DEC. 8 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The amount of transactions completed online in Azerbaijan more than doubled in the first 11 months of the year to 5.6m manat, media reported. The statistic is an indicator that Azerbaijan’s economy is maturing.
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(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)
NOV. 28 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan’s parliament approved a government budget for 2015 that contains a 5.7% spending increase despite global oil prices continuing to fall (Nov. 28).
The Azerbaijani government agreed on its budget when oil was averaging around $90/barrel.
It is now closer to $70/barrel and some commentators said the government was taking a huge risk by not reducing its expenditure.
Economist Natig Jafarli a senior figure in Azerbaijan’s opposition group said: “The country’s economy depends on oil at $66 directly and $80 indirectly. They should have had developed non-oil sector too and they haven’t.”
Mr Jafarli’s references to direct and indirect incomes for the government’s budget is to cash paid in directly by the National Oil Fund and cash from taxes and other duties paid indirectly by oil companies and exporters.
And he may have a point. Certainly the IMF agrees.
In a report last month, the IMF said that Azerbaijan’s economy was particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in oil prices because of its excessive decency on it.
Other opposition figures said that they expected social problems next year because of a budget squeeze triggered by the falling oil prices.
If opposition and international economists’ claims that Azerbaijan is over-dependent on oil are correct then the current global oil price squeeze will leave it, and the government’s 2015 budget, exposed.
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(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)
NOV. 28 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – BP said it had completed one-month long planned maintenance work on its Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli (ACG) on time. Azerbaijan has been pressuring BP to improve output at its ACG fields. ACG has been the main source of its oil revenues although this has flagged.
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(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)
DEC. 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Azerbaijani security forces arrested two men for setting fire to a mosque in a village in Azerbaijan. Media quoted the security forces describing the arson as an act of terrorism. It said that one of the men arrested had fought with Kurdish fighters in Syria.
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(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)
DEC. 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Afghanistan’s President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani travelled to Baku for talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on how the two countries can increase cooperation. Azerbaijan can, potentially, play a large role in shaping post-war Afghanistan.
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(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)
NOV. 22 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia brought back the bodies of three crew members of a helicopter shot down by Azerbaijan earlier this month, media reported. The shooting down of the helicopter over the disputed region of Nagorno- Karabakh has heightened tension between the two neighbours.
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(News report from Issue No. 210, published on Nov. 26 2014)
NOV. 21 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan’s economy is overly dependent on oil revenues, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in energy prices, the IMF said. The warning is particularly pertinent now as oil prices have fallen around 40% over the last few months.
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(News report from Issue No. 210, published on Nov. 26 2014)
BAKU/Azerbaijan, NOV. 26 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kamal Hasanov is the owner of small tea house in a back street of Baku. His thick eyebrows and grey hair make him appear older than his 42 years. As a war veteran he’s holds particularly strong views on the Armenian helicopter shot-down by Azerbaijan on November 12.
“My TV set here is always on,” he said. “We come together for every news bulletin to see what’s going in Garabagh (Azerbaijani new for the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh). The helicopter incident made us even angrier at Armenians. Why did they dare to fly over our territory? What’s there purpose? They well-deserved this lesson.”
Baku said the helicopter was probing Azerbaijani defences along the frontline, while Armenia insists it was on a training mission. The truth, as is usual around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, is hard to decipher but, wherever it lies, the incident has triggered one of the most serious crises between Azerbaijan and Armenia for years.
In Azerbaijan, there was an air of triumph. On social media some people changed their profile pictures to the photo of the officer who shot downed the helicopter.
Vahid Guliyev, 28, was drinking tea. He said that he was sorry for the incident and for the officers who died, but that it was the fault of the Armenian government. “Armenia should be more careful,” he said.
Gulzar Muradova, 54, said he hoped the incident would not provoke conflict. He said: “Armenia should consider that Azerbaijan’s military budget is growing but, of course, nobody wants war.”
However, some people are expecting Armenia to retaliate. Arzu Quliyeva, 34, said that even if Armenia decided to retaliate, was within its rights to shoot down the helicopter. He said: “Why should the helicopter come that close? Isn’t there enough space in Armenia for training sessions?”
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(News report from Issue No. 210, published on Nov. 26 2014)
NOV. 24 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan will spend an estimated $8b putting on the inaugural European Games next year, media reported, making it one of the most expensive international sports tournaments.
Most people in Azerbaijan support the government’s drive to host the games, which it will also use to showcase the country, but they also told the Bulletin that $8b was too extravagant and that an array of social problems, from low pensions to still crumbling healthcare and education systems needed the cash more urgently.
“This is ridiculous,” said Shahin Gasimov, 64, a retired teacher.
“I receive $200 pension a month. Spending $8b on the Games is not fair.”
Guler Hajiyeva, 22, a graduate student agreed. She said: “I’m sure that we did not need this in Baku. What we need is a better healthcare system, a quality education.”
However, Rauf Gulamov 32, an entrepreneur said that he thought the European Games will improve Azerbaijan’s international standing.
“I don’t know how much money would be fair to spend for this games. Maybe $8b is a lot, maybe not but I am sure that we need the Games and that they will be good.”
The Baku 2015 European Games will feature 16 Olympic and four non-Olympic sports. Alongside traditional sports such as athletics, swimming and gymnastics, new sports such as 3×3 basketball, beach soccer and karate will also be showcased.
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(News report from Issue No. 210, published on Nov. 26 2014)
NOV. 20 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – French oil major Total expects to start gas production at the Apsheron field by 2021, media reported by quoting Eric Meyer, Total’s planning development manager. The announcement will no doubt be welcomed by Azerbaijan which wants its energy production credentials increased.
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(News report from Issue No. 210, published on Nov. 26 2014)