CASPIAN FISH TO LAUNCH TIN PRODUCTION

AssA-Irada News Digest, March 30, 2002

 

Caspian Fish, under operation since February 2001, has contributed $56 million to the development of fish industry and is expected to allot $60 million more, the company said Saturday.

It is planning to launch production of tinned fish, which will put Azerbaijan into the same output level with neighboring Iran and Russia.

 

AZERBAIJAN'S FISH PRODUCTION TO HIKE SOON

AssA-Irada News Digest, March 30, 2002

 

The construction of a new powerful enterprise to breed 15 million of young sturgeons will start soon, Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources Hussein Baghirov told a news conference. A contract has already been signed with Ferrostal and the construction company of Azerenergy, he said. The construction will be completed within 11 months.

According to him, fish growing enterprises in Azerbaijan is under supervision of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. Maintenance and repair work has been finished recently in one of the fisheries, while in a second overhaul is completing and in a third a draft of enhancing production capacities is being developed.

The minister hoped that Azerbaijan was able to supply the Caspian with as much fish as Iran and Russia do following the commissioning in Neftchala.

 

Industrialists of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to develop cooperation

525-ci Qazet, March 30, 2002

 

The delegation of the heads of the biggest industrial comàanies of Uzbekistan will negotiate with their Azerbaijani partners over the development of the bilateral cooàeration during their visit to Baku. The visit will start on April 2 and will last a week. The delegation will include the representatives of Tashkent Tractor Factory, UzbDaewooAuto, UzbSunkochAuto, Compressor Factory, etc. Abdughafur Abdurahmanov, Uzbekistan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, told TURAN they would negotiate with the heads of the Baku Air Conditioner joint-stock comàany over the joint production of air conditioners in Uzbekistan and the joint production of compressors in Azerbaijan. The representatives of the Uzbek comàanies making (assembling) cars will negotiate over the import of cars, lorries, and buses into Azerbaijan. They will also bring uà an issue of making separate spare àarts for Uzbek cars in Azerbaijan. The Uzbek diplomat commented on the level of the trade and economic relations between the two countries. He said that level was very low, and the two states should certainly do their best to develop those relations both at the level of the governments and at the level of comàanies involved in economy

AZERBAIJAN ABLE TO HARNESS WIND POWER

AssA-Irada News Digest, March 29, 2002

 

Specialists from Azerenergy joint stock company and workers of scientific research and projecting institutions are pursuing active wok to develop use of renewable and ecologically friendly sources of energy.

“Azerbaijan, especially Absheron Peninsula, has unique means to harness wind power, with many windy days to secure effective operation of wind power stations”, chief engineer of Azerenergy Azer Khammadov says. There are some reasons why generation of untraditional ways of power could be useful, he said.

Most of Azerbaijan’s territories are highland regions, where reconstruction of electricity transmission lines still remains a costly challenge. Moreover, Nakhchivan has been in blockade by Armenia for over 10 years, lacking energy resources. On the other hand, refugees are getting insufficient energy supplies.

Azerenergy is developing a long-term energy boost conception in Azerbaijan. Economic analyses show energy needs will grow by 3-4% by 2010 due to the country’s transition to market economy with opening of new enterprises. Therefore, introduction of new capacities, especially based on ecologically friendly energy sources, is still a topical target, A. Khammadov said.

 

REGIONAL DRIED FRUIT PRODUCTION EXPECTED

AssA-Irada News Digest, March 28, 2002

 

Books “Perspective development of dried fruit production in Azerbaijan in Shaki and Zagatala regions” and “Agricultural and economic map of Shaki and Zagatala” were presented in a ceremony Thursday.

The books were published as part of the project “Preparation for establishment of an association of dried fruit producers in Shaki-Zagatala region” implemented with financial support from the USAID and the Azerbaijan Branch of the Eurasian Foundation.

President of the “Dirchalish” (recovery) Foundation for Economic Researches Vasib Sadykhov has said that 70 farmers and small entrepreneurs attended training courses in Zagatala organized by the foundation. The choice of the region for producing dried fruits was due to its remoteness from capital Baku and some problems arising from transportation of fresh fruits, while production of dried fruits is a facile process of processing agricultural goods.

The key marketing place for dried fruits will be neighboring Georgia, he said.

