THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN HAS EXPRESSED HIS DEEP CONDOLENCES ON THE TRAGEDY ACCIDENT IN THE MOSCOW METRO AT THE MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA MR. V. V. PUTIN
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: At the meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Mr. V. Putin, the President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev has expressed his condolences to the President of the RF and all the Russian people on the tragedy accident in the Moscow metro.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev has approved his course for the strategic partnership with Russia.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The international traffic route between Azerbaijan and Greece may be opened in the next time.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The European Parliament may recommend Armenia the liberation of some occupied regions of Azerbaijan on the sitting of February 25 - 26 in Brussels.
BAKU.06.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: Azerbaijan may denounce the contract with the American R.V. Investment Group Serves LLS for the development of the gold fields. The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mr. Guseyn Bagirov has declared this.
BAKU.06.02.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan takes hard measures against the enterprises and companies not keeping measures of the environmental protection. The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mr. Guseyn Bagirov has informed journalists about this.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan conducts the work on the revealing of the oil contaminated areas on the Absheron Peninsula, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mr. Guseyn Bagirov has said.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: On October - November of this year Azerbaijan would receive two tankers of new generation by a deadweight of 12 thou tons. The chief of the Caspian Shipping Company Mr. Aidin Bashirov has said.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The SOCR intends to start the developing of the fields, which the foreign investors refused of. The Vice-President of the SOCAR Mr. Khoshbakht Yusifzade has informed the journalists about this.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The Japanese consortium JAOC (Japan Azerbaijan Operating Company), which has decided to refuse of the further realization of the development of the perspective structure "Ateshgyakh - Yanan Tava - Mugan-Deniz" has agreed with paying out of relevant compensation to the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan, the Vice-President of the SOCAR Mr. Khoshbakht Yusifzade has informed.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The Marketing and Economic Operations Office (MEOO) of the SOCAR exported 61.018 thou tons of oil products on January.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: On January the SOCAR and the JC organized with its sharing produced 758.8 thou tons of oil and this is by 2.4% or 17.9 thou tons higher than it had been planned. As Media-Press has been informed in the SOCAR, the share of companies of the SOCAR made 680.4 thou tons (a growth makes 0.4%), the joint companies produced 78.5 thou tons (a growth makes 23.7%).
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: Russia is interested in participation in privatization of the electric power objects of Azerbaijan, the Minister of Energy Mr. Igor Yusufov has informed journalists about this.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: Today the official visit of the President of Azerbaijan Mr. I. Aliyev to the RF started with the meeting with the Ministry of Defense of the RF Mr. Sergey Ivanov. The negotiations were held in the official residence of the President of Azerbaijan in Cremlin.
BAKU.06.02.2004. MEDIA-PRESS: The Azerbaijan-American maneuvers in the Caspian Sea do not cause troubles in Moscow. The Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mr., the Special Envoy of the President of the RF on the Caspian sharing problems, Mr Victor Kalyuzni has said.
BAKU.06.02.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The strategic partnership of Moscow and Baku "is not limited by any time frameworks and not dictated by the foreign conjuncture". The first Deputy Foreign Minister of the RF Mr. Valeri Loshinin has declared this to ITAR-TASS in connection with the visit of the President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev to Russia.
"This tragedy killed a many lives and there are many victims, - Mr. I. Aliyev has said. This is the great human sorrow and I understand all heaviness of the Russians".
"Receive the deepest condolences with wishes of the soonest convalescence to injured", - Mr. I. Aliyev has said.
THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN HAS DECLARED THAT HIS COUNTRY WOULD BE FAITHFUL TO THE COURSE FOR THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH RUSSIA
"Russia is the strategic partner of Azerbaijan and we are faithful to the partnership and will further develop constantly this course", - Mr. I. Aliyev has today during the negotiations with the President of the RF Mr. V. Putin in Moscow.
He has estimated relations with Russia as "successful, dynamic and all-sided".
By the words of Mr. I. Aliyev, Moscow and Baku have "full mutual understanding on bilateral issues, regional cooperation problems, similar approaches in many international problems".
As Mr. I. Aliyev has declared, "those processes, which occur in our relations for the last three years, let to confirm that dynamics and progressive development of them would be continued".
