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Во имя любви (2015) Мелодрама фильм кино

Родной человек. (14.04.2013) Мелодрама

Japan to explore ways of normalizing economic ties with Iran

After the nuclear deal, the Iranian capital has turned into the most visited destination of foreign delegations that have a purpose to explore opportunities to enter the vast Iranian market.

Following European countries, now Asian countries are sending their representatives to Iran to take greater benefits after lifting sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Japan is sending a senior trade and industry official to Iran along with executives from the oil, gas, and other industries after a landmark agreement reached on the country's disputed nuclear program.

Daishiro Yamagiwa, vice minister of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, will visit Tehran to meet top government officials on August 8 and 9, according to an emailed statement by the ministry on August 7, Reuters reported.

Yamagiwa will convey Japan's strong desire to quickly normalize economic relations once sanctions are lifted, according to the report.

Japan was one of 11 nations exempted from sanctions on countries that buy oil from Iran. However, Japan’s oil imports from Iran were slashed in line with the country’s support for the international community over Iran’s nuclear energy program.

Japan's foreign policy toward Iran has been driven by its thirst for stable and reliable energy supplies, with Iran continuing to be Japan's third-largest oil supplier after Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to the Wharton School of Business in the U.S.

The U.S. government admitted that energy-poor countries like Japan have suffered more from the sanctions on Iran.

U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice has recently said that with U.S.-led sanctions over Iran's nuclear program, countries like India and Japan have paid an economic price for sanctions against the Islamic Republic and they may no longer feel obliged to do so if the pact is scuttled by Congress.

Japan is also considering further cooperation with Iran in other sectors. Japan and Iran have recently discussed the potential and prospect for cooperation in Iran’s automobile industry.

In a symposium recently held in Japan, representatives from several Japanese automotive companies and Iranian business groups studied ways to expand cooperation and share technologies between the automotive sectors of the two countries.

Trade between the two countries has dipped significantly in recent years, though supplies of vehicles like Mitsubishi, Honda, and Toyota continued even during the most stringent point of sanctions.

The trade balance between the two countries has historically been in favor of Iran, with cars being the major source of imports from the country. In 2010, Japan cooperated with Iran on several major projects and the annual trade between the two states exceeded $11 billion at its height.

Iran to reveal new oil contracts by year-end

Iran’s petroleum minister has said the government plans to introduce new oil contracts.

Bijan Zangeneh said Iran will introduce its new oil contracts at a London conference planned for December, as the country seeks to boost recovery from its fields with the help of foreign companies, Press TV reported.

Under the new formula, Iran will cede exploration, development, and production operations on an oilfield exclusively to a foreign contractor. Foreign companies will be required to commit to optimal and sustainable production from the field and transfer technology.

World energy giants including Royal Dutch Shell, France’s Total, BP, and Italy’s Eni have voiced interest in Iran’s new projects.

Some of these companies have already visited the country to hold discussions with Iranian officials on a return to the Iranian market.

Energy officials have said Iran has identified nearly 50 oil and gas projects worth $185 billion up for grabs.

Zangeneh said the new contracts with foreign companies will be signed under the Integrated Petroleum Contract framework.

IPC is replacing the buyback deals that required the host government to pay the contractor an agreed price for all volumes of hydrocarbons it produced.

Under the IPC, the National Iranian Oil Company will set up joint ventures for crude oil and gas production with international companies, which will be paid with a share of the output.

Tehran has signed a package of contracts to deliver its oil in 2015, Iran’s Petroleum Ministry said a day after the country struck a deal with six world powers over its nuclear program.

NIOC said it would increase oil extraction in all of its fields for a total of 4 million barrels per day in 2015 if there is “sufficient market demand.” That is the level of crude production that the country had reached before the imposition of Western sanctions.

"We want to reach our pre-sanctions capacity. We tested a production increase in the main oilfields last year," Roknoldin Javadi, NIOC managing director told Iran's Shargh newspaper.

The country has about 30 million barrels of crude in storage, which is estimated to be some of the largest reserves in the world. Around 200,000 barrels of crude exports per day is expected from Tehran in the short-term. This will add to a surplus of about 2.6 million barrels per day.

Lawlessness in Armenia shakes country

Frequent violation of the principles of democracy and elementary human rights has reached its peak following the attacks on free speech in Armenia that resulted in a serious scandal in the Post Soviet country.

Attacks on an independent newspaper in an effort to silence a journalist called into question the state of free speech in the country.

