From: farid@mem.odu.edu (F. H. Miandoab)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: -->>> News - Azerbaijan <<<--
Date: 2 Oct 1992 00:46:47 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

The following news from Turan News Agency in  Baku - Azerbaijan
is brought to you as a service of the:

                  <Azerbaijan Aydinlig Association>
                         P.O. Box 14571
                       Berkeley, CA 94701
                      FAX: (804) 490-3832
                    Email: farid@mem.odu.edu

P L E A S E make a hard copy available to an Azerbaijani near you!
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   RUSSIAN-IRANIAN TRADE HAMPERED THROUGH BLOCKADE OF CAUCASIAN
   RAILWAY

      BAKU (30 SEPT) TURAN: During today's meeting with the
azeri ministers, yegor gaydar declared that russia was greatly
interested in lifting blockade of the railway linking azerbaijan
to yerevan.
      "The russian interest is accounted for by the fact that
blockade of the railway is hampering not only russian-azeri and
russian-armenian trade, but also putting obstacles on the way
of the iranian-russian commerce."
      After consultations with the azeri leadership, a decision
was made to convene a conference of heads of russian, azerbaijan
and armenian railway departments in moscow in the nearest future
to settle the question on lifting blockade from the azeri railway
branch running through the territory of the armenian region of
megry to the islamic republic of iran.
      Gaydar thinks it is necessary to enlist the co-operation
of the russian defence ministry's representatives in order to
safeguard the railway traffic when passing the territory of the
region of megry.
      " But the process of opening of the railway should not
replace the search for peaceful means to settle the karabakh
conflict", said gaydar.--0--


   AGREEMENT REPAIRS TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS AMONG
   AZERBAIJAN AND RUSSIA, BUT FAILS TO ADJUST ALL THE PROBLEMS

   BAKU (30 SEPT) TURAN: Azeri prime-minister pahim huseynov
said during the meeting with the russian acting premier gaydar
that the azeri-russian agreement on trade and economic
co-operation would help to adjust the question of 12 billion ruble
debt owed by the russian enterprises to azerbaijan for the republic's
deliveries in 1991-1992.
   In his turn, gaydar, responding to the question of the
director of the caspian steamship line ahmedov, on when the 12
million us dollars sitting in the account of this organization
in vneshyeconombank of russia would be unblocked, said this
account, in line with many other accounts, had been blocked
through the azeri refusal to pay off a part of the external
debt of the former ussr. Yegor gaydar made it perfectly clear
that unblocking of the accounts would be considered only in the
context of participation of the republic in paying off the
ex-ussr debt.--0--


  EVEN IF AZERBAIJAN REFUSES THE CIS MEMBERSHIP THAT WOULD
  NEVER POISON AZERI-RUSSIAN RELATIONS, SAYS GAYDAR

    BAKU (30 SEPT) TURAN: " We regard azerbaijan as the most
important economic partner. And russia would never use its
economic key factors to exert pressure on the republic", said
the russian acting premier yegor gaydar today during the meeting
with the azeri ministers.
   " Naturally, we would appreciate the azeri entry into the
cis as a full-member or an observer, but even if azerbaijan will
refuse the cis membership that is not going to poison the
azeri-russian relations. We shall treat any decision by the
azeri government with deep respect", he outlined.
   Touching upon the reached agreement on intergovernmental
trade and economic co-operation, yegor gaydar said " this
agreement creates the most favorable conditions to further
trade and economic relations among the establishments of our
states".
    Up to the present, the question on monetary settlements
among the two states remained the most principle and hard one.
But the agreement, signed today, provides opening of azerbaijani
accounts in russian banks in the regions, where azerbaijan has
his economic interests.
    Gaydar said that would help to settle the question on paying
off the russian outstanding debt for the azeri deliveries.
   "The aim of the agreement is to grant a right to russian and
azeri enterprises to build relations with each other by
themselves, proceeding from their mutual interests and without
somebody else's bidding", declared gaydar.
   Russian premier stressed the point that signing of the
azeri-russian custom agreement would simplify and stimulate
trade and economic links among both states. Besides that, it was
outlined that the need had arisen to act in concord in the
question of bank's rates of interest to ease settlements among
russia and azerbaijan.--0--


  PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN STANDS FOR REPRESENTATIVE CONFERENCE
  FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH

   BAKU (30 SEPT) TURAN: President abulfaz elchibey made a
statement boosting for holding in the nearest future the
representative conference of presidents of azerbaijan, armenia,
russia, kazakhstan, byelorussia and the csce representatives to
remove obstacles on the way of peaceful settlement of the
karabakh conflict.
   The statement regards the sochi ceasefire agreement as one of
the stages of political settlement of the conflict within the
principles of the csce.--0--


  THE STATE OF EMERGENCY PROLONGED

   BAKU (30 SEPT) TURAN: The state of emergency in the regions
of fizuli and jabrail adjoining nagorno-karabakh has been
extended by a month by the azeri president.
   The state of emergency was imposed in the region on august 21
due to a threat of armenian military break through the azeri
defences in this direction.--0--


  SECURITY MEASURES ENHANCED IN BAKU

    BAKU (30 SEPT) TURAN: This morning one could observe
heavy traffic jams on baku's streets adjoining the moscow avenue.
   The traffic was blocked as a result of the azeri police
"double insurance" measures taken to protect the security of the
russian acting premier gaydar and his escort driving from the
airport to the central baku along the avenue.--0--

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