Azerbaijan

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<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><ul w="w" skins="skins" vector="Vector" resources="resources" common="common" images="images" bullet-icon.svg="bullet-icon.svg" d4515="d4515" margin="margin" em="em" px="px" padding="padding" style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); list-style-image: url("");"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">In 2020, The<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> American Conservative reveals the involvement of BGR in oil corruption.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BGR_Group#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[25]</a></sup> fueling the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan against Armenians.</span></font></li></ul><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">----</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">2020</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/as-war-rages-azerbaijan-pumps-money-and-propaganda-into-u-s-lobbying-machine/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/as-war-rages-azerbaijan-pumps-money-and-propaganda-into-u-s-lobbying-machine/</a></font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">hmmn</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no docs</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>as conflict heats up over Nagorno-Karabakh, a tiny Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, a covert battle is taking place on Capitol Hill to win the hearts and minds of lawmakers in Washington.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Since hostilities began on September 27, hundreds of lives have been lost as Azerbaijani drones have flown within 20 miles of Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, and an Armenian strike was carried out on a military base in Azerbaijan’s second city, Ganja</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">“The next targets could be oil and gas facilities in Azerbaijan, or Yerevan and Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku,” reports the</span><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"> </span><em times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" box-sizing="box-sizing" border-box="border-box" border="border" px="px" margin="margin" padding="padding">New York Times</em><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">, an escalation with the potential to draw in</span><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"> </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/03/world/middleeast/armenian-azerbaijan-conflict.html" target="blank" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" transparent="transparent" box-sizing="box-sizing" border-box="border-box" border="border" px="px" margin="margin" padding="padding" touch-action="touch-action" manipulation="manipulation" text-decoration-color="text-decoration-color" rgb="rgb" transition="transition" all="all" s="s" ease-in-out="ease-in-out" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">Turkey, Russia, and Iran</a><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"> </span><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">on opposing sides.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Well-armed and financed Azerbaijan is receiving assistance from Turkey, an American ally. Turkish drones and jets have been exacting civilian casualties on Armenians, and as <i style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">TAC </i>previously reported, <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/armenians-are-in-danger-of-ethnic-cleansing-once-again/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Armenians are in danger</a> of ethnic cleansing once again.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“Civilians are bearing the brunt of surge in violence,” <a href="https://www.icrc.org/en/document/nagorno-karabakh-conflict-civilians-bearing-brunt-surge-violence" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">reported</a> the International Committee of the Red Cross</span> on October 2. They added, “Civilian deaths and injuries, including of children, have been reported on both sides of the line of contact, and in Armenia.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has ramped up its public relations campaign, employing not one but <b>six of K Street’s heavy-hitting firms</b>, including the Livingston Group, Stellar Jay Communications,<b> BGR,</b> the Podesta Group, and DLA Piper. Last year the country spent $1.3 million on lobbying.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Armenia traditionally lobbies through American community groups, and has just one firm working for them, Alston and Bird.</b> The <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/5549-Exhibit-AB-20200916-19.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">contract</a> was signed September 16, so it’s unclear how much money they will spend petitioning Washington this year, but documents reveal they haven’t spent any money lobbying since 2016.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Azerbaijan, on the other hand, lobbies in much the same manner as a Gulf State—though with considerably less resources—and has a <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2017/07/26/azerbaijans-u-s-lobbying-firms-list-of-impressive-accomplishments/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">long history of extensive lobbying efforts.</a><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In an attempt “to whitewash its dictatorial image…the autocratic government of Ilham Aliyev has unleashed spin-doctors, duped reporters, and led one of the most brazen pushes to abuse American lobbying loopholes of any foreign government,” <a href="https://medium.com/@cjcmichel/azerbaijans-american-media-manipulation-a59e0870bdb1" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">wrote</a> Casey Michel in 2016.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>For years, lobbyists on the dime of Azerbaijan have met with universities, think tanks, and members of Congress</b>. They’ve arranged the placement of favorable op-eds in outlets like <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/198445-us-can-learn-from-azerbaijan" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Hill</em>,</a> the <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/26/the-peril-of-stiffing-a-rare-friend-in-the-caucasu/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Washington Times</em>,</a> the <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2016/04/28/a-closer-look-at-armenia-and-its-neighbors/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Daily Caller,</a> <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2014/02/dont-throw-afghanistan-wolves-jason-katz/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">National Review</em>,</a> the <em style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/stopping-russia-from-cornering-europes-energy-market/2014/06/15/5cf1ea02-e82e-11e3-afc6-a1dd9407abcf_story.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Washington Post</a>, </em>and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/opinion/russias-next-land-grab.html?r=0" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">New York Times</em>.</a> These articles were <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/120830/brenda-shaffer-refuses-disclose-conflicts-interest-columns" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">initially published</a> without disclosing the authors’ financial ties to Azerbaijan.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>While oil-rich Azerbaijan’s lobbying slowed after 2016 due to the collapse of its currency, Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) documents reveal a flurry of recent activity aimed at convincing Washington elites that Armenia is the aggressor and that the U.S. should favor Azerbaijan in the conflict.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When American lobbying and public relations firms are hired by foreign countries, they are legally required to register their clients with the Justice Department under FARA. They are also required to provide a list of the activities they undertake on behalf of the foreign country.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Azerbaijan’s hired K Street guns are distributing what are euphemistically referred to in FARA documents as “informational materials.” These materials could be more accurately described as <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/5430-Informational-Materials-20201005-77.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">propaganda</a>. The documents distributed on Capitol Hill highlight Armenia’s “provocative actions,” its “illegal” role in the conflict, that Armenia allegedly “kills Azerbaijani civilians, including children,” and how “Armenia’s leaders have been actively undermining the ongoing peace process.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.75px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The documents lobbyists distribute on Capitol Hill make some incredulous claims: that “<b>Armenia has long been involved with Middle Eastern terrorism,”</b> that “Azerbaijan has been consistent in urging substantive and result-oriented negotiations in order to achieve a breakthrough in the conflict,” and that “Turkey is not directly involved and is not a party to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.”[docs]</font></p></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">----</font></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">mahdi</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="">cheney</b> secdef 1990 got b41 to go after saddam in kuwait b/c of oil; aei kazakstan caspian pipeline operated by chevron, hallib built refineries Tengiz<b>; azerbajan</b> --> hallib ceo oct 1995 (he had good rel w/ saudis as secdef] 1994-2001 rev up 127%</font></p><p><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></b></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font>

