Day: October 19, 2023
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 3rd Azerbaijan International Restoration, Reconstruction and Development of Karabakh Exhibition – “Rebuild Karabakh”, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.
“Dear Exhibition Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I sincerely greet you on the occasion of the opening of the 3rd Azerbaijan International Exhibition for the Restoration, Reconstruction and Development of Karabakh “Rebuild Karabakh”.
The experience of the past years has shown that organizing exhibitions like this has been beneficial for the stimulation of socio-economic life in the liberated territories, the achievement of regional peace, and sustainable development. Undoubtedly, today’s exhibition will also create significant opportunities for the implementation of future business projects.
This exhibition coincides with the centenary of the National Leader of our people, Heydar Aliyev. He rendered invaluable services to our state in establishing territorial integrity and independent progress during all the periods, when he led Azerbaijan.
The Great Leader always envisioned a sovereign Azerbaijan only with Karabakh, and its crown jewel, Shusha. He showed special care for the economic and cultural development of these territories, and the continuous improvement of its living standards.
In Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, beloved by the Great Leader, life is reviving with great enthusiasm. As cities, towns, and villages are being rebuilt, the original inhabitants of these lands are returning to their native homes to live in peace. The pioneering restoration and reintegration work carried out in these areas serve as an example of fruitful cooperation and partnership between the state and the private sector.
I invite the exhibition participants, as far-sighted and pioneering businesses and entrepreneurs, to take advantage of the opportunities created by our state for the innovative development of the liberated territories, and to unite their business ideas around a common goal.
I am confident that the “Rebuild Karabakh” Exhibition will provide a favorable platform for the successful implementation of beneficial initiatives in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, as well as for establishing new business connections. Once again, I wish all exhibition participants and visitors success in their endeavors!
Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” the address reads.
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On October 18, a screening of the documentary film “Son” produced by the British company “Broken Pot Media” with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture was held at the Nizami Cinema Center, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Qafqazinfo.
The event started with the commemoration of the dear memory of our martyrs with a minute of silence.
Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, Head of the Baku Media Center Arzu Aliyeva, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov, family members of the martyr of the First Karabakh War Natig Gasimov, officials, well-known artists, and other guests took part in the event.
It should be noted that the documentary film, which was made in three years, is about the Azerbaijani soldier Natig Gasimov, who was captured by the Armenians during the First Karabakh War.
The producer of the film, Eckart Sager, spoke about the process of making the film and noted that he was influenced by the scenes of Natig Gasimov laying down his weapon, and being captured and interrogated by Armenians.
He pointed out that despite the fact that 25 years have passed since the events of the film, there is no information about the fate of N. Gasimov, and that is why he set out to investigate what happened to Natig Gasimov: “Taking into account the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, it was our responsibility to approach this issue objectively and with restraint. This tragic incident is the epitome of the Karabakh war.”
Nofal Gasimov, the brother of Natig Gasimov, said in an interview that there was no information about the fate of Natig until the filming of the documentary film began. He added: “We only had information about his capture. We later learned that he had survived and fought alone in the Albanian church. Later, he agreed to surrender so that the residents who were taken hostage in Khojaly wouldn’t be killed.
After losing six of his comrades during military operations, Natig Gasimov remained besieged in the Albanian church, which he defended alone for five days, resisting the Armenians and not surrendering. After the Armenians threatened to kill 22 hostages in Khojaly, our brave warrior agreed to surrender.
Armenians could not believe that Natig fought alone for several days. In the article titled “Fear” (“Strakh”) published in the April 1992 issue of “Ogonyok” magazine (No. 14-15) by a reporter named Konstantin Smirnov, the bravery of Natig Gasimov, who did not give the Azerbaijani flag to the enemy even when he surrendered, was mentioned. In that article, there was also a photo of Natig Gasimov, who was proudly holding the Azerbaijani flag, surrounded by Armenian soldiers.
This documentary film, which tells about another heroic page of the history of Azerbaijan, was screened by the director and screenwriter Karan Singh based on the unpublished photos of the Italian military photojournalist Enrico Sarsini. The director, who decided to introduce to the world the very sad but proud story told by Enrico Sarsini about what happened in Karabakh, spent three years meeting with witnesses in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Italy, Great Britain and Russia to clarify that event and the hero’s fate, and recorded their interviews.