Local media directly blamed President Serzh Sargsyan in the closure of the Armenian newspaper “Third Force Plus” after the paper published a story about the violation of rights of ordinary people.

Armenian journalist Vagram Aradjanyan’s article “There is no budget money for ordinary citizens” angered the Armenian authorities. A true story that was finally written in a realistic manner caused the outrage of the Armenian government. The author of the article was sentenced to a year in prison with a two-year probation period.

This article resonated in the Armenian Diaspora as well, but the journalist felt the bitter price of truth.

The court considered the article slander against the authorities, saying that the citizens mentioned in the article do not exist. An outright lie angered farmers who then sought to be witnesses in court. However, nobody let them speak.

The crimes of the Armenian authorities has been condemned by hundreds of media and human rights organizations around the world, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (USA), Reporters Without Borders (France), Amnesty International (UK), the Russian Union of Journalists and many other organizations. Vahram Aghajanian has been declared a "prisoner of conscience” in Europe.

Armenia is in a deplorable state for a long time and its economy feels collapse. After the country occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands, it almost “cut” itself from all the bonds with its neighbors due to its aggressive external policy. Moreover, Turkey unequivocally refuses to open its borders with Armenia until the latter withdraws from Azerbaijan's occupied lands. Ankara has put Armenian troop's withdrawal from at least one Azerbaijani district as a condition to revive Turkish-Armenian protocols.

Azerbaijan's internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh territory became a conflict zone following Armenia's aggression in the early 1990s. As a result of Armenia's armed invasion, 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory fell under Armenia's occupation.

Occupied territories pose great danger for life

The Karabakh War that emerged as a result of Armenia’s baseless territorial claims against Azerbaijan in early 1990s still continues to create problems for Azerbaijan.

The former landfills, blown up ammunition depots, ammunition, which are scattered throughout various regions, pose serious problems for the country.

The landmine/unexploded ordinance problem in Azerbaijan has emerged in areas that are still under the occupation of Armenian forces and those areas that have been liberated during the war operations.

Hafiz Safikhanov, the chairman of the Azerbaijani Anti-Mine Campaign public union said on August 3 that active combat operations took place in the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

He stressed that international experience, particularly in the Balkans, shows that 4-6 percent of such territories are considered to be contaminated with mine and unexploded ordnance.

Safikhanov went on to say that taking this fact into account, about 500-800 million square meters of the occupied territories face hazardous conditions.

So far, the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action cleared over 278 million square meters from the UXOs and mines in the country, as well as detected and neutralized about 690,000 unexploded mines and ammunition.

Demining operations are presently underway in the Agdam, Aghjebedi, Agstafa, Fuzuli, Gazakh, and Tartar regions of Azerbaijan.

The mine and unexploded ordnance in Azerbaijani territories along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, as well as on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops poses a great threat to the lives of both soldiers and civilians.

In 2014, 25 people suffered as a result of mines and unexploded ordnances in Azerbaijan in 15 accidents. The mine explosions claimed the lives of four soldiers and one civilian, while 12 soldiers and 8 civilians were wounded as a result of the accidents.

The regions that have suffered more from the explosion of mines and unexploded are Gazakh, Aghdam, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, Fizuli, Tartar, and Goychay.

The project is designed to create an indigenous capacity to survey, map,and clearcurrently liberated areas and to prepare for dealing with the UXO problem in the occupied areas after their liberation.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France, and the U.S. have produced no results so far.

Blackmailed workers in Armenia demand justice

A scandal surrounding the Nairit Chemical Rubber Plant in Armenia has brought Armenia’s many problems to light, particularly those concerning the human rights situation in the country.

A total of 1,700 workers from the Nairit Chemical Rubber Plant, which is no longer in operation, claim that they were threatened to sign an agreement on the payment of only a small portion of their postponed salaries.

Nairit owed its employees 5.3 billion AMD (approx. $11 million), news.am reported earlier.

Now they are keen on defending their rights and plan to sue the company.

Former spokesman for Nairit, Anush Harutyunyan confirmed that the employees were forced to sign the agreement, and that they are now ready to fight for their basic human rights. “We will go to the court and to the prosecutor’s office, not because of the financial side of the question, but because we were blackmailed and scared," the employee said.

Harutyunyan stressed that it is still necessary to consult with lawyers to figure out exactly whom it is that they must sue. Although Nairit is a private enterprise, the salaries were paid by the state, and that raises a big question.

Armenia faces its domestic problems

In Yerevan, all of Armenia’s economic woes are attributed to the “blockade” that Turkey and Azerbaijan have placed on Armenia. Today, however, even Armenia’s state-run media has turned to saying that the country’s problems are rooted in a completely different field.

