By Vestnik Kavkaza
The Baku newspaper “Khalg Gazeti” reports that recently a protocol on realization of the agreement on cooperation between the Sverdlovsk Region and Azerbaijan has been signed in Yekaterinburg at the fifth international industrial exhibition “Innoprom 2014.” The agreement was signed in spring 2014 during a visit of a Sverdlovsk delegation headed by the governor Yeugeny Kuibyshev to Baku. The agreement touches on such problems as construction of a trade logistic center for fruit and vegetables in the Sverdlovsk region, experience exchange between the countries in the healthcare sphere, and intensification of trade-economic cooperation. The agreement will operate in 2014-2016.
The vice-premier of the Sverdlovsk Region, Alexei Orlov, noted that in March various projects in the sphere of transport engineering and the pipeline industry were discussed, and today they are being implemented. “Construction of the logistics center for fruit and vegetables is crucial for us. The project is of high importance both for Azerbaijan and for our region, regarding providing the population with fresh fruit and vegetables from Azerbaijan,” the vice-premier stressed. He also stated that huge work had already been done: information on demand for vegetable stores in the Sverdlovsk Region was collected, Azerbaijani experience in organization of logistics centers was studied.
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“Armenia and NATO searching for new ways of cooperation” is an article by the Armenian daily newspaper “Business Express.” It tells about the conference “New Challenges of NATO Security”, which was held in Yerevan by the local Analytical Center of Globalization and Regional Cooperation. The role of NATO in providing contemporary security and preventing new problems was discussed at the conference. Foreign and Armenian experts, foreign ambassadors to Armenia, social organizations, state facilities, and MPs took part in the conference.
Despina Afentouli, NATO Public Diplomacy Officer for Armenia, stated after the conference that the Transatlantic organization continues individual cooperation with members of the CSTO, including Armenia, notwithstanding relations between the alliance and Russia. According to her, NATO partners decide on cooperation with the alliance and realization of joint programs independently. The NATO official stated that the accession of Armenia to the EaEU doesn’t prevent cooperation with the alliance. Afentouli also stressed that the alliance respects Armenia’s foreign political choice, and NATO top officials had many times stated that.
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Georgia is gradually ending subsidies for grape producing. Earlier, subsidies were cancelled for red grapes, but now there are statements that they will be cancelled for white grapes as well. The head of the National Wine Agency, Levan Davitashvili, told Business Georgia about the reasons for the step. He explained that last year red grape prices were sufficiently high, while its demand surpasses last year's demand by 50%, and there is no need for subsidies. As for white grapes, they expect a big harvest. However, in the export structure red wine is more in demand, and it is expected that next year the volume of subsidies for white grapes will be reduced, and later they will be cancelled. Davitashvili also stated that this year the grape harvest will grow 20-30% in comparison with last year. In 2013, wine producing plants processed about 92 thousand tons, which is twice as much as in 2012. It is expected that industrial processing will grow 20-30% this year.
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Dagestanskaya Pravda relied on evaluations of scientists and experts and reported that the republic would be satisfied with all amendments to the Federal Law on Aquaculture (Fishing) which required serious supporting measures for fish breeders. They will help the region to become one of the leaders in fish breeding in the country.
Dagestan has vast opportunities for development of fish breeding. The republic has 43 thousand hectares of breeding reservoirs, 6 thousand hectares of lake commercial farms, and more than 8 thousand hectares of pond commercial farms. However, in general these facilities are abandoned. The average capacity of the breeding ponds has reduced 400%-600% in comparison with the 1980s.
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“The towers in the mountains of Ingushetia are historic monuments of federal importance. They are a national legacy, they are protected by the state, and nobody can settle in the conservation area, especially pasturing and farming there,” the newspaper “Ingushetia” cited the head of the region Yunus-Bek Yevkurov.
Families who settled there in the 1990s and “privatized” historic monuments which were built by their ancestors are a headache for the authorities of the republic. The newspaper reports that many ruins of military and residential towers are used as cattle yards. Today on the territory of the Erzi State Conservation Area several thousand sheep and cows are pastured. Trespassers on the conservation area ignore prescripts issued by the administration of the area.