<font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Azerbaijan</font>

<font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Ivanka Trump</font></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font>

<font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="">The “first daughter” is so tight with Dasha Zhukova, the wife of Russian oligarch and Putin ally Roman<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><b style="font-weight: normal;">Abramovich,</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span>that she reportedly invited Zhukova to attend her father’s inauguration. Ivanka has also helped her father pursue business deals in the former Soviet bloc. In 2006, Donald Trump asked formerly “Mafia-linked” businessman<b> Felix Sater to “squire” Ivanka and her older brother, Don Jr., around Moscow, according to the Washington Post. And Ivanka was deeply involved with a failed effort to build a Trump Hotel in Azerbaijan,</b> where the Trumps had joined forces with a family whom a government minister had accused of corruption and who had <b>possible ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.</b></font>

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<div class="views-field-title" style="line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="field-content"><a href="http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">World Report 2014: Azerbaijan</font></a></span></div>

<div class="field-content" style="line-height: 18px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Azerbaijani government’s poor record on freedom of expression, assembly, and association dramatically deteriorated during the year. The authorities arrested dozens of political activists on bogus charges, imprisoned critical journalists, broke up several peaceful public demonstrations, and adopted legislation that further restricted fundamental freedoms. This crackdown was the backdrop for the October 2013 presidential election, in which incumbent President Ilham Aliyev was re-elected for a third term with 84.5 percent of the vote</font></div>

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<div class="field-content"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.hrw.org/europecentral-asia/azerbaijan">http://www.hrw.org/europecentral-asia/azerbaijan</a></span></font></div>

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<div class="field-content"><a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/azerbaijan"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/azerbaijan</font></a></div>