Experts claim that a strong trade imbalance is slightly offset by international aid, the remittances of Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Recently, however, their volumes have begun to decline.

Armenia faces many problems day by day as the situation in the country is getting worse. It appears that the government cannot help its own citizens with the least bit of financial assistance.

Meanwhile, thousands of homeless Armenian families still live in Gyumri, a city that for 25 years has been reeling from the effects of a devastating earthquake on December 7, 1998.

The Armenian newspaper “Aikakan jamanak” says that in general, about 3,500 families or 11-12 thousand people have no homes in Gyumri and live in unthinkable conditions. For various reasons, about 3,000 families were left without shelter after the earthquake.

The question of why the Armenian government cannot gather the strength to support its own citizens is a regular topic of discussion.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, and shook the entire country on December 7 in 1988. The quake killed at least 25,000 people in the region. Thousands more suffered injuries and hundreds of thousands left homeless.

The Armenian government has tried to justify the current situation with claims that some people did not know that they need to be registered, some were late with submitting documents, others were out of the country, and the state has no obligations with respect to these people.

However, the situation shows that the government just cannot solve its own problems as a result of its unwise policies.

Currently, Armenia faces a list of serious problems that are seemingly too late to solve.

Armenia has serious problems in its foreign policy as it has illegally occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands. Thus, the country is closed off to its neighbors Azerbaijan and Turkey , meaning a total blocking of important mutually beneficial projects. Armenia was forced to spend a great amount of its much needed money on its military budget and the only one to blame for its woes is the Armenian government, as Azerbaijan repeatedly demanded that the Armenians free its territory and end the war.

Among the internal causes for its financial problems, there are insufficient funding to curb inflation, a reduction in arable land that, tax system inefficiencies, a strong underground economy and black market, corruption, and monopolization.

The geographical isolation of Armenia, having a narrow export base and widespread monopolies in important business sectors, has made Armenia's economy particularly vulnerable to the global economic recession and downturn.

Sheki to hear sounds of percussion instruments

Azerbaijan’s the most picturesque region, Sheki, will host the “Nagara 2015” International Percussion Instruments Festival on August 22-26.

The festival will be co-organized by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Sheki City Executive Power, and “Almus Production” company.

Musicians from Turkey, Iran and Uzbekistan will show their skills alongside national ones.

The opening ceremony is expected to take place on August 22 at the Sheki Green Theatre.

Uzbek representatives Abbos Kasimov and “Abbos” group will perform on August 23. The Iranian “Lian” group will delight guests with their pleasant music on August 24.

A concert by Turkish representative Suat Borazan and the “Istanbul Harem” group is scheduled for August 25.

The closing ceremony will see an amazing performance by the famous Azerbaijani “Natiq ritm” and “Nagara 2015” groups on August 26.

In addition, during the festival Natig Shirinov, Abbos Kasimov, “Lian” group, and Suat Borazan will give master classes in music at the Karvansaray hotel.

The roots of percussion instruments in Azerbaijan go back far to the era of primitive society.

“Gaval dash” (tambourine-stone), located in one of the oldest places of human habitation, Gobustan, is a sample of ancient people’s instruments. When hitting striking the stone with your hand or an object, it emits a sound reminiscent of a drum tone.

The nagara is a folk drum that is played with the bare hands. It is one of the most popular percussion instruments of the Azerbaijani folk music.

This instrument is described in the Early Middle Age Azerbaijani literary epic, "Kitabi Dada Gorgud.”

The rhythmic beat of the nagara is believed to strengthen the heart.

According to the rich scientific and musical heritage of this instrument in Azerbaijan, it seems that not only did inhabitants listen to music for enjoyment and entertainment, but they perceived music as a potent force in the prevention and treatment of various diseases.

Protect yourself from snakebites, scorpion stings

Summer is a great season for outdoor activities like picnics and camping. However, one should always be careful, because exploring and enjoying nature can lead you to stumble into unexpected trouble, such as a chance encounter with a snake or scorpion.

Moreover, the hot summer season is a time when some animals and insects become more active.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations also warns people to be careful while visiting places rich with fauna and flora.

The Transcaucasian viper, steppe viper, copperhead snake, and Asia Minor viper [which is listed in the Red Book of rare Azerbaijani animals and insects], are among the most poisonous snakes that live in the country.

As of July 9, some 34 snakebite cases and four cases of scorpion stings were reported in the country. Most cases of snakebites fall to the country’s capital, Baku, and surrounding settlements.

