By Vestnik Kavkaza
Dagestanskaya Pravda notes that 2014 was rather successful for the republic in socio-economic development. The newspaper writes that in 2014 the republic got the defense order which determined positive development in the industry and set a trend which continued till the end of the third quarter. However, by the end of the year devaluation of the national currency and corresponding problems of economic stagnation leveled down the growth. At the same time, the article expresses assurance that participation of industrial enterprises of the region in the state programme on import displacement could solve the problem, and the positive trend in the context of the deepening economic crisis could be continued.
Another significant project for the republic was providing a major investment project in the south of the country – the Caspian Sheet Glass Plant (10.5 billion rubles).
According to the article, launching several agricultural enterprises deserves attention: stock breeding complexes, poultry farms, storage facilities, mechanized transport stations, and so on. Viniculture is developing positively. 2015 is declared to be the Year of Gardening. The republic intends to restore the food canning industry, which used to be developed in Dagestan. There is a positive trend in greenhousing.
Finally, another important event is the Russian government’s act on initial measures on providing advance development of the Republic of Dagestan. It requires implementation of arrangements within state, federal, departmental target programmes and advance development of certain sectors – healthcare, education, and tourism. The programme requires support of agricultural production, encouragement of import displacement in agriculture in 2015-2016 and many other acute problems of Dagestan’s development.
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Yeni Zaman Azerbaijani newspaper publishes an article devoted to scientific and humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan. According to the newspaper, today the two countries have many economic, cultural, scientific, and spiritual ties.
Looking at the history of Russian-Azerbaijani relations in their humanitarian and scientific aspects, many significant events and phenomena can be noted in the common two-century-long history. There were Russian scholars, founders of Russian Oriental Studies. One of them was Mirza Kazym-bek, professor of St. Petersburg and Kazan Universities; outstanding “Ashik Kerib” by Mikhail Lermontov, which was based on an Azerbaijani legend; touching poems devoted to Baku by Sergei Yesenin. In 1837 the pioneer of Azerbaijani realism Mirza Fatali Akhundov who found out about Alexander Pushkin’s death wrote the poem headlined “For the Poet’s Death”, which was a response to the grievous loss of the Russian people.
At the moment governments of the two countries signed more than 100 intergovernmental and international agreements. Most of them touched on the humanitarian sphere. These are agreements on cultural and scientific cooperation, cooperation in the sphere of merit rating of scientists and tutors of the highest level, scientific and technical cooperation, activity of information and cultural centers, information cooperation, and so on. Azerbaijan continues paying attention to the Russian language in the sphere of information exchange. The country managed to preserve not only studying Russian, but also teaching pupils and students in Russian. Andrei Fursenko, being the Minister of Education and Science of Russia, visited a secondary school in Azerbaijan and talked to pupils and teaches of Russian and Azerbaijani sectors. He pointed out the verbal intelligence in the Russian of Azerbaijani pupils. The minister ordered to provide Azerbaijani schools with 310 kinds of books and textbooks in Russian.
In June 2014 the National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan (NASA) and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences signed an agreement on extension of scientific ties and prospects of cooperation. The document requires joint studies in the sphere of natural and humanitarian sciences, training of experts, and joint organization of conferences and seminars.
Last year scientists of the Institute of Geology of NASA and their Russian colleagues started research on modern geodynamics and oil and gas richness of the Caucasus region. Works were carried out in the Talysh, Shamakh, Gubin and Lagich Regions of Azerbaijan. The research works will continue in 2015, their results will complement results of general studies of the Caucasus geology.
Historians of Russia and Azerbaijan decided to establish a jointed historic club. Representatives of MSU n. a. M.V. Lomonosov, the Russian State University for Humanities, the Center of Caucasus Studies of the RSUH visited Baku and agreed with their Azerbaijani colleagues on preservation of a common historic space through establishing new dialogue platforms, development of scientific and information communications.
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According to News-Georgia, investment in the country’s sector of oil and gas production exceeded $135.4 million in the country in two years. 80 thousand tons of oil and 11.6 million cubic meters of gas were produced during the period. In November 2010 Georgia announced an open international tender on the general license for exploration and extraction of oil and gas in licensed fields. The fields were situated in Eastern Georgia in the Akhaltsikhi, Aspindzi, Akhlkali, Ninotsmidi, Dmanissi, Tsalki and Borzhomi Regions. At the moment mining is providing in 25 licensed fields by 12 companies from various countries of the world.
In 2013 net profit of the Georgian Gas and Oil Corporation grew by 16% in comparison with 2012 to 94.3 million lari ($53.3 million). The growth of gas sales profit of GOGC was 4%, gas pipeline transportation profit – 8%, oil transport revenues – 3%. One of priority projects for GOGC was construction of the combined thermal power station in Gardabani (Eastern Georgia). By the end of 2014 GOGC spent almost $113 million on implementation of the project. The construction is planned to be finished by the end of 2015. GOGC predicts increase of EBITDA by 50%, after its launching.
In 2014 GOGC replaced 500-mm pipes by 700-mm pipes in the Gori-Kareli part of “East-West” gas pipeline. It increased capacity of the pipeline.
Similar works were provided at a 23-km part of the Zestafoni-Kutaisi pipeline and a 25-km part of the Kakheti branch of the Rustavi-Sagaredzho pipeline (Eastern Georgia). At the moment reconstruction of a 24-km part of the Krasny Most-Marneuli pipeline is being provided. It will be completed by February 2015, according to the periodical.