"We are concerned in this", - Mr. I. Aliyev has emphasized.
He thanked Mr. V. Putin for the hospitality and an opportunity for being in Moscow.
Opening the negotiations with the President of Azerbaijan, the President of the RF Mr. Vladimir Putin has noted especially the intensity of bilateral dialogue on the security problems.
"We discuss security problems in the Caucasus region, problem of fighting against terrorism constantly and on different levels", - Mr. V. Putin has said. As the President of the RF has noted, "this cooperation would be on behalf of the peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan.
Mr. V. Putin said tha "for the last years, particularly two years, relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have developed very intensively and are on enough high level today".
The Russian President has noted that for the last two years, the growth in goods turnover between both the countries "exceeded 50% annually in average".
Mr. V. Putin has informed as well that Moscow and Baku "jointly think about realization about realization of the joint projects including the fuel-energy field".
The President of Russia has expressed the hope that "the first large seminar on the Russian-Azerbaijan cooperation would become the important stage in the development of our relations".
Mr. V. Putin as well has noted the constant character of the political dialogue of Moscow and Baku, praised "the constant and intensive work of the intergovernmental commission, regular mutual interaction of governments of both the countries".
THE BUS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND GREECE MAY BE OPENED IN THE NEXT TIME
As the agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan" has been informed in the Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan, both the countries show their interest to the organizing this route. "Principally, we and the Greek side are interested in the opening of the bus trip between Azerbaijan and Greece, what was discussed during recent visit of the delegation of the experts of the Ministry of transport of Greece to Baku", - the official of the Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan has said.
By his words, "during the visit of the Greek experts the negotiations on a level of the working group on agreeing the final version of the project of the agreement on the international car traffic and cargo transportation between two countries were conducted and practically no open questions on the project of the document have not remained.
"Greece is interested maximally in the strengthening of the economical relations with Azerbaijan including opening of the international bus route in the next time though the realization of the project is possible only since the signing of the relevant agreement, - the official of the Ministry has said.
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MAY RECOMMEND TO ARMENIA TO LEAVE FROM FIVE REGIONS OF AZERBAIJAN
"The question is about acceptance of the report of the expert on the South Caucasus Mr. Per Garton as the resolution. The report tells about the necessity of leaving of the Armenia troops from five Azerbaijan regions and the restoration of the railway communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan", - the Chief of the Azerbaijan Representation in the EU Mr. Arif Mamedov has said.
By the words of the diplomat, the given amendment has been fixed in the Mr. P. Garton's report in the end of January at the sitting of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Security despite the opposition of the official Yerevan and Armenian lobby.
"The execution of this recommendation would allow improve the mutual relations between Baku and Yerevan and as well promote the development of the transport route between these countries and Europe", - he has said.
Mr A. Aliyev has emphasized that the opposition of Yerevan to this recommendation prove to the international community that the declarations of the Armenian chiefs about the blockade of Armenia being carried out by Azerbaijan and Turkey and necessity of adjustment of economic cooperation with Azerbaijan do not go out of frameworks of populism.
Mr. P Garton suggests tos restore the railway between Baku and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic separated from the main part of the country by the territory of Armenia"). The expert notes that withdrawal of the Armenians troops from five occupied regions of Azerbaijan, through which this way should pass by is required for this.
AZERBAIJAN MAY DENOUNCE THE CONTRACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOLD FIELD
By his words, the American company has the last chance for executing the contract conditions. In the opposite case Azerbaijan would begin negotiations with the new investors.
Now the active work on attraction of investors for the development of the new fields of gold is going on, the Minister has said and added that there are not a few investors, which show their interest to the Azerbaijan gold bearing fields. Particularly, the Indian specialists conduct the research works on some areas. The question is about new gold fields in the Dashkesan region (350 km to the west from Baku), supplies of which are estimated in 100 - 150 tons. The Minister has noted that the results of the laboratory studies conducted by the foreign specialists showed larger content of gold in mine than ones done by the Azerbaijan specialist.
As soon as the issue on the development of new fields is adjusted, it may be decided, whether to break the cotract with R.V. Investment Group or start the negotiations on attraction of new investors.