How to protect yourself from snake and scorpions?

The ministry has revealed some safety measures on how to protect yourself from snakebites and scorpion stings.

While going into forests wear trousers and long rubber or leather boots. Snakes cannot bite through these materials.

Stay away from fallen trees and areas of high grass. Carefully examine rocks before sitting on them.

If you are planning to put up a tent in the forest, then light a fire. Snakes tend to avoid fire and noise.

Upon seeing a snake in front of you do not run or make sudden movements. Without turning your back to it, slowly step a back. If you do not bother them, they will not hurt you.

Know how to distinguish poisonous snakes from non-toxic ones. Dangerous snakes usually tend to be shiny and colorful.

If you are resting in the outdoors, shake your bed sheet, clothes, and boots often to avoid any scorpions that might be lingering near you.

Scorpions often hide under the surface of sand, which is why you should not walk barefoot in sand.

First aid for snakebites or scorpion sting

Try to keep the snakebite victim still, as movement helps the venom spread through the body. Wash the wound with water.

Take a broad bandage and bind along the limb starting at the bite area.

Do not suck the poison out with your mouth and do not apply a tourniquet to a snakebite.

Keep the victim warm, calm, and at rest, and transport him or her immediately to medical care. Do not allow him to eat or drink anything.

In case of emergency, call 112.

Project on cancer research continues successfully

The pilot project ”The first steps in cancer studies” is a start-up company support for young doctors of Azerbaijan who work in the field of cancer studies.

The project is a product of the cooperation of „Vereinigung Aserbaidschanischer Mediziner in Deutschland e.V.“ and “ASN - Azerbaijan Student Network”. Furthermore, within the program, various academic cooperation projects have been established with research centers both in Azerbaijan and in Germany.

Participants of this program have the opportunity to acquire within six months practical knowledge about the desired research topic and to run the appropriate academic tests as well as to prepare their research plan with the help of experienced professionals.

All required conditions for the implementation of the laboratory research will be delivered. This program focuses especially on doctors who work in Azerbaijan and have no access to state of the art research. Furthermore, this program will also support doctors from Azerbaijan who have been working in Germany, when they involve other colleagues from Azerbaijan into their research or establish a cooperation project with Azerbaijan research centers.

Currently, research concentrates on the role of cancer stem cells in chemoresistance. Moreover, one of the project goals is to examine the therapeutic effectivity of the gemcitabine charged nanoparticle on the experimental model of pancreas cancer.

In the context of this project, two agreements with the University Medical Centre of Mannheim and Mannheim University of Applied Sciences have been concluded.

Therefore, we have created an opportunity for four young doctoral candidates from Azerbaijan (Mr. Valeh Rustamov, Mr. Hikmat Habibov, Mrs. Yegana Hajiyeva and Mr. Ughur Aghamaliyev), who currently conduct a research work. In April, 2015 we met 3 new young Azerbaijani doctors in Mannheim, Germany. They also will be supported by our organization to carry out their researches in Germany. One of them, Emilya Baxshiyeva already embarked on her academic project in Germany, in June. July 2015 also marked a remarkable success for our team. Ughur Aghamaliyev, a PhD Candidate published an academic article titled “Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Stem Cells” in “Pancreatic Disorder and Therapy” journal.

The organizers have made the following video about the students who have been already acting within the framework of this program in order to attract more young people to scientific career and to stir up interest amongst the young doctors in this project: https://youtu.be/ibzMjT_TCmY

Tuberculosis cases declining in Azerbaijan

Tuberculosis is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide from a single infectious agent, according to the World Health Organization.

It is one of the most common infectious diseases, causing significant damage to the economy due to high levels of temporary and permanent patient disability, and mortality.

Fortunately, Azerbaijan has had progress in the fight against disease. Statistic show that the number of tuberculosis infections in the country has declined compared to previous years. The number of total registered TB cases was 9,757 in 2014, while the figure was at 14,274 people in 2000.

The Azerbaijani government provides special attention to people who are suffering from tuberculosis and makes every effort to treat them.

The law “On Combating Tuberculosis” was adopted in Azerbaijan in 2000. Moreover, the Cabinet of Ministers has also approved measures to combat the disease for the 2011-2015 period.

Currently, there are three hospitals in the country focusing on treating patients with TB operating under the Health Ministry.

The treatment of tuberculosis patients is being carried out at the state’s expense, regardless of the stage of the disease.