 

AZERI CHEMISTRY ACCESSING NEW REGIONAL MARKETS

AssA-Irada News Digest, March 25, 2002

 

A joint Azeri-Latvian venture, Azbalt, has recently been set up in lieu of Latvian Baltpas in Riga, “Azerkimya” (Azerbaijan chemistry) state concern said in a statement Monday.
Market researches are being held to study the assortment and need for the products by the Azeri concern in Latvia and neighboring nations.
Initial data suggest that there is a great demand for polyethylene, Azeri-made iso-propylene spirits awarded with the international Europe’s Arch, antifreeze and other products. The production of polyethylene covers will be launched shortly, the concern reported.
Up-to-date technological equipment will be installed in the enterprise to manufacture and process new chemical substances.
The joint venture will enable Azerbaijan to regulate marketing of Azeri chemical products in West and North European markets, organize new productions using raw materials and semi-finished goods of Azerkimya and reduce the share of transport outlays in production cost, which is an important factor for price formation.
A special site has been allotted for the concern in Riga that will be either leased or purchased by the state concern of Azerbaijan.
The Latvian Baltpas owns the lion’s share of Riga Seaport.*

 

Fourteen companies from Azerbaijan participating in the 9th world exhibition for tourism

525-ci Qazet, March 28, 2002

 

"The IX World Exhibition and Fair for Tourism opened in Moscow today. Fourteen comàanies from Azerbaijan have a joint booth under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Tourism (MYST) for the first time there. The list of those comàanies includes firms and hotels," Natig Mammadov, Chief of the Head Deàartment for Tourism of the MYST, told TURAN. The booth will tell the visitors about the national peculiarities of Azerbaijan, and about the oààortunities of tourism here. The exhibition will end on March 30. Comàanies from 227 countries are taking àart in it.

 

Azeri environmentalists accuse Armenian of dumping waste into Aras River
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Mar 28, 2002

 

Naxcivan, 27 March: The Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry of the Naxcivan [Autonomous Republic] has completed laboratory tests of the River Aras. An employee of this ministry, Samir Abdullayev, said that the results of the tests turned out to be frustrating.

As a result of industrial and other waste being discharged into the Aras River from Armenian territory, the content of poisonous substances in the river is four to five times higher than the norm. [Passage omitted: more details]

Source: Turan news agency, Baku, in Russian 1700 gmt 27 Mar 02

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

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Azeri paper says poor legislation harms advertising market
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Mar 28, 2002

 

Text of Samir Neymanoglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 28 March entitled "The advertising problem of the media"

The papers should now try to restore this market

The country's press has lately been discussing the issue of receiving privileged credits. When this issue was put on the agenda, the subject of guaranteeing credits with assets became topical. The main reason for raising this issue so sharply stems from the fact that the media does not have enough income to pay their debts. The main reason that the media is facing such a deplorable situation is due to the fact that it has been deprived of its main source of income - adverts.

In Western countries, newspapers obtain 70 per cent of their income from adverts. At a ceremony devoted to the jubilee of Russia's Izvestiya newspaper, the newspaper management said that 65 per cent of the paper's income was from adverts. We can say with confidence that Azerbaijan does not have such a lucky newspaper which would receive half of its income from adverts.

The turnover of the advertising market in Azerbaijan is less than 1m dollars at the moment. For comparison, we should say that Estonia's income from adverts was 55m dollars, whereas this figure was 8m dollars in Azerbaijan. The main reason for the reduction of income from adverts is the current monopolistic tendency in the country. The main factor for the reduction of income is the current law "On advertisements". According to the current law, if funds allocated for adverts exceed 2 per cent of the income, they cannot be included in expenses. This figure is 15-20 per cent in other countries, which is why this decision is unfair. In addition, the current law completely bans tobacco advertising and limits alcohol advertising.

In spite of the fact that the country's advertising market is small, the current situation could have helped the newspapers' financial situation. But the advertisement censorship imposed by the government makes it impossible. The fact that advertisers are to some extent close to the authorities has resulted in adverts vanishing from the papers. The increase in the number of TV channels in recent years and their affiliation to the authorities have resulted in adverts being transferred from the papers to TV screens. The serious struggle to get the ABA TV company closed down in fact caused serious damage to the country's advertising market and budget. ABA placed its adverts during commercial breaks on Russian TV channels, now Moscow is carrying out this function. Transnational companies, which cannot cross the borders of other Russian regions from Moscow, can now easily reach Azerbaijani viewers.

Source: Azadliq, Baku in Azeri 28 Mar 02 p 10

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

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Azeri media to be given 3.5m dollars in loans, prime minister says
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Mar 27, 2002

 

Text of Sovqi Vaqifqizi report by Azerbaijani newspaper Sarq on 27 March entitled "Credit will total 17bn manats"

Artur Rasizada: "We are looking into the possibility of granting credits to every media outlet"

Issues concerning the allocation of credits for mass media outlets are being examined.

Prime Minister Artur Rasizada said that the procedure for the allocation of credits to the mass media outlets has been finalized. The prime minister said that the credit will amount to 17bn manats [3.5m dollars].

"We are looking into the possibility of granting credits to every media outlet in line with Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev's decree," Rasizada said, adding that the credits will be given soon. However, the prime minister did not divulge any details.

Source: Sarq, Baku, in Azeri 27 Mar 02 p 3

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

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