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www.teas.eu January 2014

UK FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE ATTENDS SIGNING OF $45bn PIPELINE DEAL

1 / 2014www.teas.eu

Also in this issue: Secular democracy discussed in ParisSOCAR buys Greek natural gas operatorWTO talks to resume in February1500 IDP families rehoused in GanjaIsfar Sarabski amazes Parisian jazz fans

Culture | Public Affairs Business | Philanthropy

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January 2014 www.teas.eu

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The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) is a UK-registered pan-European organisation dedicated to raising awareness of Azerbaijan and fostering closer economic, political and cultural links between that country and the nations of Europe.

As well as promoting the positive aspects of Azerbaijan, TEAS also highlights the plight of the 875,000 refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within the country. These people are unable to return to their homes and lands because of the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts by Armenia’s armed forces – in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions.

TEAS has three main facets to its operations:• Culture – TEAS raises awareness of Azerbaijan’s rich and vibrant culture to a worldwide

audience by organising cultural events and operating as a networking centre. • Business – TEAS supports its membership of European and Azerbaijani businesses. It

provides a platform for organisations to establish links and strengthen their existing business relationships via a programme of networking opportunities across the regions.

• Public Affairs – TEAS works to increase awareness about Azerbaijan amongst key opinion- formers, key decision-makers and other political, academic and civil society stakeholders.

In pursuit of its objectives TEAS:• Organises meetings with interested parties, opinion-formers and decision-makers• Arranges roundtables, seminars, lectures and conferences• Publishes pamphlets, reports, bulletins, books and produces films• Facilitates fact-finding trips by politicians and business people.

Mailing ListTEAS is always bringing the latest news, views and interviews from Azerbaijan. Sign up to our mailing-list to receive the latest information straight to your inbox: www.teas.eu

Welcome to the TEAS Magazine

FacebookThe TEAS Facebook page is your chance to learn about the latest news, events, campaigns and other Azerbaijan-related items. Visit and ‘like’ our page at: http://bit.ly/TEASFB.

Membership and SponsorshipTEAS offers a range of corporate and individual membership packages, providing such benefits as advertising, trade missions, networking, business sector advice and hotel discounts.

TEAS also offers numerous sponsorship opportunities throughout the year for its events and conferences. To find out more, e-mail: [email protected].

TENTATIONLE MAGAZINE DE CEUX QUI BOUGENT

24 January–2 FebruaryCinema of AzerbaijanPera Museum, Meşrutiyet Caddesi No.65, 34443 Tepebaşi,Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey. Tickets and information: http://bit.ly/azerifilm

Organised by TEAS Turkey and the Pera Museum, this film festival celebrates the best in contemporary and vintage Azerbaijani cinema, including Steppe Man, this year’s entry for the Academy Awards; the digitally restored and colourised version of Arshin mal alan (The Cloth Peddler) (1945); The Bat (Ayaz Salayev, 1995), a homage to silent cinema; Fortress (Shamil Najafzadeh, 2008), an intriguing story about how a crew making a war film gradually become engulfed in a real war; and Holy Animal (Yavar Rzayev, 2011) an allegorical tale of an adolescent shepherd in a remote, challenging region of the country.

Upcoming Events For full details of all TEAS events, go to www.teas.eu/upcoming-events

To win £100 of Amazon vouchers, simply answer the following 10 questions, the answers to which can all be found in this issue of the TEAS Magazine. In the case of a tie, a draw will be made. The winning entrant will have their name and photo featured in the February 2014 issue. Please send all entries to [email protected] by 10 February:1. What is the value (in US$) of the final investment decision signed between the Azerbaijani government and the Shah Deniz Consortium on 16 December?2. How much gas is the Shah Deniz field estimated to hold?3. What is the current rate of internet penetration in Azerbaijan?4. Who is the current manager of the Azerbaijani National Football Team?5. Which film has been submitted by Azerbaijan for the 2014 Academy Awards?6. Which Azerbaijani jazz pianist is performing in London on 13–14 February?7. How many IDP families have been rehoused at the new complex in Ganja?8. Which country is the new Chair of the OSCE?9. What was Azerbaijani GDP growth in 2013?10. Where is the new ski resort in Gabala?

Win £100 of Amazon vouchers!