By the present time Azerbaijan has signed only one contract on the development of the gold-bearing fields. It has been signed on Agust 21, 1997 between the state concern "Azergizil" liquidated now and R.V. Investment Group Service LLS (51% - the Azerbaijan side, 49% - the American). The American side took a reliability to allocate about $500 MM in the project, however, it invested only $6.8 MM to the works and then froze the contract for prices for gold were down. Despite the present growth in prices for gold, R. V. Investment Group still has not started the development of the field.
THE MINISTRY OF ECOLOGY OF AZERBAIJAN HAS BROUGHT 20 ACTIONS AGAINST COMPANIES NOT KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS
By his words, 20 actions have been brought against companies including such large ones as the oil Company Salyan Oil, JC "Garadag Cement" and some local oil and gas production offices. As well Mr. Bagirov has informed that the Ministry has prepared the documents against the Company BP-Azerbaijan. "All papers were given to the company and the issue would be adjusted if their side show the readiness for paying out fines. In an opposite case, we shall bring an action", - the Minister has said. By his said a total of fine sanctions to BP-Azerbaijan may to vary from 500 MM up to 1 bn manats.
THE MINISTRY OF ECOLOGY OF AZERBAIJAN WOULD DETERMINE THE OIL CONTAMINATED AREAS ON THE ABSHERON PENINSULA
We shall note that the WB intends to allocate $14 - 15 MM for cleaning the oil-contaminated lands of the Absheron region, where the main onshore oil and gas fields of Azerbaijan are situated. However, by the words of the Minister, it is supposed to divide the contaminated lands in sectors and attract the state, WB as well private sector representatives to the cleaning.
It is planned to start the realization of the contaminated Absheron Peninsula lands cleaning in 2005.
And it will not be the first similar project. As Media-Press has informed, the cleaning of 10 hectares of oil-contaminated lands is conducted already. $5.1MM has been allocated for recultivation of them. The given work is the constituent part of the Urgent Ecological Investments Programs (UEIP) by a cost of $24.5 MM. Besides it includes the projects of cleaning the territory of the Sumgayit Plant of the Surface Active Substances from the mercury contaminations, improvement of the ecological management and dangerous wastes managing. The fishery plant in Neftechala has been built also within frameworks of the UEIP.
Besides of the WB, the government of Azerbaijan, grants of the Japanese government and British Know-How Fund support the the UEIP.
IN AUTUMN THE CASPIAN SHIPPING COMPANY RECEIVES TWO TANKERS OF NEW GENERATION WITH A DEADWEIGHT BY 12 THOU TONS
The tankers would be equipped by the double body and be able to transport simultaneously two kinds of the oil products. The Russian ship-building plant "Krasnoye Sormovo" carries out the construction of the ships for means of the CSC.
We shall remind that the past yea else two tankers with a deadweight by 8 thou tons of each one were built on the same plant - "The Professor Aziz Aliyev" and "Jalil Mamedkulizade". These ships have as well the double body coating for prevention of oil pollutions in cases of accidents and correspond to the international navigation regulations; moreover their sizes were accounted for traveling over internal waters of Russia.
The total cost of the contract for all four tankers makes $44.5 MM.
There are 70 ships are on the balance of the CSC today; They include 35 tankers and 35 dry-cargo carriers. The past year the ships of the company transported 7.3 MM tons of oil and oil products at a total volume of cargo activities by 11.4 MM tons. The tanker fleet of the pipeline is able to transport up to 15 MM tons of oil and oil products. Since reception of two new ships in 2004, this rate would grow up to 18 MM tons annually.
THE SOCAR ITSELF INTENDS TO DEVELOP THE STRUCTURES, WHICH THE FOREIGN INVESTORS REFUSED OF
It the first turn the question is about the fields "Karabakh" and "Ashrafi", he has said. "Anyway, the works start not earlier than 2006 - 2007. For the present we should calculate investments, which are required for the development. If the decision is positive, we shall start from "Karabakh", - the Vice-President of the State Oil Company has noted.