The film contains moments related to the interrogation of Natig Gasimov in Armenian captivity and facts about the participation of Armenian field commander Vitaly Balasanyan in these interrogations. According to witnesses, Armenian soldier Vitaly Balasanyan tortured and killed Natig Gasimov, who was registered as a missing person in the First Karabakh War at the State Commission for Prisoners and Missing and Hostaged Citizens.
The film reveals the hypocritical Armenian character once again. At the same time, the director of the film talks about the terrible role that wars play in the fate of people in the screenplay and brings to the fore the suffering of families from the loss of their loved ones and the unknown fate.
After the successful anti-terrorist measures of the Azerbaijani Army in September 2023, the documentary film “Son”, which vividly reflects the bravery of Natig Gasimov, came back to the agenda of the public.
The film was made in Azerbaijani and English and was screened twice at US festivals.
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The ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas is overwhelmingly one-sided—the most powerful military in the Middle East, armed with some of most sophisticated and state-of-the-art American weapons systems vs a ragtag guerrilla force armed largely with shoulder-borne rocket launchers, mortars, drones and small arms.
Adding more to its devastating firepower, Israel is also the only nuclear power in the Middle East, joining the ranks world-wide of UK, the US, France, Russia and China, along with India, Pakistan and North Korea.
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week warned Hamas to “Get Out Now”, he vowed to unleash “the full force of Israel’s military”.
But that military might originates largely in the United States, which has provided billions of dollars in American weapons, funded mostly with military grants, credits and financing.
Zain Hussain, a Researcher in the Arms Transfers Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) told IDN US foreign policy towards Israel involves the supply of foreign military financing (FMF) and arms to Israel.
There is a 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum between the US and Israel, which commits the US to providing Israel with USD 3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing, and to spend USD 500 million every year in joint missile defense programs between FY2019 and FY2028.
The US, he said, is committed to helping Israel uphold its qualitative military edge and does this through long-term commitments for military aid and cooperation, and supplying arms in times of conflict.
In an analytical piece on 13 October, Elias Yousif, a Research Analyst with the Washington-based Stimson Center’s Conventional Defense Program and Rachel Stohl, Vice President of Research Programs and Director of the Conventional Defense Program, point out that Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. military assistance since the Second World War, amounting to more than $158 billion over the past seven decades—not adjusted for inflation.
$3.3 billion in annual US financing to Israel
In recent years, U.S. assistance to Israel has been outlined in a 10-year memorandum of understandings, the most recent of which was signed in 2016 and pledges $38 billion in military assistance between FY2019-FY2028.
Though U.S. security assistance to Israel takes many forms, the largest portion comes through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which are grants to support the purchase of U.S. defense articles and services.
The current MOU commits the United States to $3.3 billion in annual FMF to Israel, the largest routine FMF package the United States provides on a yearly basis and which alone represents approximately 16% of Israel’s defense budget.
According to SIPRI, US arms supplies to Israel between 2013 and 2022, include the following:
Aircraft (including fighter planes and combat helicopters):
· F-35 Stealth multirole fighter/combat aircraft – Estimated 36 delivered.
· F-15A/C Eagle F-15E Strike Eagle combat aircraft – Estimated delivery of 9 between 2013 and 2023 (estimated delivery of 115 in total).
Before 2013, there were some imports of relevant aircraft which are either of importance or may currently be being used by Israel:
· Boeing AH-64 Apache combat helicopter – Estimated 63 delivered.
· S-70 Black Hawk – We have confirmed deliveries of 49 Black Hawk transport helicopters.
· F-16A/C/I Fighting Falcon – Estimated 362 delivered.
Missiles and bombs:
· JDAM guided bombs – Estimated almost 9000 delivered between 2013 and 2022 (total estimated 18000)
· Small Diameter Bombs – estimated 7500 delivered (estimated total of 9000 overall)
Other missiles delivered before 2013 which are still of interest are AGM-114A/K/L the Hellfire missiles (estimated 1455 delivered)
Armored vehicles:
· M-113 Armored Personnel Carriers – approximately 300 delivered between 2013 – 2022
· Namer Armoured Personnel Carriers/Infantry Fighting Vehicles – estimated 386 delivered between 2013 and 2022
Regarding drones, Israel’s own drone capabilities are very advanced. Israel’s arms industry continues to supply Israel with air defense weapons, artillery, and advanced rocket launchers, among other important capabilities, said SIPRI’s Hussain.
According to Yousif and Stohl of the Simson Center, Israel also has unique privileges in using its FMF funding. Israel is eligible for “Cash Flow Financing,” which allows it to use FMF to finance multiyear purchase without having to pay for acquisitions entirely up-front.
