Author: VK
Azerbaijani media report on the Azerbaijani-American forum "Looking to the Future" held in Baku. The event was attended by a large group of U.S. congressmen and experts composed of 75 people.
According to the "Azerbaijan" newspaper, speaking at the opening ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev noted that from the very first days of its independence, Azerbaijan has established an important cooperation with the U.S. in various fields. American companies have become major investors in Azerbaijan, which has played an important role in the transition to a market economy. Today the basis of the bilateral US-Azerbaijani relation is both the economic issues and the security issues. The President referred to the participation of Azerbaijan in the peace processes in Afghanistan, as well as the contribution of the Republic in the fight against terrorism.
Emphasizing the important role of the U.S. in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the President noted with regret that in this matter there are no results. "We believe”, the president said, “that in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group we will be able to find a way to a peaceful solution of the issue." Ilham Aliyev also touched upon the achievements of the republic in the field of communication and cooperation with other countries, the Council of Europe, NATO, the UN, the Islamic world, the freedom of the press and the Internet space. He emphasized the importance of "Southern Gas Corridor" for the energy security of European countries, as well as the diversification of energy sources.
"Echo" and "Mirror" newspapers published excerpts from the speeches of individual participants. For instance, a Congressman from New York, Gregory Meeks, noted that the delegation includes representatives of both the Republican and Democratic parties. This is an indication that the positions of both parties in Azerbaijan are the same.
A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives Bill Richardson said that Azerbaijan and the United States will continue to take steps to strengthen bilateral relations. According to him, Washington and Baku are building a good partnership in various fields. "We welcome the reform of Azerbaijan in economic and democratic spheres," Richardson said. In addition, he noted that the United States hopes for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar, recalling the contribution of the Republic in international operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, mentioned the American support of the democratic reforms in Azerbaijan. In his view, the implementation of democratic reforms is a stable development momentum.
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In Azerbaijan, the leading opposition forces agreed on the establishment of the National Council of the Democratic Forces. This event was dedicated to the national holiday of the Day of the Republic, in memory of the National Council of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic established on May 28, 1918.
According to the "Echo" newspaper, after consultation the agreement on the text of the founding declaration of NCDF and its composition was reached. It included more than 100 representatives of various opposition parties and movements. Writer Rustam Ibrahimbekov who initiated the creation of the National Council is sure that this association should consolidate the opposition to ensure the democratic presidential elections in October 2013. "We will try”, he said, “this time to achieve transparent, democratic elections, with the support of international organizations."
The main difference between the National Council of the democratic forces and all the unions and the opposition coalitions, which had been created earlier, is that it covers almost all the major opposition forces, the chairman of the EL movement Eldar Namazov said. The second feature, according to him, is that Azerbaijan has never had such a grand coalition on the eve of the presidential election. "Azerbaijan has already formed a negative trend when the coalition is created only on the eve of parliamentary elections, when there was a struggle for the 125 seats”, he explained. But when it came to the presidential elections, the opposition was split. At this time, we are seeing just the opposite trend.
"The Mirror" assesses the establishment of the National Council not as an attempt to change the government but as the revitalization of the protest electorate. Like many observers, the newspaper reports that it is only possible to cope with this task puttin forward a single candidate in the elections, although there may be difficulties with its definition.
A number of members of the National Council also recognized the importance of this issue. Thus, in an interview with the newspaper "Azadlig" Chairman of the "Popular Front" Ali Kerimli said: "The logic of ongoing political developments in the country requires of us as the National Council to participate in the election with a single candidate.
The representative of the "Yeni Azerbaijan" Party , deputy executive secretary, MP Siyavush Novruzov, commenting in the "Adalat" newspaper on the creation of the "National Council", recalled that the opposition has repeatedly created associations before, but they turned out to be futile. According to him, most likely, the current National Council will suffer the same fate.
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For the first time in the last five years executive authorities of Armenia practically do not face obstacles for the implementation of steps aimed at raising the domestic economy, the improvement of the living standards of citizens, tangible progress in the implementation of the planned reforms, according to the "Voice of Armenia" newspaper. All these years, the article says, the authorities were distracted from solving the pressing problems of the global financial and economic crisis and the contradictions within the coalition, because of which the government was constantly feverish, finally, the electoral marathon, which took the government at least a year. Now the question is how the government will take advantage of the favorable moment and dispose of a unique opportunity to act without regard to political processes.
