Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

[Armanen]

Re: Baku: Armenia deal "casts shadow" on Turkey ties

The Azeris need to face up to the Nagorno-Karabakh's reality and Nagorno-Karabakh's lack of wider international recognition clearly needs to be addressed.

Azerbaijan and Armenia will have to hold talks and find a solution to this issue. However the bottom line is that the Azeris lost the war and ground that they don't control, they don't own. It's nearly impossible politically for Armenia to make territorial concessions or to permit Azeris resettlement, nor is it very likely.

However I do feel sorry for Azeri civilians displaced by the war, as obviously war is a cruel thing. Even if a late Uncle of mine lost a holiday villa in Cyprus when it was invaded by the thieving Turkish hordes.

Do you also feel sorry for the Armenians displaced from their homes in baku and other azeri controlled towns?

[retro]

Re: Baku: Armenia deal "casts shadow" on Turkey ties

The Azeris need to face up to the Nagorno-Karabakh's reality and Nagorno-Karabakh's lack of wider international recognition clearly needs to be addressed.

Azerbaijan and Armenia will have to hold talks and find a solution to this issue. However the bottom line is that the Azeris lost the war and ground that they don't control, they don't own. It's nearly impossible politically for Armenia to make territorial concessions or to permit Azeris resettlement, nor is it very likely.

However I do feel sorry for Azeri civilians displaced by the war, as obviously war is a cruel thing. Even if a late Uncle of mine lost a holiday villa in Cyprus when it was invaded by the thieving Turkish hordes.

[retro]

Re: Baku: Armenia deal "casts shadow" on Turkey ties

ANKARA, Turkey — One day after Turkey signed a deal the U.S. helped salvage to end a century of enmity with Armenia, Turkey's leader set a tough condition for normalizing ties on Sunday: Armenia must withdraw from the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The statement appeared to be an effort by Turkey to appease its close ally Azerbaijan, which said the new agreement will aggravate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nagorno-Karabakh is an Armenian-occupied enclave in Azerbaijan.

On Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the agreement to establish diplomatic ties with Armenia and reopen their border. He called such steps with a former bitter foe an "important step" that would lead to cooperation and dialogue.

However, Erdogan said the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute must be resolved to enable Turkey to take steps to normalize ties and for the deal to be approved by parliament. To take effect, the agreements must be ratified by the Turkish and Armenian parliaments, but the accord faces stiff opposition in both countries.

"We want all conflicts to be resolved and we want all borders to be opened at the same time," Erdogan said. "(But) as long as Armenia does not withdraw from occupied territories in Azerbaijan, Turkey cannot take up a positive position."

"If problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia are resolved the public would more easily accept Turkish-Armenian relations. Approval in the Turkish National Assembly would be so much easier," he said.

The agreement signed Saturday at a ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, would establish diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia and open the joint border, which was sealed after the 1993 Armenian invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh. The enclave is inhabited primarily by ethnic Armenians.

The ceremony went ahead after a last-minute hitch over Turkish and Armenian objections to language in statements to be read after the signing, was overcome — by having neither side make a statement.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hMIVhRL1IZsbsjcPwt34qFbwomhgD9B9179G1

[retro]

Baku: Armenia deal "casts shadow" on Turkey ties

BAKU (Reuters) - Azerbaijan said on Sunday a peace deal between Armenia and Turkey could threaten security in the region and "cast a shadow" over its relations with Ankara.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said a peace deal should not have been signed while Armenian troops remain in Nagorno-Karabakh, scene of a decades-old dispute between Armenia and traditional Turkish ally Azerbaijan.

Turkey cut ties and shut its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, which was then fighting a losing battle against Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh.

But Turkey and Armenia signed a landmark peace accord on Saturday to restore ties and open the shared border after a century of hostility stemming from the World War One mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces.

"The normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia before the withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied Azeri territory is in direct contradiction to the national interests of Azerbaijan," the Azeri Foreign Ministry said.

In a strongly worded statement, the ministry added the deal "casts a shadow over the fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, which are built on historical roots.

"Considering the importance of the opening of all borders and communication in the region, Azerbaijan believes the unilateral opening of the Turkey-Armenia border calls into question the architecture of regional peace and security."

In an indication of the many pitfalls that lie ahead of the deal's implementation, Saturday's ceremony was marred by a three-hour delay due to last-minute disagreements on statements.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE59A0S520091011

[Anoush]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Աւելի լաւ թող որ իրար ուտեն:

[Federate]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Turkmenistan ratchets up rhetoric in Caspian dispute with Azerbaijan



Washington - Turkmenistan will build up its naval forces in the Caspian, its President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov declared on August 31, RFE/RL and other media reported. The buildup would include a new naval base and the purchase of missile-armed vessels.

The two countries have failed to agree on their maritime affairs after years of intermittent talks. The recent pronouncements come following several high-level summits between Azerbaijani and Turkmenistani leaders that seemed to indicate a warming in relations.

