Azerbaijan And Oil

Cyprus is a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers who forced women into prostitution continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. There was increasing evidence of Chinese women being trafficked for sexual exploitation in Cyprus. The Government of Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Cyprus made some progress in its anti-trafficking efforts over the past year. The new police anti-trafficking unit produced successful results and showed vigilance in combating the problem. Government recognition of the problem improve ... [Read More]

Georgia Approval of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline

The United States welcomes the approval today by the Government of Georgia of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. Together with earlier approvals by the Governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey, today's action marks a significant milestone in the development of this project, which will bring welcome investment to Georgia as well as strengthen the sovereignty and independence of countries in the Caspian Basin.We strongly support the host countries and the project developers and commend them for devoting considerable attention to ensuring that the project adheres to the highest standards of environmental stewardship and that it generates economic opportunities for communities along the pipeline route.We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with all the partners in this project a ... [Read More]

U.S. Assistance to Azerbaijan – Fiscal Year 2002

U.S. humanitarian assistance to Azerbaijan focuses on relief to refugees and internally displaced persons by supporting primary health care facilities, training in medical service delivery for private doctors and nurses, better housing and sanitation facilities and improved access to credit and business support services to reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance. Assistance includes the provision of commodities through the Department of State Humanitarian Transport Program. The main commodities being shipped and distributed to the most needy individuals, families, and institutions are medicines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supplies, clothing, and food. The State Department humanitarian programs in Azerbaijan are specifically designed to assist internally displaced people suffering from the effects of regional conflicts. The total value of all Department of State humanitarian commodities provided in FY 2002 is expected to exceed $20 million. ... [Read More]

U.S. Assistance to Azerbaijan – Fiscal Year 2004

U.S. law enforcement assistance programs help to enhance training capacity of Azerbaijani law enforcement officers and to provide counter-narcotics training and equipment. The U.S. also implements a forensics training and laboratory project and a criminal record management system project. A U.S. Department of Justice prosecuting attorney serves as resident legal advisor, and the addition of a law enforcement advisor in Baku provides support for criminal justice reforms, assistance in the development of counter-terrorism and terrorist financing legislation, support of anti-corruption efforts, development of anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) legislation, and training of police, prosecutors, and NGOs that handle TIP cases. This program also provides training of law enforcement and judicial personnel in modern investigative and prosecutorial procedures. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

The climate generally follows the topography, temperatures falling and precipitation rising with increasing elevation, although the southeastern corner of Azerbaijan, including its lowlands, is the wettest part of the country. The mean July temperature in the lowlands is 77°–81°F, with temperatures sometimes exceeding 100°F in Baku. The average January temperature in the lowlands is 32°–37°F. Highland temperatures average around 40°F in July and below 14°F in January. Annual precipitation averages less than 11 inches along most of the coast and in most of the Kura Depression; 12–35 inches in the foothills and mid altitude highlands; 39–51 inches along the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, and 47–71 inches in the southeastern Lenkoran Region. These climatic variations produce wet subtropical conditions in the Lenkoran lowlands where citrus fruits are grown; temperate semidesert on the Apsheron Peninsula and Kura lowlands; temperate moist conditions at middle elevations; and subal ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan

The Government continued to restrict freedom of speech and of the press, and the press faced increased harassment during the year. Government officials repeatedly sued journalists for defamation, arrested them, and shut down their newspapers. As a result, journalists practiced self-censorship. The Government largely controlled radio and television, the primary source of information for most of the population. During December the Government took significant steps towards improving the media, including the announcement that five private television stations would be granted long sought-after operating licenses by the frequencies committee. The Government restricted freedom of assembly and forcibly dispersed some demonstrations. The Government continued to restrict freedom of association and refused to register some political parties. Opposition political parties have been evicted from their offices, and security officials harassed their members, especially in outlying areas. There were re ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan continued to affirm its commitment to an economic transition from central planning to a free market; however, reforms stagnated in practice. Economic growth has been spurred by substantial foreign investment in the hydrocarbon sector, but it is offset by widespread corruption and patronage. While government statistics pointed to continued economic growth during the year, the real economy continues to be affected by a low level of foreign business activity due largely to low oil prices in 1999, a lack of oil industry infrastructure, widespread corruption and a deteriorating business climate. Consistently high oil prices appear to be reversing that trend. The country has rich petroleum reserves and significant agricultural potential. Oil and oil products are the largest export, followed by cotton and tobacco. Other key industries are chemicals and oil field machinery. The government signed new oil production sharing agreements with foreign oil companies and a group of eight oi ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan

The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and it specifically outlaws press censorship; however, the Government restricted these rights in practice. There was lively public debate and criticism of government polices in a variety of areas, and direct criticism of President Aliyev was common. A large number of opposition and independent media outlets functioned during the year; however, the press faced continued pressure from the Government during the year. Although during the first few months of the year there were some improvements in media freedom, in the fall government officials brought a large number of lawsuits against the media. Harassment of journalists and libel suits created an atmosphere in which editors and journalists exercised self-censorship. In a December 2001 meeting with opposition and independent media representatives, President Aliyev acknowledged government mistakes and promised to correct them. Subsequently, tariffs and import t ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan

During the year, a total of three POWs were released, one from Azerbaijan and two from Armenia.The law prohibits forced exile, and the Government did not employ it. e. Denial of a Fair and Public Trial The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, in practice, judges did not function independently of the executive branch, and the judiciary was widely believed to be corrupt and inefficient. Judges preside over and direct trials. The President appoints Supreme and Constitutional Court judges, whom Parliament confirms. The President appoints lower-level judges without confirmation. Qualifying exams for judges were administered periodically as part of a judicial reform effort; however, credible allegations persisted that judgeships were bought and sold. Low salaries for judges and lawyers increased the incentives for bribe taking and ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan (10/04)

Since 1992, the United States has disbursed more than $140 million in humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced people, refugee, and war-affected populations of Azerbaijan. U.S. assistance is provided principally through private voluntary organizations. The primary private voluntary organizations now implementing and coordinating U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded assistance programs are Mercy Corps International, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, and the Community Housing Foundation. Likewise, Shore Bank LTD and the Foundation for International Community Assistance provide small- and medium-scale loans to the internally displaced people, refugee, and war-affected populations to increase their economic viability. USAID; the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration; and the Office of the Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe ... [Read More]