Official chronicle
March 30
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today inspected construction of new building of the State Museum of Azerbaijan Carpet and Applied Arts, the official website of the Azerbaijani President reported.
March 31 - Day of Azerbaijanis Genocide
President Aliyev visited the Sabunchu and Surakhani settlements to familiarize with the execution of these tasks as part of socio-economic development of Baku's suburban towns. President Aliyev also inspected Conservatory in Zabrat town with a population of 7,500 people.
Azerbaijan 's President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on actions to build a new hospital in the Ahmadli settlement of Khatai district of Baku, the official website of the Azerbaijani President reported. The Reserve Fund of President was instructed to allocate 1.5 million manat for the Executive Power of Khatai district of Baku for the construction of a new hospital in the Ahmadli settlement.
Azerbaijan 's President Ilham Aliyev has signed two orders on actions for the construction of new buildings of secondary schools in the Bulbule settlement of Surakhani district and Keshle settlement of Nizami district of Baku. The Reserve Fund of President was instructed to allocate 2 million manat for Executive Power of Surakhani and 2 million manat for Executive Power of Nizami district of Baku for the construction of new buildings of secondary schools for 640 pupils in Bulbule and Keshle settlements.
Parliament
March 30
Azerbaijani parliamentary committees on legal policy, state building and human rights discuss implementing amendments to Azerbaijan's law "On entry, exit and passports".
April 1
Azerbaijani MPs will observe presidential elections to be held in Kazakhstan on April, Azerbaijani Parliament said on Friday.
The Observation Mission will include: MP Farhad Garib through the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, MP Rustam Khalilov through the CIS Executive Committee and MP Aydin Mirzazade through the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking countries.
During the visit, the Azerbaijani MPs will observe the work of several polling stations, voter turnout and give their opinion regarding to the electoral process.
Foreign policy
March 28
Turkish President Abdullah Gul ratified a treaty on strategic partnership with Azerbaijan.
March 29
Mexico 's Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa said at a meeting with Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov that Mexico is interested in developing economic ties with Azerbaijan, in particular in the energy sector. The talks were held during the official visit of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister to Mexico.
March 30
March 30, the Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan hosted a presentation of the film on the genocide of the Azerbaijanis. The film has been taken by the Turkish TRT state television.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov was invited to attend a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference's (OIC) foreign ministers in Astana on June 28-30 .
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation with Mexico with this country's officials. Elmar Mammadyarov met with members of the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of Chamber of Deputies of the Mexican Congress Porfirio Muñoz Ledo during the second day of his first official visit.
Turkey supports Azerbaijan's position over an airport to be built by Armenia in the Azerbaijani occupied region of Khankendi, as this contradicts all international conventions.
A delegation of Turkey, including chairman of the Kechioren municipality of Ankara Mustafa Akin, visited a memorial of the genocide in Guba district of Azerbaijan on Tuesday. Guests were accompanied by MPs Ganira Pashayeva, Vahid Ahmedov and head of Guba executive power Rauf Habib. The guests said that for the first time see an example of such cruelty and were horrified by what he saw.
March 30, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Gritory Karasin received the Ambassador of Azerbaijan Polad Bulbuloglu. The two sides discussed current issues of Russian-Azerbaijani relations and the tasks of foreign ministries of Russia and Azerbaijan to increase cooperation in various fields in the coming period.
March 31
Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement in the field of sports. The agreement was signed by Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Ismayil Ismailov and President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov.
Azerbaijani Society of the United Arab Emirates has issued a statement in connection with the Genocide Day of Azerbaijanis on March 31. The statement provides detailed information on acts of genocide committed by the Armenians against Azerbaijani people over the past 200 years.
A commemorating ceremony was held in the Azerbaijani Embassy in Serbia in connection with the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis on March 31. The event was attended by embassy employees, members of the Azerbaijani Culture Center in Belgrade and Azerbaijani-Serbian Trade and Economic Chamber, members of the Azerbaijani society, Azerbaijani students studying in Serbia, the Serbian public members, media outlets and Belgrade's Muslim society.