Azerbaijan’s Scientific Research Institute of Lung Diseases fulfills all the requirements and recommendations of the WHO.

Last year, 4,384 people including 3,164 men and 1,220 women, were diagnosed the TB for the first time, down from 5,113 people in 2000.

The disease does not spare children either. The statistics shows that 147 of the patients – 95 boys and 52 girls – are children under 13 years-old.

In total, 198 people aged 65 or more (133 men and 65 women) are carriers of the disease.

Azerbaijan started to combat tuberculosis in 1995, while implementing a strategy in the country’s prisons, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“We’ve made sustained efforts to actively detect TB in prisons for more than a decade now,” says Dr Rafail Mehdiyev, Head of the Main Medical Department of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice. “We set up a specialized TB hospital for detainees, with infection control measures and a new laboratory that uses all the diagnostic techniques recommended by WHO, including molecular-genetic testing.”

Tuberculosis is spread from person to person through the air. Common symptoms of active lung TB are cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.

Nine million people fell ill with TB and 1.5 million died from the disease in 2013.

More than 95 percent of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and the disease is one of the top three causes of death for women aged between 15 to 44 years.

Statistics show that the number of people infected with tuberculosis is declining each year, though very slowly. Between 1990 and 2013 the death rate decreased by 45 percent.

Expert: Azerbaijan's GDP growth to be higher than WB forecast

Data provided by the World Bank regarding Azerbaijan's GDP growth forecasts for the coming years, have been grossly underestimated, Fuad Alizade believes.

The economist told local media that Azerbaijan's economy will increase at a higher rate, and GDP growth in the coming years will stand at least at 4-5 percent.

Alizade was commenting on the WB's recently endorsed 2016-2020 Country Partnership Framework for Azerbaijan, which was adopted by the WB Group’s Board of Executive Directors.

According to the 118-page document, real GDP growth for the country is estimated at 1.5 percent for 2015, 2.6 percent in 2016, and 2.7 percent in 2017. World Bank experts forecast the decline in oil GDP to be at 1.5 percent in 2015, 1 percent in 2016 and 1 percent in 2017. After a sustainable annual growth rate of 9 percent, the non-oil GDP will decrease by 3.6 percent in 2015, and 3.8 percent in 2016, and reach 3.9 percent by 2017.

Azerbaijan's GDP per capita will fall from $7,938 in 2014 to $5,447 in 2015, and then rise again to $5,778 in 2016 and to $6,094 in 2017. Inflation in 2015 will be in the double digits at 10 percent, 4.6 percent in 2016, and 3.5 percent in 2017.

The nominal GDP will decrease from 58.9 billion manats ($56.1 billion) in 2014 to 52.6 billion manats ($50.1 billion) in 2015. This trend will continue in 2016 and 2017 as well. Nominal GDP growth will amount to 56.5 billion manats ($53.8 billion) in 2016 and 60.4 billion manats ($57.5 billion) in 2017.

Alizade said that favorable conditions will be created thanks to the development of the non-oil sector of the Azerbaijani economy.

"I do not agree with the opinion that the non-oil sector is in a depressive state, and the country's economy is maintained only by oil exports. Today, the Azerbaijani government is seeking to introduce modern methods to develop the non-oil sector. As of today industrial parks, breeding facilities are operating in Azerbaijan, construction of the international transportation hub is underway in full swing, steps are being taken to promote tourism, and, of course, the agrarian sector does not remain on the sidelines of this process," he noted.

The expert believes that the price of oil will rise to $70 per barrel, and it will make significant changes to the GDP indicators. If in previous years Azerbaijan's economy developed in spurts, now the process is more restrained.

"It is wrong to hope for upswings in the non-oil sector. This direction will develop slowly but surely," the expert concluded.

The world’s financial institutions forecast Azerbaijan's economic growth at various levels. The International Monetary Fund expects a 0.6 percent economic growth in the country for 2015. The Asian Development Bank expects that the GDP growth in Azerbaijan will be equal to 3 percent in 2015. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) kept the forecast of economic growth in Azerbaijan in 2015-2016 at 1.5 percent.

Economists believe that the main factors that can affect the dynamics of GDP are oil prices, global competitiveness of the national currency, and funds allocated from the state budget for investment.

Energy-rich Azerbaijan does not concern itself over declining oil prices, now hovering around $50 per barrel. The government has been taking measures to decrease dependence on petrodollars received from oil and gas exports for quite some time.