Israel has also been permitted to spend FMF appropriations on Israeli weaponry, a practice that is being phased out in the current MOU but has historically pumped hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars into the Israeli defense industry.
Israel is also permitted to use FMF to purchase armaments directly from U.S. manufacturers using the direct commercial sales process, and also enjoys expedited Congressional review periods for its arms packages.
In addition to FMF, Israel also receives U.S. assistance for joint missile defense development. The current MOU pledges $5 billion over the life of the arrangement for various missile defense programs that are often developed or produced with U.S. firms.
This includes investments in Israel’s much-vaulted Iron Dome short-range air defense system and other longer-range platforms like Arrow II, Arrow III, and David’s Sling. Between FY2006 and FY2023, the United States has appropriated more than $8.6 billion for various U.S-Israeli missile defense programs.
Maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge”
Beyond the direct support the United States provides to Israel, U.S. regional security cooperation is also aimed at maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge,” (QME) a term which refers to the technical sophistication of Israel’s defense equipment vis-à-vis its neighbors.
Although initially an informal commitment, successive administrations and Congressional actions have codified U.S. support for Israel’s QME, including measures like allowing Israel first regional access to U.S. defense technology or more advanced versions of systems provided to other regional partners.
In a statement issued before 17 October, the devastating bombing of a hospital in Gaza killed over 500 patients and civilians, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the situation in Gaza had reached a dangerously new low.
The horrific terror attacks by Hamas on Israel that killed more than 1200 people and injured thousands more last Saturday were followed by intense bombardment of Gaza that has already killed 1800 people and injured thousands more, he said.
After days of airstrikes, the Israeli Defense Forces have ordered the Palestinians in Gaza City and its surroundings to move to the south of the territory.
Moving more than one million people across a densely populated war zone to a place with no food, water, or accommodation when the entire territory is under siege is extremely dangerous—and in some cases, simply impossible.
Guterres said hospitals in the south of Gaza are already at capacity and will not be able to accept thousands of new patients from the north.
“The health system is on the brink of collapse. Morgues are overflowing; eleven healthcare staff have been killed while on duty; and there have been 34 attacks on health facilities in the past few days,” he warned on 13 October.
As the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I look forward to a very important hearing in New Brunswick, New Jersey on Friday, October 27th to discuss the issues of national significance being raised by the nurses’ strike at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital which has now gone on for over two months.
This country faces a major workforce crisis in health care. We do not have enough doctors, dentists, mental health practitioners, and pharmacists. Perhaps most disturbingly, we have a major and growing shortage of nurses – the people who are on the frontlines of our health care system.
As Chairman of the Committee, I am working hard, in a bipartisan way, to increase the number of nurses in this country and to retain the nursing workforce we have.
Tragically, we are losing hundreds of thousands of qualified nurses who are no longer comfortable in doing their jobs. Many of them feel that their working conditions are deplorable and that they are unable, because of inadequate nurse-to-patient ratios, to provide the quality of care their patients deserve.
When nurses at Robert Wood Johnson tell me that their hospital has become a dangerous place for both patients to seek care and nurses to do their jobs because of totally inadequate staffing levels, it is imperative that the Senate HELP Committee pursue this issue – because this is a crisis facing not just one hospital, but hospitals throughout the country.
At this hearing, I look forward to hearing from the nurses as well as the hospital management. I am especially interested in hearing from Mark Manigan, the President of RWJBarnabas Health which owns the Robert Wood Johnson University nonprofit hospital. I look forward to hearing how his health care system could afford to spend over $17 million on CEO compensation in 2021 and how his hospital could afford $87 million on traveling nurses since the strike began, but somehow cannot afford to mandate safe staffing ratios to improve the lives of patients and health care workers.
I am also curious to know why nurses are on strike for better nurse-patient ratios at a hospital system that made over $4 billion in revenue over the first six months of this year and over $7.5 billion in revenue last year. To my mind, that is more than enough money to treat its nurses and frontline health care workers with the dignity and the respect they deserve.
What nurses in New Jersey, Vermont, and all over this country have told me is that they have been stretched to the breaking point. They tell me that they are stressed out, burnt out, and are leaving the profession they love in droves because they are overworked, undervalued, and are forced each and every day to do more with less.
This is a crisis that must be dealt with, and I look forward to the Committee shining a light on this crisis and how we can best address it.