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<p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This page refers to the <b>environmental issues in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan" title="Azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Azerbaijan</a></b>.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Like most republics of the Soviet Union who experienced rapid development of all spheres of economics and human activity which has led to an increasingly negative impact on the environment, including the inefficient usage of natural resources. As can be seen in many other countries, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan" title="Azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Azerbaijan</a> is interested in finding solutions to the problems regarding environmental protection and rational utilization of natural resources. In support of Azerbaijan's environmental protection goals, a number of important laws, legal documents and state programs, all of which conform to European law requirements, have been developed and approved in order to improve the ecological situation in the country.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">These measures have been undertaken within the framework of the corresponding state programs to solve the urgent ecological problems at the very foundation of development principles.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The internal resources of the Azerbaijan are however insufficient in order to resolve many of their environmental problems that have been in dire need for some time now.</font></p>

<h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Ecological_situation">Ecological situation</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environmental_issues_in_Azerbaijan&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Ecological situation" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></font></h2>

<p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The following are the principal ecological problems of Azerbaijan:</font></p>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The pollution of water resources by way of introduction of contaminated water, including transnational pollution</font></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The supply of low-quality water to inhabited regions, the loss of fresh water prior to it delivery to the end consumers, insufficient development of sewer systems</font></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Air pollution from industrial plants and transport vehicles</font></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Degradation of soil (erosion, desertification, etc.)</font></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Improper regulation of industry and housing, as well as hazardous solid wastes</font></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Decline in biological diversity</font></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Decline in forest reserves and fauna, especially fish results</font></li>

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<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan</font></a></p>

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<div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">economy</font></div>

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<p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan became a member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Monetary_Fund" title="International Monetary Fund" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">International Monetary Fund</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank" title="World Bank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">World Bank</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Bank_for_Reconstruction_and_Development" title="European Bank for Reconstruction and Development" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">European Bank for Reconstruction and Development</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Development_Bank" title="Islamic Development Bank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Islamic Development Bank</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Development_Bank" title="Asian Development Bank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Asian Development Bank</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-AZE_137-0" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-AZE-137" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[137]</a></sup> The banking system of Azerbaijan consists of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bank_of_Azerbaijan" title="Central Bank of Azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Central Bank of Azerbaijan</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_bank" title="Commercial bank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">commercial banks</a> and non-banking credit organizations. The National (now Central) Bank was created in 1992 based on the Azerbaijan State Savings Bank, an affiliate of the former State Savings Bank of the USSR. The Central Bank serves as Azerbaijan's central bank, empowered to issue the national currency, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijani_manat" title="Azerbaijani manat" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Azerbaijani manat</a>, and to supervise all commercial banks. Two major commercial banks are the state-owned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bank_of_Azerbaijan" title="International Bank of Azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">International Bank of Azerbaijan</a>, which is run by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahangir_Hajiyev" title="Jahangir Hajiyev" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Dr. Jahangir Hajiyev</a>, and the UniBank.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pushed up by spending and demand growth, the 2007 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_quarter_of_a_calendar_year" title="First quarter of a calendar year" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Q1</a> inflation rate reached 16.6%.<sup id="cite_ref-INF_138-0" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-INF-138" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[138]</a></sup> Nominal incomes and monthly wages climbed 29% and 25% respectively against this figure, but price increases in non-oil industry encouraged inflation in the country.<sup id="cite_ref-INF_138-1" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-INF-138" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[138]</a></sup> Azerbaijan shows some signs of the so-called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_disease" title="Dutch disease" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Dutch disease</a>" because of the fast growing energy sector, which causes inflation and makes non-energy exports more expensive.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the early years of this century the chronically high inflation was brought under control and this led to the launch of a new currency, the new Azerbaijani manat, on January 1, 2006, to cement the acquisition of the economic reforms and erase the vestiges of an unstable economy.<sup id="cite_ref-139" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-139" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[139]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-140" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-140" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[140]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2008, Azerbaijan was cited as one of the top 10 reformers by the World Bank's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doing_Business_Report" title="Doing Business Report" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Doing Business Report</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-141" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-141" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[141]</a></sup></font></p>

<p style=" margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Azerbaijan led the world as the top reformer in 2007/08, with improvements on seven out of 10 indicators of regulatory reform. Azerbaijan started operating a one-stop shop in January 2008 that halved the time, cost and number of procedures to start a business. Business registrations increased by 40% in the first six months. Azerbaijan also eliminated the minimum loan cutoff of $1,100, more than doubling the number of borrowers covered by the credit registry. Also, taxpayers can now file forms and pay their taxes online. Azerbaijan’s extensive reforms moved it far up the ranks, from 97 to 33 in the overall ease of doing business.</font></p>

