In the World - Avciya.Az

CIS mission: Turkmenistan ready to hold democratic elections

gunay — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:59:54 +0400

The CIS Observer Mission welcomes the measures taken by the Turkmen government, including the executive authorities and the country's Central Election Commission "to ensure free, fair and democratic elections", the mission said. Presidential elections in Turkmenistan are scheduled for Feb.12, the list includes eight candidates, including President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov. The CIS mission includes 63 observers, representing Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of Belarus-Russia Union, as well as CIS Executive Committee.

Al-Assad supporters greet Russia's Lavrov with cheers

gunay — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:56:16 +0400

Thousands of Syrian government supporters on Tuesday gathered on the streets of Damascus to welcome Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, state-run television reported dpa reported The crowds were waving Russian, Chinese and Syrian flags as Lavrov's motorcade passed through the capital, to celebrate the double veto of a resolution on Syria at the United Nations Security Council.

Turkish PM: World keeps silent over violence in Syria because Muslims are killed there

gunay — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:53:41 +0400

Thousands of people killed in Syria are Muslims, and for this reason the world keeps silent in the face of violence in this country, and even supports it, TRT Haber TV channel quotes Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as saying on Tuesday. Syria is a brotherly country for Turkey, and therefore, Ankara will be close to the Syrians and support their demands, Erdogan said. "Those who allow continuing murders in Syria are as guilty as the country's authorities," he said.

Azerbaijani FM to attend European People's Party conference

gunay — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:41:29 +0400

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will attend a conference of the European People's Party (EPP), scheduled for Feb.8-9 in Brussels, the Foreign Ministry's Twitter page reports. Mammadyarov will deliver a report at the conference and hold bilateral meetings with heads of delegations. The European People's Party (EPP) is pro-European centre-right European political party.

Iran parliament ready to approve EU oil exports cut

gunay — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:00:29 +0400

Iranian parliament (Majlis) speaker Ali Larijani said that the Majlis is ready to approve a double-urgency bill to cut crude oil exports to the EU in response to imposing the sanctions on Iran's oil industry, Fars news agency reported on Tuesday. The EU formally imposed an oil embargo on Iran and agreed to a freeze on the assets of the Iranian Central Bank on January 23, but existing contracts will be honored until July 1.

Turkish President says Syria on path of no return

gunay — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:23:01 +0400

Turkish leaders slammed the Syrian regime for a violent crackdown that claimed the lives of hundreds in the restive city of Homs in the country's northeast over the weekend with President Abdullah Gül saying on Wednesday that Syria is on a path of no return, Today's Zaman reported. Gül reiterated his concerns regarding the situation in Syria, which he said continues to deteriorate.

Clinton urges Bulgaria to break energy dependence on Russia

gunay — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:04:40 +0400

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Bulgaria to break its energy dependence on Russia by diversifying its oil and gas supplies, APA reports citing Associated Press. After talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, Clinton said that the United States is a partner in advancing Bulgaria’s energy security and that a number of American firms are well-positioned to help.

President: Georgia makes great progress in recent years

gunay — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:22 +0400

Georgia has made great progress in the World Bank and Transparency International ratings, which were obtained by interviewing people, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said addressing the Munich Security Conference. A text of his statement is posted on the president's official website. "There were demonstrations in Georgia in 2007 and I had to resign because I thought I put the reform agenda against the referendum in the new Presidential elections. Reforms should never stop. Governance is a process of constant learning, questioning, adaptation, and change.

Abducted Iranian pilgrims, engineers in good condition: Salehi

gunay — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:34:04 +0400

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that the Iranian engineers and pilgrims who were abducted in separate incidents in Syria are good condition, IRNA reported. Salehi made the remark to reporters after a cabinet meeting in Tehran late Sunday. The foreign minister noted that before the abduction of seven Iranian engineers they had been briefed on how to take precautions and take necessary safety measures in order to avoid being kidnapped by armed gangs in Syria.

Obama sees no grounds for Iran's attack on U.S.

gunay — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:30:45 +0400

In an interview with NBC on Sunday night, U.S. President Barack Obama said he saw no grounds for rumors that Iran may be planning an attack on the United States, RIA Novosti reported. "We don't see any evidence that they [Iran] have those intensions or capabilities right now," he said. Tensions over Iran's nuclear activities have reached boiling point since the Islamic Republic announced earlier this month that it had launched a nuclear enrichment program at a well-protected underground facility near the city of Qom.