Many non-Russian nations within the borders of the Russian Federation are animated by a hatred of Russians as such, but “real de-imperialization and de-colonization of Russia is impossible if it is based on hostility towards Russians as an ethnic group,” Vadim Shtepa says.
The editor of the Tallinn-based regionalist portal Region.Expert told the Eighth Free Nations of Russia Forum in London that “only the joint efforts of Russian regions and non-Russian republics can destroy the empire” not only because Russians are dnumerically dominant but because Russian regions are also angry at Moscow (region.expert/glocalization/).
People in many of them, Shtepa continues, are “very unhappy that Moscow is actually robbing them, turning them into raw material colonies.” They are thus natural allies of the non-Russians who feel the same way; and so “just as many English-speaking countries appeared after the demise of the British Empire, so after Russia, many Russian-speaking countries may appear.”
There is no question, he argues, that “the liquidation of the Kremlin empire would represent a chief victory of world democracy in the 21st century.” But in seeking its destruction, everyone must remember that it has been destroyed twice and then revived with the arrival of yet another totalitarian leader.
There is a danger that could happen again, with victories in the near future replaced by defeats just afterwards, Shtepa says. And if that happens, then the threat that a dissolving Russia would pose for the world would be far greater than even the horror of the disintegration of Yugoslavia.
But to avoid such an outcome, everyone involved needs to focus on the future rather than the past, he argues. “The Kremlin’s ideology is focused on the restoration of the past, but unfortunately this orientation is shared by many national movements in the republics within the Russian Federation,” a focus that could trigger conflicts within Russia and beyond.
“Real liberation from the empire,” Shtepa concludes, “will be possible only if democratic values, including freedom of speech and genuine elections, become the core values of national and regional movements.” If they are, then the new post-Russian countries, regardless of ethnicity, will be able to form an analogue to the British Commonwealth or the European Union.
On October 19, the National Statistics Service of Georgia (Geostat) published preliminary data indicating that in January-September 2023, Georgia’s foreign trade increased by 16.5% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, totaling $15.9 billion in value.
During the same period, exports from Georgia increased by 12.7% to $4.6 billion, while imports rose by 18.2% to $11.3 billion. As a result, the country’s negative trade balance was $6.7 billion, representing 42.1% of its foreign trade turnover.
In January-September 2023, Turkey was Georgia’s largest trade partner with $2.2 billion in trade volume, followed by Russia with $1.88 billion, United States with $1.47 billion, China with $1.26 billion, and Azerbaijan with $1.08 billion.
During the same period, Azerbaijan was Georgia’s largest trade partner in exports with $633 million, followed by Armenia with $602 million, Russia with $512 million, Kazakhstan with $504 million, and Kyrgyzstan with $495 million.
In terms of imports, Georgia’s largest trading partners were Turkey with $1.9 billion, United Stated with $1.4 billion, Russia with $1.4 billion, China with $990 million, and Germany with $685 million.
In January-September 2023, the largest commodity groups in exports were led by motor cars – $1.57 billion. Then come: copper ores and concentrates – $438 million US dollars; wine of fresh grapes – $194 million; ferro-alloys – $140 million; spirituous beverages – $131 million; nitrogenous fertilizers – $123 million; electrical energy – $103 million; water, natural or artificial mineral and aerated waters, not containing added sugar – $102 million; waters, mineral and aerated waters, containing added sugar – $85 million; medicaments put up in measured doses – $82 million; other commodities – $1.64 billion.
As for imports, the major commodity groups here are motor cars – $2.3 billion; petroleum and petroleum oils – $816 million; medicine put up in measured doses – $392 million; petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons – $321 million; telephone sets and apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data (including wired/wireless networks) – $269 million; copper ores and concentrates – $219 million; automatic data processing machines and units thereof – $121 million; cigars, cheroots, cigarillos, and cigarettes – $121 million; motor vehicles for the transport of goods – $120 million; tractors – $107 million; other commodities – $6.5 billion.
Also Read:
- 13/10/2023 – Georgia’s Foreign Trade Up 16.6% in January-September 2023
- 19/09/2023 – Georgia’s Foreign Trade Up 16.8% in January-August 2023
- 13/09/2023 – Georgia’s Foreign Trade Up 16.8% in January-August 2023
- 21/08/2023 – Geostat Publishes Foreign Trade Details for Jan-Jul 2023
- 14/08/2023 – Georgia’s Foreign Trade Up 18.0% in January-July 2023