The reasearches conducted on the mentioned fields, would be completed in the first quarter of the current year. "By their results and on a base of economic efficiency rates the decision on the development would be accepted", - the agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan" has been informed in the SOCAR.
The contract on the development of the structure "Karabakh" was signed in 1995 between the SOCAR (7.5%) and the companies Devon (1.3%), LUKoil (12.5%), Agip (5%), LUKAgip (45%). The exploration works showed the availability of hydrocarbon supplies by a volume of 40 MM tons, however this did not satisfy the companies. Up to $130 MM were allocated in the exploration works. The contract was denounced on February 29, 1999. The field "Karabakh" is is situated in the north zone of the Absheron Peninsula in 23 km to the North from the field "Azeri". The sea depth here reaches 180 m.
The contract on the development of the block "Ashrafi - Dan-Ulduzu" was signed in 1997 between 1997 (20%), BP (30%), Unocal (25.5%), Itochu (20%) and Delta HESS (4.5%). Small supplies of hydrocarbons were revealed here - about 20 - 40 MM tons. Moreover, "Ashrafi" became the first field in Azerbaijan opened by the foreign companies. The contract has lost its juridical force on March 7, 200.
The field "Ashrafi" is situated to the North of the Absheron Peninsula, to the West from "Karabakh". The sea depth within area of the structure makes 160 - 180 meters.
The foreign partners denounced six contracts from 22 ones on the development of the perspective structures signed by the SOCAR. Besides of two mentioned structures, the contracts on the development of the development of blocks "Lyankaran - Talish", "Oguz", "Muradkhanli" and "Kurdahsi" were denounced.
THE JAPANESE CONSORTIUM JAOC WOULD PAY OUT THE COMPENSATION FOR REFUSAL OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRUCTURE "ATESHGYAKH - YANAN TAVA - MUGAN - DENIZ"
By his words, the total of the compensation has not been negotiated for the present; it will be determined during the further negotiations.
As Media-Press had informed, the consortium including four Japanese companies failed in the first exploration well on the area "Yanan-Tava". For high stratum pressure the sinking was broken still before reaching the project depth. And after the drilling of the second exploration well JAOC announced that the revealed oil supplies are not profitable. After this the Japanese completed all operations on the project and closed their office in Baku.
The SOCAR agreed in a whole with the decision of the JAOC on leaving the project, nevertheless it regards that the Japanese did not execute their liabilities to the PSA. Disagreements of the former partners are explained by various approaches to the results of drilling of the first (uncompleted) exploration well. The officials of the SOCAR regard that if the drilling had not reached the project depth, this means that one of the contract conditions had not been executed. As the President of the SOCAR Mr. N. Aliyev declared, the Production Sharing Agreement provided that each drilled well should operate in accordance with its geological nomination and this occurs just then when the project depth and horizon open.
The State Oil Company already had met with the similar situation when the foreign company refused of continuation of the exploration of the perspective field. For example, the French TotalFinaElf had been forced to pay out the monetary compensation to the SOCAR by a total of $20 MM for the refusal of drilling of the second exploration well on the block "Lankaran - Talish-Deniz".
The contract for the exploration and development of the structure "Ateshgyakh - Yanan Tava - Mugan-Deniz" was signed between the SOCAR (50%) and the Japanese companies Itochu Oil (7.5%), Japex (22.5%), Teikoku (7.5%) and Inpex (12.5%) on December of 1998. The operation company JAOC was created on May 1999.
The contract area is situated in the coastal zone in the southern-western area of the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. The total area of the block makes about 500 sq.km. The sea depth makes 50 - 100 meters. The investments to the given project should make $2.3 bn. The supposed supplies of the hydrocarbons make 80 MM tons.
ON JANUARY THE MEOO OF THE STATE OIL COMPANY OF AZERBAIJAN EXPORTED 61.018 THOU TONS OF OIL PRODUCTS
As Media-Press has been informed in the SOCAR, the diesel fuel made the largest export volume. 41.041 thou tons of it was delivered to the purchasers. 17.923 thou tons of the car benzene, 1.529 thou tons of the aircraft kerosene, 474 tons of butane and 52 tons of furnace fuel were sold on the foreign markets.
