Budget for 2002:
Government promises to compensate the repealed privileges
The package of the budget documents for 2002 that has been discussed for almost two weeks was approved by the Parliament of the country on November 15. It became known from the Parliament hearings that the budget income in 2002 will make 4 trillion 780 billion manats (16.6% of IGR),the expenditures will be 5 trillion 130 billion manats (17.8% of IGR), and deficit will be equal to 350 billion manats (1.2% of IGR).
The project of 2002 budget envisages the abolishment of over 12 privileges for the public utilities and other services provided to the veterans of the World War the II-nd and the Karabakh war, war invalids, victims’ families, forced migrants, etc.. (There is no information about any specific privileges. The list of these privileges is being clarified by the government). The amount of 140 billion manats has been foreseen for payment of compensation for the repealed privileges. The government promises the increase of the salaries to all workers of budget sphere and the increased pensions for the retired people. However, nothing has been reported about the level of the increase.
In connection with the law «On the State Service» for the first time the amount of 39.2 billion manats has been envisaged by the 2002 budget for payment for the qualification, seniority, additional bonuses and mandatory insurance.
As compared to the budget of 2001, the costs of 2002 connected with the maintaining legislative, executive and central executive bodies have been increased by 17.7% (47.6 billion manats).
The expenses for the defence have been increased by 69.2 billion manats, and the expenditures for the courts, security and legislative and the prosecutor’s office bodies will be by 86.6 billion manats higher than in 2001.
2 billion manats have been allocated for the restoration and planting the woods, 40 billion manats for the renewal of the train farm and purchase of the equipment for Baku sub-way, 35 billion manats for the restoration of the building of the Azerbaijan State Philarmony. 25 billion manats will be allocated for the municipality.
The head of the Parliament budget commission stressed that the budget for 2002 is not perfect, of course, and there are the reserves for finding additional sources to be contributed to the treasure house income. However, the tendency of rising income gives hope that the next year will a little be better than current year.
Ataman is happy ......
NATO’s Cooperative Determination training held for the first time in post-soviet space
 Azerbaijan is consequently moving towards the integration into Euroatlantic structures. And it is not sudden, that multi-national peace-making commanding headquarters computer training of Cooperative Determination-2001 for the first time held in the post-soviet took place namely in our country within the framework of the «Partnership in the Name of Peace» NATO’s program.
350 representatives of armies of 9 NATO countries, 9 member-countries of the «Partnership in the Name of Peace» program, and 4 quarters of NATO, UN, International Red Cross Committee took part at these training. 36 soldiers represented Azerbaijan in this training held in the educational centre of the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan.
The interrelation between the brigade headquarters and the battalion headquarters was trained. Though the main «events» were developing in the computer monitors the assistant head of the United commanding southeastern headquarters, Allan Deed, said about possible conduct of peace-making training with the personnel in Azerbaijan in the nearest future.
Despite of virtual nature of peace-making operation during the training, its humanitarian part was quite real. Thus, NATO’s 9 doctors and the support staff rendered medical aid to the Azeri refugees, located in Bilgya village.
«Upon completion of the Cooperative Determination-2001 its participants will be able to carry out all the procedures within the frames of peace-making operations and providing the humanitarian support as the members of the multi-national brigade», the head of the United commanding southeastern headquarters of NATO in Europe, the Army General, Oktar Ataman said.
The Nato general characterised the level of preparedness of Azeri soldiers who had participated in the training and the infrastructure represented by the Ministry of Defence as «rather high». Ataman highly estimated the actions of Azeri peace-making platoon within the Turkish battalion in Kosovo.
The sincere strive of Azerbaijan for cooperation with Euroatlantic structures finds positive estimation in the Nato circles. By providing its air corridor for the US planes in the course of the counter-terrorist operation in Afghanistan Azerbaijan has demonstrated openness to such partnership.
Iran:
Mejlis deputy attends Duma session on Caspian Sea legal regime
Moscow, 19 November: Visiting Iranian MP Hasan Qashqavi, who attended the Monday session [19 November] of Russian Duma, called 1921 and 1941 agreements between Iran and the former Soviet Union as the departure point and the basis for any future agreement on the Caspian Sea legal regime.
He added that Iran believes that the Caspian Sea legal regime should be determined on the basis of equal share of the seabed for all the littoral states.
"The Caspian Sea as the largest lake in the world has two precious resources in oil and caviar and is facing a serious environmental danger," he said.
The caviar production has dwindled to one-fourth, while sturgeon meat has been reduced by one-fifth, the MP underlined.
He also cautioned on environmental consequences of excavation and exploration activities by oil companies in the Caspian.
Any unilateral acts from any littoral states is illegal, Qashqavi said, adding: "This sort of acts cannot form the basis of claims by any of the littoral states."
Qashqavi said that sea resources is greatly affected if the necessary environment and technical regulations are not heeded during excavation and prospecting.
Russian deputy [foreign] minister and special envoy of President Vladimir Putin for Caspian Sea Affairs, Viktor Kalyuzhny, also referred to the need for determining the legal boundaries of the sea - adding regular contacts will facilitate in finding a solution to the problems.
Another Duma representative, Vladimir Zhirinovskiy, expressed hope that Iran and Russia will play a pivotal role in drawing up a Caspian sea legal regime.
Last week, Kalyuzhny stressed on the key role being played by Iran and Russia in settlement of the issues related to the Caspian Sea.
In a meeting with Iran's special representative on Caspian Sea, Mehdi Safari, he underlined the need to continue talks among the sea's littoral states for compilation of a legal regime for the sea.
The Russian official further stressed on maintaining the Caspian Sea as the sea of peace and friendship, as well as its role in the regional security and stability.
Meanwhile, the two officials called for holding the summit meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states as soon as possible.
Referring to key roles played by Iran and Russia in negotiations on the Caspian Sea legal regime, Kalyuzhny stressed on validity of 1921 and 1940 agreements.
As to importance of the Caspian Sea in Iran's foreign policy, Safari underlined the need to pay more attention to the issues related to the sea by the littoral states.
He further voiced Iran's readiness to cooperate with other littoral states of the sea on issues related to the regional environment and sea creatures resources.
The visit of the Russian vice-premier B. Khristenko to Azerbaijan: Details
November 14, Russian vice-premier B. Khristenko will arrive to Baku for meeting with the first vice-premier of Azerbaijan, Abbas Abbasov.
The parties will examine several documents, planned to be signed while the official visit of the president H. Aliyev to Moscow, dated to the end of January 2002. Among the documents, there are 10 years old program of economical cooperation between RF and AR, agreements on the status and joint exploitation of Qabala RLS between the border regions of 2 countries. The parties will also discuss the question of transportation of Azerbaijanian oil through the territory of Russia, participation of Russia in the project TRASEKA, the documents, related to the legal status of Azeris, living in Russia and Russians, living in Azerbaijan.
|
e-mail: webmaster@media-az.com