But in a surprise development last month, Turkmenistan said it would launch a legal case against Azerbaijan in an international court over several disputed offshore oilfields.

The disputed area includes the Azeri and Chirag oilfields that have accounted for the bulk of Azerbaijan's oil production in the last decade, which has already brought it billions of dollars in revenue.

The reignited Azerbaijani-Turkmenistani disagreements may also have been the reason for a recently aborted NATO deployment into Afghanistan.

The Russian-language service of Deutsche Welle reported on August 26 that a German air force AWACS plane was forced to abort its Afghanistan deployment after three weeks of waiting at a Turkish airbase because of a lack of overflight permission from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

The United States and its European allies have used the Caucasus-Central Asia corridor to resupply their forces in Afghanistan. The route supplements the main supply lines through Pakistan and the recently agreed route via Russia and Central Asia.

http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2009-09-04-turkmenistan-ratchets-up-rhetoric-in-caspian-dispute-with-azerbaijan

[Icy]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Azeri Insurance Market Dilapidated



As a result of global crisis Azeri insurance sector slumped, Zerkalo.az reports.

In H1 2009 collections totaled to 79 890 330 manat, that is 18.38% less, compared to H1 2008 (97 877 150 manat).

The report says in H1 2009, life insurance collection dropped 2.6 times compared to last year. Life insurance benefits per capita made 0.5% having dropped from 1.06% as of H1 2008.

Car insurance companies reported the largest negative profit.

The economic recession proved Azeri insurance market dependent on banking sector, that however suffered least.

The reduction of car loan allowances by commercial banks caused insurance market dilapidation. Vehicle insurance collections downfall in H1 2009 was set at 14 821 210 manat, that is twice as much as of H1 2008. It reduced vehicle insurance share from 30.26% to 18.52% as of H1 2009.


Source:http://news.am/en/news/economy/2932.html

[Icy]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Azerbaijani Economy Unattractive To Foreign Investors



Despite the Azeri authorities’ more and more frequent statements on the improving investment climate in the country, foreign investors are not in a hurry to invest their funds in Azerbaijan, reported the Baku-based Zerkalo newspaper.

The State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan reported that foreign companies and international financial institutions invested a total of 706,238,400 manats in Azerbaijan this January-July – an annual decrease of 48.3%. British companies’ investments in the Azerbaijani economy totaled 341,822,400 manats (48.4% of the total investments, an annual decrease of 46.2%), followed by U.S. investments – 112,828,500 manats (a decrease of 61.1%).

During the period under review, other foreign companies invested in the Azerbaijani economy: Japan, 58,995,100 manats (a 2.5-fold decrease); Norway, 36,815,700 manats (a 2.5-fold decrease); Turkey, 29,258,800 manats (a 2.5-fold decrease); South Korea 6,190,700 manats (a 6-fold decrease).

As regards international institutions’ investments in the Azerbaijani economy during the period under review, the situation is as follows: the World Bank, 41.509mln manats (a 2.2-fold increase); Asian Development Bank, 14,380,400 manats (a 2.4-fold increase); European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); 9,049,700 manats (a1.6-fold increase); Islamic Development Bank, 1,525,900 manats (a 2.5-fold decrease); Kuwait Fund, 1,660,700 manats (a decrease of 37.4%).

Under the circumstances, the Azerbaijani Government is trying to promote investments in infrastructure projects. However, they failed to fully replace the foreign investments during the period under review.

This January-July, investments in the Azerbaijani economy totaled 4,082.5mln manats – a decrease of 9.7% as compared with last January-July.


Source: http://news.am/en/news/economy/2907.html

[hipeter924]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

I doubt the ties between Israel and Azeri's will last too long. I am sure it will be back to business as usual with Turkey soon.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Turkey-Nakhchivan gas pipeline deal agreed

Turkey and Azerbaijan’s Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan have signed a deal to run a gas pipeline from Turkey’s eastern province of Igdir to Nakhchivan.

As Turkish media reports, signing ceremony for the deal took place in Nakhchivan on Saturday when Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız paid an official visit to the region.

The MoU envisions the transportation of 500 million cubic meters of gas a year, Yıldız said at the ceremony.

“This will spell the merging of two peoples. It will be a declaration of the will to strengthen the understanding of ‘one nation, two states,’ [between Azerbaijan and Turkey],” Yıldız was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency in a speech delivered at the ceremony. The minister also noted that relevant technical, commercial and legal negotiations concerning the deal would be carried out by Turkey’s state-owned Turkish Pipeline Corporation (BOTAŞ) and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).

Officials from BOTAŞ and SOCAR will have their first meeting on the issue in Ankara in September. Yıldız, speaking with Anatolia concerning his visit to Nakhchivan, voiced optimism over the future phase of bilateral energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Nakhchivan remains under an economic and political blockade from arch-enemy Armenia, which geographically separates the Azeri exclave from Azerbaijan proper.

http://www.en.apa.az/news.php?id=106034