the Iranian Embassy have informed. "On negotiations experts will continue the work on agreeing coordinates of dividing line between the national sectors in the Caspian Sea", - an official of the Embassy has told.
THE AZERBAIJAN PEACE OF THE PIPELINE BAKU - TBILISI - CEYHAN IS READY BY 50%
By his words, all pipes necessary for the construction of the Azerbaijan piece have been delivered to the country already and are kept in the pipe storages located in the strategic points of the pipeline route in Umbaki, Evlakh, Gyanja and Poilu.
By today 412 km route has been cleaned, 325 km piece has been prepared for laying pipes and 294 km of pipes have been welded. The official of the general contractor has noted that welding of the pipes is conducted automatically by means of the special equipment. Owing to this more 2 km pipes are welded in lashes. On those pieces of the pipeline where it crosses car main roads and railways a special technique is used and it allows laying the pipes under these lines without stopping traffic and not damaging ways.
At the present time 2241 persons are engaged in the construction of the Azerbaijan piece of BTC and 1574 of them are citizens of the country. Else 453 officials of the country work in contractor companies realizing contracts on BTC.
Moreover, the Company CCIC invests to the population during its operation in Azerbaijan. Tents by $300 thou were given to refugees in the Saatli Region. The construction of 68 house, schools and medical point is supposed in the Yevlakh Region. A cost of the project exceeds $700 thou.
The following companies are shareholders of BTC Со. : BP (30.1 %), the SOCAR (25.00 %), Unocal (8.90 %), Statoil (8.71 %), TPAO (6.53 %), Eni (5.00 %), TotalFinaElf (5.00 %), Itochu (3.40 %), INPEX (2.50 %), ConocoPhillips (2.50 %) and Amerada Hess (2.36 %).
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND PUMPING STATION ON THE AZERBAIJAN PIECE OF THE BTC WILL BE COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER
As the Construction Manager of the station Mr. Elman Gahramanov by today 53% of planned volumes of works have been executed. The construction of the station costs $50 MM.
At the same time the construction of cleaning installation in Kurdamir is carried out and $10 MM will be spent for this. Here the works have been executed by 45% in accordance with a schedule.
The French-American Allyance Spie Capag/Petrofac is the contractor of the construction and it will carry out the construction works and the company BP will carry out installation of pumps here. Pumps will cost $40 MM. Supposedly, their mounting will be completed up to spring of 2005.
As well Mr. Gahramanov has informed that the pumping station will begin to work only after the volume of oil exported by the pipeline BTC exceeds 600 thou bbl p. d.
We shall remind that on all length of the pipeline eight pumping stations will be built. Four of them will be built in Turkey and by two ones in Azerbaijan and Georgia. Spie Capag/Petrofac Internotional is also contractor of the construction of the pumping stations in Georgia.
TOTAL STUDIES OPPORTUNITIES OF OIL TRANSPORTATION FROM KAZAKHSTAN AND TURKMENISTAN THROUGH THE TERRITORY OF IRAN TO THE PERSIAN GULF
By the information of the source, supposedly after the realization of the project about 1MM bbl of oil p.d. will be transported to the southern regions of Iran from the called countries. If relevant conditions are available, 500 thou bbl of this volume will be delivered by the replacement scheme and the rest oil will be delivered by transit, Iran.ru informs.
The interest of Total and the other foreign companies working in Kazakhstan to this project may accelerate official opening of oil terminal in the Iranian port Neka, planned by the end of April.
By the information of the agency Mehr, on the first stage the oil delivered to Neka from the other Caspian countries will be transported to the OPP in Tehran and Tebriz. The first turn of the project allows delivering about 120 thou bbl of oil p. d. to these enterprises.
Expenses for realization of the first turn made $205 MM and 700 MM rials. By accounts of the Iranian specialists, these means may be paid out less than for 4 years.
KAZAKHSTAN ITSELF INTENDS TO MODERNIZE THE GAS PIPELINE "THE CENTRAL ASIA - CENTER" FOR GAINING MAXIMUM PROFITS FROM IT
At the present time the CAC is capable by its technical conditions to deliver up to 45 bn cubic meters of gas p. d. In the current year it is planned to deliver 36 bn cubic meters of the Turkmen gas to the Ukrainian consumers and "Gazprom" has contracted else 5 bn cubic meters of gas. Meanwhile, the Turkmen-Russian agreement provides that since 2007 Russia will purchase 60 - 70 bn cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan. In this connection the Russian "Gazprom" plans to carry out the reconstruction of the system "The Central Asia - Center" providing the increase of the capacity of the pipe passing laid through the territories of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in 2.2 times - up to 100 bn cubic meters of gas p.d.
Meanwhile, as the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan Mr. Vladimir Shkolnik has declared, Astana intends to modernize itself the gas pipeline The Central Asia - Center for increasing its capacity up to 70 bn cubic meters per diem.
"We should realize this large gas project meaning the agreement on increasing the Turkmen gas deliveries to the gas pipeline system of Russia in two times signed between Russia and Turkmenistan, - the Kazakhstan Minister has said. - Carrying out modernization by own forces - here is our objective and profits from the transportation will remain in our country.