The government is also paying special attention to diversification, as a result of which Azerbaijan’s non-oil economic sectors have grown by 10 to 15 percent over the last two to three years. Relevant programs were adopted at the state level on the development of the non-oil sector, which covers mainly agriculture, industry, and IT sectors.

2014 was declared the Year of Industry and a number of measures associated with its development were taken. It is expected that this will give significant impetus for the economic diversification and development of the non-oil sector.

2015 was declared the Year of Agriculture in Azerbaijan, which is expected to give new wind to the development and modernization of agriculture, ensuring a complex and systematic approach to the settlement of problems in the agrarian field, involving the government's administrative and financial resources in this sector, and promoting the country's agrarian potential.

Azerbaijan plans to export products worth $26.8 billion in 2015, some $2.7 billion of which will be goods in the non-oil sector. The Azerbaijani government predicts the share of non-oil sector in Azerbaijan's GDP to be at 65.1 percent for 2015, which is 5.5 percent higher than the forecasts for 2014 and 8.5 percent higher than in 2013.

Middle East, North Africa, East Europe meet in ELEX

ELEX Exhibition, which will take place in Istanbul Fair Center on October 1-4, will be realized for the fourth time and the leaders of the sector will meet with the professionals.

ELEX Exhibition which is chased by all the sectoral professionals in charge of procurement internationally is getting prepared to host the procurement committees in this year. Till today, the countries whose visits have become precise are; Angola, Austria, UAE, India, Iraq, Iran, Spain, Cameroon, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine.

Nowadays as the studies regarding the procurement committees are carried out in line with the demands of the companies visiting the fair, ELEX team is planning to attract more international procurement committees to the fair this year.

Promotional activities continue in Turkey and abroad

ELEX Exhibition, supported by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, TEIAS (Turkish Electricity Transmission Company), TETAS (Turkish Electricity Trading and Contracting Company), TEDAS (Turkish Electricity Distribution Company), EUAS (Electricity Generation Company), continues to grow by developing with the contributions of the institutes, NGOs and academic environment.

For the promotion of ELEX which is the sole fair of Electric Materials, Electric Transmission and Distribution Sector, many studies are being realized in Turkey and abroad. While the announcements of ELEX Exhibition are preceded in the countries represented through many representatives related with the sector abroad, the promotional activities are also carried out in the countries where the companies in the sector serve. ELEX Exhibition is undertaking joint activities with Ant Expo as solution partner in the scope of foreign visitor organization.

ELEX team emphasizes that the foreign exhibitors and visitors will be at the forefront this year especially and its overseas leg is thriving every day. ELEX which is the only fair of electricity sector invites the foreign exhibitors and visitors to the fair.

In addition to this, meetings and studies with many domestic bodies such as associations, industrial zones and chambers are being arranged. Within the framework of the domestic promotions of the fair, the promotion and announcements of ELEX Exhibition is being carried out with 150 billboards and 100 mega light on important junctions and regions in Istanbul in general.

Important companies of the sector at ELEX

The prominent names of Electricity sector took already their place in ELEX Exhibition. ELEX Exhibition already filled a big part of the 11th hall 3 months before with the participation of the prominent names of the sector such as Agartan Enerji, Ardic, Bir-Er, DE-PA, HSC Kablo, Mondial, Nacar Kablo, OBO Betterman, Simpa Elektrik, Yücedag.

The companies, which will present the very new products to the sector in the Fair, will come together with those concerned in the sector and share their experiences and latest technologies in the world’s electricity sector with the visitors.

ELEX Conference becomes actual

ELEX Conference which will be organized simultaneously for the first time with ELEX Exhibition proving the power of the sector in electricity is getting prepared to be one of the important activities of the sector. ELEX Conference will be very effective with carefully selected topics, prominent speakers and efficient session headlines which will create tremendous impression in the sector.

ELEX Conference shall present solutions to the current challenges with the effective applications and experiences for the exhibitors with the municipality sessions and non-governmental organizations. Concurrently, the applications and the encountered problems in the topics such as Smart Cities and Smart Networks, Energy Efficiency and Industry 4.0 will be shared together with the innovations in the sector.

For information;

Marketing Department

Tel: 0212 503 32 32

marketing@marmarafuar.com.tr

Azerbaijan seeks to use Israel’s experience

Azerbaijan intends to use profound experience of Israel in the sphere of high technologies.

This was said by Ali Abbasov, Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and High Technologies, at a meeting with Israel’s ambassador to Baku Rafael Harpaz, who is completing his diplomatic mission.

Abbasov said that the high-tech industry is one of the most important areas of cooperation between the two countries.