The Government of Japan deeply appreciates the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its people for their expression of solidarity and generous assistance to Japan. The Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan made a donation of $1 million via the Red Cross Society of Japan regarding the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake.
South Korea hosed a ceremony of commemoration dedicated to March 31 - the Genocide Day of Azerbaijanis. The event, held under the initiative and organization of the embassy, as well as the organizational support of Korea University of Foreign Languages and the Korean Mannam Association of Peace Volunteers, was attended by Azerbaijani students in Korea, as well as pro-rector of the University Kim In Cheol, professors and students, representatives of several local academic and non-governmental structures and local media outlets.
The Azerbaijani-Hungarian Phrasebook, written by ELTE Budapest University's professor Mary Kenesh, was published in a joint initiative with the Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary. The book enters into the series of "Azerbaijani Culture in Hungary." Kenesh is a professor of Azerbaijani studies and graduated from the philological faculty at the Baku State University in 1969.
The book is intended for university students as well as Azerbaijani and Hungarian tourists. It includes dialogues for ten different topics.
The author has included in the book a brief grammatical outline and a small Azerbaijani-Hungarian dictionary.
The Latvian capital Riga held an event on March 31 commemorating the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, organized by the organization of the Ojag Center for Culture.
The event, titled "Long-term Crimes Committed Against Azerbaijanis by Armenian Terrorists," was attended by Alexander Sakovskim, Latvian MP, head of the Inter-Parliamentary Group of Friendship with Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani Embassy in Kuwait prepared a press release and sent to the Ministry of Kuwait and other official agencies, diplomatic missions accredited in the country and the media outlets in connection with the Genocide Day of Azerbaijanis - March 31.
Ukraine held an event on the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis on March 31. The event was held in the S. Vurgun library in Kiev. The representatives of the Embassy, the Diaspora, youth and students attended it.
Political movements
March 28
The Azerbaijan Unified Popular Front Party urged political forces and citizens to avoid confrontation and not to create conditions for religious extremism.
"Regret and concern were expressed due to the desire of some irreconcilable political forces, inspired by the bloody revolutions in the Arab world, to resist the authorities," the statement said.
March 29
The Citizens and Development Party (CDP) and the Liberal Party of Azerbaijan (LPA) announced increased efforts on a possible organization of the opposition camp, the parties' joint statement reads.
March 30
The Unified Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (UPFPA) is preparing a new bill.
UPFPA Chairman, MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev instructed the party's executive structures to develop a bill on funeral ceremonies for servicemen, the party told Trend. In this regard, a working group has been created involving the party's deputy chairman, Elchin Mirzabeyli, Board Secretary Yegane Dilbazi and Legal Department head Rasim Almuradov.
Azeri-Turk Woman Union Chairperson Tanzila Rustamkhanli has not accepted the proposals of the Armenians to visit Nagorno-Karabakh, she told Trend .
She said that Armenians even earlier invited her to an international conference held in Yerevan. But she refused from participating in it as Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijani territory. Each person wishing to visit Karabakh must obtain a permission of the Azerbaijani state.
"Holding of this conference without the permission of Azerbaijan is illegal," she said.
Armenians plan to hold an international conference within the "Women for Peace" program in Nagorno-Karabakh on May 5, Armenian news agencies said.
March 31
The Baku City Executive Power responded to the Public Chamber's letter with a request to allow holding a rally. The respond letter reads that the holding of a mass rally in front of the Narimanov cinema in Baku is considered inappropriate, Deputy Musavat Party Chairman Tofiq Yagublu told Trend.
The Baku City Executive Power recommends to hold the rally at the square located near the Bibiheybat mosque in Sabail district.
On Thursday, it was decided to suspend the activities of deputy chairman of Ana Vatan Party Etibar Guliyev.
At a Thursday meeting of the central council of the party, a decision to suspend activities of Guliyev was made in connection with his election as a member of the Central Election Commission, the press service of the party told.
Azerbaijani youth group on Thursday held a protest in front of the house of head of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Ali Kerimli . The action was organized to protest against the policy pursued by the PPFA head in recent years.
Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov has called on citizens not to visit the unauthorized rallies of the radical opposition.
The Azerbaijani ruling party appealed to the youth of the country.
"We would like young people, attracted to serve the black forces, to awake," deputy chairman and executive secretary of New Azerbaijan Party, Ali Akhmedov , told media. We want them not to allow to turn themselves into a means for implementing other purposes by these forces."
The chairman of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party ( APFP ) Ali Kerimli and leader of Musavat Party Isa Gambar were summoned to the Baku Head Police Department. The Chief of the Baku Police, Police Lieutenant-General Rafiq Abbasov and Deputy Public Prosecutor of Baku Panah Abbasov advised them to hold a rally in the places, approved by the Executive Power of Baku City.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
March 28
Gurban Etirmishli, the director of the National Seismological Service Center, told Trend that Azerbaijan is planning on closely monitoring Armenian explosions in the occupied territories.
The Armenian armed forces regularly conduct military exercises at which explosions are carried out in occupied territories. Azerbaijan now plans to monitor these areas through seismic stations. Both digital seismic stations and seismic stations with satellite programs will be planted in the Agdam, Beylagan and Fuzuli regions, according to a contract signed with the U.S Kinemetrik company.
Armenian Armed Forces broke the ceasefire, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.
The Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions in the Berkaber village in the Armenian Idjevan region at the Azerbaijani troops in the Gizil Hajili village in the Gazakh region at 16:40-16:45 on March 29.
Further Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions outside the Garakhanbeyli village in the Fuzuli region at 20:25-20:30, the ministry told Trend.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.
March 30
Committee staff visited three Armenian prisoners of war and five members of one family who are detained in Azerbaijan, and got familiarized with their health and living conditions.
Armenian Armed Forces broke the ceasefire regime, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.
On March 30, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions in the Berkaber village in the Ijevan region of Armenia to the Azerbaijani troops in the Gizilhajili village in the Gazakh region at 18:30-18:40, as well as from the positions in the Vozashen village in the Noenberyan region of Armenia to the Azerbaijani troops in the Bala Jafarli village in the Gazakh region at 18:35-18:45-, the ministry told Trend.
Further, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions in the Chinarli village in the Berd region of Armenia to the Azerbaijani troops in the Agbulag village in the Tovuz region at 18:55- 19:10.
The Armenian armed forces also opened fire to Azerbaijani troops from positions outside the Ashagi Seyidahmedli and Alikhanli villages in the Fizuli region at 18:20-18:35, as well as from positions in the nameless heights in the Jabrayil region at 18:55- 19:10 and positions in the nameless heights in the Tovuz region at 22:38- 23:10 on March 30, the ministry reported.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.
March 31
A serviceman of Azerbaijani army was seriously wounded as a result of ceasefire violation by the Armenian Armed Forces, Azerbaijani Deputy Defense Ministry Spokesman Teymur Abdullayev told Trend today.
A soldier of the National Army Aga Huseynov, born in 1991, was wounded in his back in the direction of the Fizuli region and was hospitalized.
Azerbaijani soldier's health state is stable.
Monitoring held on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces proceeded without incident, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu told Trend.
The monitoring was held on the south-west of the Ashagi Abdulrahmanli village in the Fizuli region of Azerbaijan on April 1 under a mandate of the OSCE chairman special envoy, Abdullayev said.
The monitoring was held on the Azerbaijani side by OSCE Chairman-in-Office Personal Representative field assistants William Pryor and Christo Christov.
Armenian Armed Forces broke the ceasefire regime, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.
On March 31, the Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions in the Voskevan village in the Noenberyan region of Armenia to the Azerbaijani troops in the Guschu Ayrim village in the Gazakh region at 15:40-15:45, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend.
Further Armenian armed forces opened fire from the positions in the Aygovit village in the Idjevan region of Armenia to the Azerbaijani troops in the Bala Jafarli village in the Gazakh region at 03:15-03:23, from the positions outside the Garakhanbeyli village in the Fuzuli region to the Azerbaijani troops at 02:30-02:35, the ministry said.
The Azerbaijani troops answered their fire. No causalities were reported.