During 2001 - 2002 the company "KazTransGaz" spent $230 MM of proper means on the especially important areas of the CAC. 3939 km of this gas pipeline lay through the territory of Kazakhstan. In result of restoration and repairs, by 2005 the transportation of the Turkmen gas by this pipeline will increase up to 50 bn cubic meters p. d., the Uzbek one - up to 3 bn cubic meters and the Kazakhstan gas - up to 7 bn cubic meters p. d.
THIS YEAR "AZENERJI" WILL PAY OUT $27 - 30 MM FOR CREDITS
As the press-service of the JC informs, only on January the relevant payment by $5 MM was carried out.
The international financing organizations have allocated above $400 MM for realization of energy projects in Azerbaijan. They were transferred to the construction of the steaming gas installation on the SREPS "Severnay", reconstruction of the Mingechavir HEPS, completion of the construction of the Enikend HEPS and modernization of the transmission infrastructure.
In 2002 $20 MM were transferred for redeeming of credits, and $25 MM in 2003.
AZERBAIJAN IS NOT VERY INTERESTED IN THE CREDITS OF THE IMF
By his opinion, credits received from the IMF are not transferred to the state budget but to reserves. Five years ago the finance reserves of the country were not so large and we needed in credits of the IMF. Now there is not such necessity. At the same time the Minister has emphasized that the Government of the country is ready for the cooperation with the IMF.
As well he has noted that the government is interested in credits allocated by the World Bank as they are long term ones and are allocated under low rates of interest.
Touching results of the first quarter of 2004 on budget incomes, he has noted that they have made 109%. In comparison with the analogous rate of the past year the growth has made 24%.
IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE CURRENT YEAR SHIPS OF THE CASPIAN SHIPPING COMPANY TRANSPORTED 3.178 MM TONS OF CARGOS
Oil and oil products made more than a half of transported cargos - 2.094 MM tons. Dry cargo carriers transported 270 thou tons of cargos, ferryboats - 814 thou tons. The volume of transportation by the EuroAsian transport route made 2.115 MM tons and 1,907 MM tons are transit cargos.
2.256 MM tons of cargos were transported between the ports of the CIS and oil and oil products made 1.432 MM tons. The main routes of the Azerbaijan ships are Aktau - Baku, Turkmenbashi - Baku, Alacha - Baku, Okarem - Absheron, Okarem - Turkmenbashi, Aktau - Makhachkala. The ships of CSC transported 669 thou tons of cargos in the Iranian direction and oil products make more than 90 % of them.
Ships of the Caspian Shipping Company travel also in other seas and enter ports of 38 countries. Cargos delivered to the Caspian Sea from ports of the Baltic and Black Sea-Mediterranean basins through the Baltic and Volg-Don navigation systems are delivered to ports of Iran without reshipment. Ships of the CSC operating in the Black Sea-Azov basin carry out transportation of cargos of foreign frighteners to ports of Europe, Middle East and Northern Africa. In the first quarter of the current year out of the Caspian Sea the dry cargo carriers of the CSC transported 253 thou tons of cargos.
RUSSIA AND IRAN INTEND TO OFFER TO AZERBAIJAN A PROJECT OF STRAITENING THE INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION ROUTE "SOUTH - YUG"
As the President of the OJC "Russian Railways" Mr. Gennady Fadeev has informed to the journalists, within this project by a cost of 177 MM dollars a reconstruction of the railway line passing through Azerbaijan to the Iranian transport knot Kazvin is planned. A length of the line is 350 km.
Mr. G. Fadeev has informed that the "Russian Railways" may take part in its projecting and construction. At the same time there is an offer of foundation of the consortium of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia for the further operation of this area. If the railway is built and as well the frontier passage in Julfa is restored as well, the transport route "Sever - Yug" receive three powerful routes - ferryboat through the Caspian Sea, land the railway route through Azerbaijan and through Armenia. And as the Chief of the OJC "RRW" has noted, the Russian and Iranian sides have come to agreement on this issue. Now trilateral negotiations between Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan are forthcoming. Mr. G. Fadeev has not determined their start date.
The reconstruction of the branch through Azerbaijan within frameworks of the projects of forming of the international transport route "Sever - Yug" will allow talking about straitening of routes, shortening of transportation of cargos and goods, reducing of cost of transportation, Mr. G. Fadeev has said. He has especially noted that the reconstruction of the branch through Azerbaijan would allow restoring the passenger communication between Moscow and Tehran broken during the Karabakh conflict.
The OJC "RRW" offers launch two special passenger trains "Moscow - Tehran" and "Tehran - Moscow". The Russian side will organize one train and the Iranian side will organize the other. By the words of the Chief of the Department of Social Communications of the OJC "RRW" Mr. Konstantin Pashkov, though the project of restoration of the railway branch through Azerbaijan is considered within frameworks of forming the transport route "Sever - Yug", realization of it by to time of official opening of the route will not be managed. As Prime-TASS informed earlier, the railway branch "Yandiki - port "Olya" by a length of 51 km will complete forming the transport route "Sever - Yug" by August 2004 and already on August 1 the first container train will be leave from Berlin towards Tehran.