“An agreement concluded by the countries earlier opens up new directions and strengthens the bilateral cooperation in this field,” he said.

Harpaz expressed satisfaction with bilateral cooperation, in which the ICT sector plays an important role.

The diplomat mentioned the participation of Israeli companies in last year's BakuTel-2014 telecommunication exhibition, where Israel was represented by a national pavilion.

Moreover, the support for holding the "Israeli-Azerbaijani start up-forum" will be rendered. The forum will be held this year with the support of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Communications and High Technologies and the Azerbaijani-Israeli Chamber of Commerce.

Azerbaijan with its developing ICT sphere is keen on getting more experience from the countries with well-developed IT sector.

Israel has recently showed its readiness to share its experience with Azerbaijan in the area of cyber security. The Israeli model in cyberspace security strategy is based on experience combined with a unique concept of development.

Israel created a structure Tehila to combat cyber threats in 1997, and in 2002 formed a national information security management.

Moreover, a National Cyber ​​Headquarters, which is responsible for the formation of national security policy in cyberspace, and the development of cooperation between the Israeli and international expert bodies in the field of computer security was established in January 2012.

Azerbaijan to open new business incubator in 2015

A Business Incubation Center at Mingachevir Tech Park will be created before the end of this year, says executive director of the High Tech Park Seymur Agayev.

Currently, the general plan of progress for selected areas and the very structure of the Mingachevir Tech Park is under development, he said.

“There are a number of measures concerning the activities of the Mingachevir technology park that will be adopted, and the business incubator is one of them. We are developing a comprehensive program that will at once launch the activity of the Tech Park. In addition, discussions are underway with potential investors and members,” Agayev said.

Mingachevir business incubator will be organized on the principle of the incubator operating in Baku, which contributes to the support of innovative ideas and projects at the regional level.

The activity of the business incubator, Agayev said, will support innovative ideas and projects, as well as new technological solutions.

“The idea should take shape to become a member of the Tech Park. As for the formative stages of new projects and startups, our internal commission deals with this issue. Only formed idea that has a commercial component can claim to be a member of the Tech Park. The expert group will take a final decision on assigning member status to the project as well as the possibility of using benefits from operating in the territory of Tech Park,” he stressed.

The executive director said that the expert group will be formed in the near future, and will then start the process of receiving the documents of future members.

“Azerbaijan has a lot of talented young people and potential ideas. Our aim is that these ideas were embodied in the finished products and solutions that will play an important role in the technological and economic development of Azerbaijan,” Agayev said.

Moreover, the High Technology Park stimulates the creation of venture capital funds to support IT-businesses, Agayev said.

The fund can be a bridge between local and foreign projects, he noted.

The main objective of the fund is to create the right gear, which can be integrated into the regional and international ecosystem, as innovation and innovative ideas have no borders, he said.

“Our goal is to develop innovative ideas and technologies. From this point of view, it would be acceptable for us to create venture capital funds, bringing together at least regional projects. In this regard, we focus and actively negotiate with potential investors both local and foreign,” Agayev said.

As venture capital is a relatively new area in Azerbaijan, its formation requires legal regulation, he added. Given the experience of other countries, necessary changes to the legislation may be needed, he said.

The Mingachevir High Tech Park was set up in view of securing sustainable development and economic competitiveness. The facility will stretch 1.3 hectares and fall under the administration of the Communication and High Technologies Ministry.

The high-tech park has been equipped and organized in such a way that it will promote research and development work, ultimately leading to the commercialization of new products and high tech applications.

President Aliyev receives delegation of Int’l Sport Shooting Federation

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev received President of the International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) Olegario Vazquez Rana and Secretary General Franz Schreiber on August 7, AzerTac state news agency reported.

Vazquez Rana recalled with pleasure his participation in the opening ceremony of the first European Games, saying the Games were excellently organized.

He said he was deeply impressed by rapid development processes in Azerbaijan and the friendly attitude of the country`s people.

The ISSF President further noted that ISSF World Cup was organized to highest international standards in Gabala, bringing together more than 1,000 athletes from 90 countries.

Vazquez Rana added that the event would contribute to the strengthening of international cooperation in the field of sport.

The head of state underlined that state-of-the-art infrastructure was created in the capital and regions of the country for hosting various international events, including world-class sports competitions.

President Aliyev stressed the importance of holding ISSF World Cup in Gabala.

The sides expressed satisfaction with successful development of cooperation between the International Sport Shooting Federation and relevant bodies in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan allocates $60 mln in subsidies to farmers

Azerbaijan has allocated 63.2 million manats ($60.21 million) to farmers for purchasing fuel and motor oil for the equipment used in the cultivation of lands.