</blockquote>

<p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Azerbaijan is also ranked 57th in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Competitiveness_Report" title="Global Competitiveness Report" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Global Competitiveness Report</a> for 2010–2011, which is above other CIS countries.<sup id="cite_ref-142" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-142" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[142]</a></sup></font></p>

<h3 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Energy"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Energy</font></span></h3>

<div class="rellink relarticle mainarticle" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Azerbaijan" title="Energy in Azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Energy in Azerbaijan</a></font></div>

<div class="rellink" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Further information: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry_in_Azerbaijan" title="Petroleum industry in Azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Petroleum industry in Azerbaijan</a></font></div>

Two thirds of Azerbaijan is rich in oil and natural gas.</span><sup id="cite_ref-AZ_143-0" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-AZ-143" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[143]</a></sup><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> The region of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Caucasus" title="Lesser Caucasus" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Lesser Caucasus</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> accounts for most of the country's gold, silver, iron, copper, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium" title="Titanium" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">titanium</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium" title="Chromium" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">chromium</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">,</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese" title="Manganese" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">manganese</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt" title="Cobalt" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">cobalt</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum" title="Molybdenum" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">molybdenum</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, complex </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore" title="Ore" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">ore</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimony" title="Antimony" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">antimony</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><sup id="cite_ref-AZ_143-1" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-AZ-143" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[143]</a></sup><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> In September 1994, a 30-year contract was signed between the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Oil_Company_of_Azerbaijan_Republic" title="State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">(SOCAR) and 13 oil companies, among them </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoco" title="Amoco" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Amoco</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP" title="BP" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">BP</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExxonMobil" title="ExxonMobil" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">ExxonMobil</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukoil" title="Lukoil" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Lukoil</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statoil" title="Statoil" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Statoil</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><sup id="cite_ref-AZE_137-1" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-AZE-137" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[137]</a></sup><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> As Western oil companies are able to tap deepwater </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_field" title="Oil field" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">oilfields</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> untouched by the Soviet exploitation, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important spots in the world for </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon_exploration" title="Hydrocarbon exploration" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">oil exploration</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> and development.</span><sup id="cite_ref-144" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-144" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[144]</a></sup><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> Meanwhile the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Oil_Fund_of_Azerbaijan" title="State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">was established as an extra-budgetary fund to ensure the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroeconomy" title="Macroeconomy" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">macroeconomic</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> stability, transparency in the management of oil revenue, and the safeguarding of resources for future generations.</span></font></div>

</div>

<p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Azeriqaz, a sub-company of SOCAR, intends to ensure full gasification of the country by 2021.<sup id="cite_ref-145" class="reference" style=" line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan#cite_note-145" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[145]</a></sup></font>

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<div class="crl" data-async-econtext="ri:;site:gregpalast.com" data-async-context="ri:;site:gregpalast.com" data-async-trigger="cra-2" jsaction="crd.tglpop" data-ved="0CDsQ5CswAg" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline-block;"><a class="fl" href="https://www.google.com/search?es_sm=122&biw=1600&bih=775&q=related:www.gregpalast.com/killings-cancer-corruption-and-azerbaijan-eurovision-in-the-islamic-republic-of-bp/+Azerbaijan+palast&tbo=1&sa=X&ei=YRRUU9zJOMSS8AH51IHoBQ&ved=0CDoQHzAC" style="text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;">Greg Palast</a></div>

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<div class="f slp" style=""><a class="fl" href="https://www.google.com/search?es_sm=122&biw=1600&bih=775&q=related:www.gregpalast.com/killings-cancer-corruption-and-azerbaijan-eurovision-in-the-islamic-republic-of-bp/+Azerbaijan+palast&tbo=1&sa=X&ei=YRRUU9zJOMSS8AH51IHoBQ&ved=0CDoQHzAC" style="text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;"><span class="st" style=" line-height: 1.4; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="f" style="">May 26, 2012 - </span>Will “Beyond Petroleum” oil giant BP pick the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest today in Baku, <span style=" font-weight: bold;">Azerbaijan</span>? If so, I wouldn't be surprised.</font></span></a></div>

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