The SOCAR exported 348.095 thou tons of oil by the pipeline Baku - Novorossisk. We shall remind that in the current year the pumping volumes by his route remain as before and make 2.5 MM tons. The tariffs on the Azerbaijan oil pumping by the "Northern" route make $15.67 per a ton. (For the comparison: tariff or the Azerbaijan oil transit transportation by the pipeline Baku - Supsa makes $2.7 for a ton)/
The pipeline Baku - Novorossiisk was put into operation on October 25, 1997; annually the SOCAR exports 2.5 MM tons of oil by it. For this year the volume of the pumping is planned on the former level. In accordance with the intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan signed on January 1999, it is automatically prolonged every year, if one of sides does not inform the second one before half a year up to date of expiry about the intension of its denunciation. Every five years the sides may to make changes in the agreement by mutual agreeing.
THE SOCAR PRODUCED 758.8 THOU TONS OF OIL ON JANUARY
In accordance with the predictions, in 2004 the oil production in Azerbaijan would make 15.45 MM tons and the SOCAR's share makes 8.75 MM tons and the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) produce 6.7 MM tons; 9.2 MM tons of oil would be exported. 6.7 MM tons would be pumped by the route Baku - Supsa and 2.5 MM tons - by the route Baku - Novorossiysk.
RUSSIA IS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING OF THE ELECTRIC POWER OBJECTS OF AZERBAIJAN, THE MINISTER OF ENERGY OF THE RF HAS SAID
"RJC "EES Rossii" is interested in purchasing both the objects of generation and network ones, - he has said. It presents a great concern for us. We only expect for legal base foundation for acceptance of such decisions in Azerbaijan", - the Minister has noted.
By the opinion of Mr.I. Yusufov, Azerbaijan is very attractive for Russia, because "the dynamically growing economics confirms that electric power demands grow". Moreover, "our energetic systems operate by common technical standards, common equipment is used", - Mr. Yusufov has said. "I think, this trend of cooperation would be successful", - he has said.
RUSSIA IS READY FOR ANY SCALES OF MILITARY-TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN
"We discussed issues of military and military-technical cooperation and situation in the hot places", - the Ministry of Defense of Russia has said after the meeting. A number of measures "on stabilization of the cooperation in the field of BTC is planned, - he has said.
The official of the Chief Office of the International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of the RF Lieutenant General Albert Druzinin has emphasized at the meeting with the Azerbaijan journalists on the eve of the visit of Mr. I. Aliyev, that "Russia is ready for any scales of military-technical cooperation with Azerbaijan and does not see any limitations for itself in this"
MOSCOW DO NOT WORRY FOR THE AZERBAIJAN-AMERICAN MANEUVERS IN THE CASPIAN SEA - THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION HAS DECLARED
"This is the right of the state to choose a way of its security ensuring", - he has said.
Mr. V. Kalyuzni has reminded that these maneuvers are held mainly against terrorism including the oil objects. "Azerbaijan is the most real participant in the works on the oil shelf in the Caspian Sea so has a full right to solve its security issues within frameworks of its sector", - he has said and emphasized that these maneuvers are "purely practical, technological and not a political issue".
THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE RF: "THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP OF MOSCOW AND BAKU IS NOT DICTATED BY THE EXTERNAL POLITICAL CONJUNCTURE
"The visit of young and vigorous Azerbaijan leader, his negotiations with the President of Russia Mr. V. Putin, the other Russian chiefs give a sureness that the strategic partnership would receive else one important impulse", - the high-ranked Russian diplomat regards.
Mr. Valerii Loshinin has noted "good adjusted practice of foreign political consultations". By his words, "there are serious developments in the joint opposition to terrorism, illegal drugs turnover, transnational organized criminality". The Russian diplomat has called searches for "mutual accepted decision on Nagorny Karabakh adjustment" as the significant trend of the cooperation". "We consider as our duty to render intermediary promotion to the sides in adjustment of the conflict", - he has said.
"The especial attention is paid for the economic sphere", - Mr. V. Loshinin has said. By his words, "there are great plans for the development of the interaction in the fuel-energetic complex including transportation of the Azerbaijan oil by the Russian territory".