The relevant decision was taken on August 5 at a meeting of the state commission, Azerbaijan's Agriculture Ministry reported on August 8.

The subsidies were distributed among 372,234 farmers in 60 regions (cities) to cultivate around 1.264 million hectares land.

The relevant paperwork was submitted to the country's Finance Ministry, Kapital Bank, and the executive authorities of regions (cities).

The state commission also discussed providing 50 manats ($47.6) per hectare of cultivated area to farmers from the state budget and subsidizing 70 percent of the cost of fertilizers sold to farmers of Agroleasing Open Joint Stock Company and other legal entities and individuals.

Azerbaijan, a post-Soviet country with excellent natural conditions and unique priorities, has been allocating subsidies to agricultural producers since 2007.

Azerbaijani farmers are exempt from all taxes (excepting land tax) in accordance with the law on providing tax privileges to agricultural producers adopted on November 27, 2001.

The agricultural sector is important not only for increasing Azerbaijan's export potential, but also for restoring and protecting the country's food security. The country is expected to fully meet its demands through local production in the coming years.

The government's large-scale investment in the agricultural sector has left bright results. The import of certain agricultural products has decreased recently in Azerbaijan compared to previous years.

The production of agricultural goods increased by 7.3 percent in Azerbaijan in the first half of 2015, compared to the same period last year. The production of livestock increased by 2.6 percent, and crop production by 14 percent in the reported period.

Thus, Azerbaijan's ability to ensure the population's food demands and provide them with domestically produced foods have increased.

Also, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree in mid-January 2014 to take additional measures to improve food markets and agricultural products.

The decree noted that Azerbaijan would establish a network of specialized farmer stores and 'green' shops that will operate in Baku's districts and large cities in Azerbaijan on a permanent basis.

The establishment of such specialized farmer stores and 'green' shops in Azerbaijan is one of the main factors of food security and will allow the country to provide its population with organic and ecologically clean products.

The official exchange rate on August 7 was 1.0497 AZN/USD.

Azerbaijan attracts tourists from region

More visitors from Russia, Georgia, Turkey, and Iran came to Azerbaijan this year.

The State Statistics Committee reports that 973,500 foreign citizens have visited Azerbaijan in the first half of this year.

Of these, 310,700 are citizens of Russia, 283,400 - Georgia, 148,200 - Turkey, 72,800 - Iran, as well as 27,200 Ukrainians, 19,400 citizens of the UK, 12,500 people from Kazakhstan, 7,800 - Germany, 6,500 - the U.S., and 8,500 people from other countries.

In the reporting period, the highest growth of foreign nationals who visited Azerbaijan were citizens of Russia (31.9 percent), Georgia (29.1 percent), Turkey (15.2 percent), and Iran (7.5 percent).

Moreover, the number of visitors from Slovakia, Portugal, Greece, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovenia, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Australia, Romania, the Netherlands, Belarus, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and France have also increased compared to the same period last year.

Overall, 5,761,200 people went through the border checkpoints of Azerbaijan from January to June 2015.

Most of them were citizens of Azerbaijan - 66.3 percent, 10.4 percent - citizens of Russia, 10.1 percent - Georgia, 5.2 percent - Turkey, 2.5 percent - Iran, 0.9 percent Ukraine, 0.7 percent - the UK, 0.4 percent - Kazakhstan, 0.3 percent - Uzbekistan, 0.3 percent - Germany, 0.2 percent - the U.S., 0.2 percent - Italy, 0.2 percent from Belarus, and 2.3 percent were citizens of other countries.

Some 1,919,200 Azerbaijanis went to foreign countries in the first half of 2015.

Azerbaijanis prefer to visit Turkey and Georgia during their vacations due to proximity, lower travel expenses, and cheap prices.

Over 2.5 million tourists arrived in Azerbaijan in 2014. Overall, tourism in the Land of Fire has doubled since 2006. The tourists’ expenditures in the country increased from 91 million manats in 2006 to 1.2 billion manats in 2014.

In the future, Azerbaijan plans to increase its tourist flow up to 5 million a year.

This is expected to be reached by setting up a new visa regime with a number of European countries and increasing the number of budget hotels.

At present, Azerbaijan has 338 licensed hotels and 295 tourism companies.

In the years to come, Azerbaijan expects tourists from around the world to attend the Formula 1 race in 2016, Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017, and quarterfinals and three group games of the Euro 2020.