However, according to the publication, according to the composition and structure of the new government, there is almost no cause for some optimism. The paper draws attention to the fact that the main focus of the structural and personnel changes in the government is not on strengthening the units responsible for the real economy. Meanwhile, it is able to solve most social problems, to revive the labor market and reduce the migration, provide new jobs, combine macroeconomic progress with progress in living standards.
Certain indifference on the part of the government to this sector is in the appointment of Vahram Avanesyan to the post of Minister of Economy. Although he worked as minister of economy in the late 90's, but he has much more experience as deputy minister of finance, and it is obvious that he is more competent in this field than in the production. According to the author, it is unlikely that Avanesyan considers the implementation of programs designed to stimulate the production sector to be the highest priority tasks of the ministry.
With regard to structural changes carried out by the Cabinet of Ministers, the only solution here was the introduction of a new ministerial post - "the head of the government". Ex-Finance Minister Vache Gabrielyan appointed to the post coordinates reforms in public administration, education and health. Without questioning the need for coordination in these areas, the author regrets that in this list, there was no place for the manufacturing sector. From all this, the author concludes that these appointments and conversions do not solve the main problems of the Armenian economy, such as unemployment, migration and poverty.
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The “Dagestani Pravda” newspaper reports that in recent times the government of the republic is seriously preoccupied with the state of viticulture and winemaking. At the height of the development of this industry the republic produced 380,000 tons of grapes annually, and the vineyards exceeded 65,000 hectares. Now the total vineyard area is only 20.6 million hectares, and a little more than 16 thousand of them produce fruit. In 2012, there were less than 60 tons grapes, and the average yield was only 37 quintals per hectare. Meanwhile, the newspaper reminds, the high profitability of this crop is proved by the fact that even with the current state of the industry, taking up less than 1% of the area of farmland, the industry brings to the budgets of all levels more than 10% of tax revenues.
According to the newspaper, helping viticulture and winemaking to reach a new stage in the republic presupposes creating effective agricultural holdings of grape growers and processors. To address the issue of quality seedlings, the need for which only in Dagestan is about 7 million units, a nursery is set up on the base of the state unitary enterprise "Red October" of the Sergokalinsky district for their cultivation, where Italian rootstock adapted to the conditions of Dagestan is grafted on the local one.
The Acting President of the Republic Ramadan Abdullatipov instructed to conduct a full audit of lands occupied by vineyards, to check farms focusing on market conditions, and in case of inefficient use to convey them to more skilled owners. Members of the Committee on Agrarian Policy of the National Assembly are acquainted with the situation on the ground, holding parliamentary hearings. As the head of the republic said at a meeting on the issue, republican authorities and federal government will help rebuilding the industry, but they will help those who are willing and able to work.
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The Russian "Club of Editors' held in Grozny field meeting attended by Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and the heads of the leading publications, correspondents of major news agencies, television stations and radio stations of the country. The local newspaper "Capital Plus" and "Republic News" tell us that at the meeting the head of the Chechen republic offered to ask him any, even the most hard-hitting questions, resulting in a sharp and frank dialogue, lasting more than four hours, during which Kadyrov responded to 72 question.
It is stated that at the meeting journalists asking questions addressed a variety of topics ranging from the filming of "Turquoise" in Grozny and to construction of an oil refinery, the boundaries between Ingushetia and Chechnya, the return of the Russian-speaking population, the wearing of headscarves, the abolition of unemployment in the region.
Answering the question about the possibility of his participation in the elections of the head of the region, Kadyrov said he had not yet made a decision about whether to run for the presidency of the republic for the next term, but expressed confidence that if it happens, he will be supported by more than 90% of voters.
As for the issue of excessive funding of the republic at the expense of other regions of the country, the president said that the majority of Russian regions are subsidized, and the Chechen Republic is only in 11th place on the subsidies. "However”, he added, “no one is talking about how many theaters, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, housing we have built, and I must say that much of the major projects were implemented by means of foreign investors."
Regarding the border with Ingushetia, Kadyrov said he will not allow the development of a conflict with the Ingush people over the disputed territories. At the same time he expressed the opinion that for the solution of this problem it is necessary to go back to the original positions, cancelling the subdivision from the Ingush side.