03

From the TEAS DirectorLionel Zetter, Director, TEAS

Politics and News

The cover of this TEAS Magazine features the signing of the Shah Deniz II contract between the BP-led Shah Deniz Consortium and the Azerbaijani government. Worth an estimated $45bn (£27.3bn), this is very much the Contract of the New Century. William Hague, UK Foreign Secretary, made the first visit in 17 years by a serving British cabinet minister to sign the deal, and top-level representatives from the US, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Montenegro were also in attendance.

This contract, signed in the stunning new Zaha Hadid-designed Heydar Aliyev Centre, firmly anchors Azerbaijan’s fortunes to those of the West. The Southern Gas Corridor has long been an ambition for Azerbaijan, and also for the EU. This new contract will make it a reality.

TEAS jointly hosted a conference with the Institut de Découverte et d’Étude du Monde Musulman (IDEMM) in Paris on the Azerbaijan model of secular democracy and the implications for France and other countries. The symposium was chaired by Thierry Mariani, French MP, and was attended by around 100 diplomats, academics and opinion-formers.

Also in Paris, TEAS hosted a jazz concert at the Duc des Lombards Club. This featured a performance by the Montreux Jazz Festival award-winning Azerbaijani pianist Isfar Sarabski, renowned for his fusion of jazz and mugham.

Both President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Sargsyan of Armenia have let it be known that they intend to build on the progress regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict achieved during their meeting in Vienna in November. Meanwhile lives continue to be lost on the ‘contact line’, giving the lie to the assertion that this is a ‘frozen conflict’.

Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS

On 16 December, William Hague, UK Foreign Secretary, visited Baku to witness the signing of a massive $45bn 2000-mile gas pipeline final investment decision (FID) that will see Azerbaijani Caspian gas from the Shah Deniz II field being piped to Italy, making the proposed Southern Gas Corridor into a reality. The move will play a major role in ensuring energy security for Europe.

The deal, signed between the BP-led Shah Deniz Consortium and the Azerbaijani government, will see development of the Shah Deniz project in the Caspian Sea and the construction of pipelines across Turkey and into Greece, Albania and Italy. It is estimated that initial production will be 16bn m3 (bcm) per annum, increasing to 23bcm by 2023.

Mr Hague said: “The announcement of the Shah Deniz II development is welcome news for Azerbaijan, for the UK and for Europe. This adds to Europe’s energy security and competitiveness by opening up a new source of gas for southern Europe. The deal will also be good news for the UK – with many of the 300 firms based in Azerbaijan gaining from this major new project. The UK appreciates the vital role that Azerbaijan has played in making this deal a reality. It will increase our energy security by providing an additional route and a new source of gas supplies to Europe. There is also the potential to expand the Southern Gas Corridor to reach major gas suppliers in the Middle East, which could bring huge additional benefits.” The gas will reach Turkey in 2018 and Europe one year later.

Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS, who attended the signing ceremony, said: “This is a great day for BP and SOCAR, and for Azerbaijani relations with Europe – especially the UK.

“It was good to see William Hague in Baku, signing this deal alongside Azerbaijani

President Ilham Aliyev; Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili; Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta; Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Günther Oettinger, EU Energy Commissioner.

“This contract and this event clearly illustrate the fact that Europe needs Azerbaijan – and Azerbaijan needs Europe.”

Bob Dudley, Chief Executive Officer, BP stated that production from the Shah Deniz field, which holds an estimated 1.2tn m3 (tcm) of natural gas, would immediately be expanded by 1.4bcm per annum.

Expanding the field and the pipeline to Turkey will cost about $28bn (£17bn), with the remaining investment being spent on building the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) across Turkey and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) into Italy. BP’s partners in the Shah Deniz Consortium include Norwegian Statoil, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR), French Total, Iranian Naftiran Intertrade, Turkish Turkiye Petrolleri, and Russian Lukoil.

According to Al Cook, Vice-President, Shah Deniz Development, BP, the conveying of gas from other suppliers has been factored into the design. He commented in Baku: “It’s about as large as you can make a long gas pipeline. It would be very easy to double the amount of gas flowing through it. There are a number of countries that this gas could come from. We regard TANAP as being a hugely strategic pipeline for the future.”

As part of the agreement, Statoil sold 6.7 per cent of its equity in Shah Deniz and the Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum (BTE) pipeline to SOCAR, and a further 3.3 per cent to BP, reducing its stake in the pipeline to 15.5 per cent. Statoil and Total also announced their decision not to participate in the

William Hague, UK Foreign Secretary, in dialogue with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (Photo: Azerbaijani Presidential Administration)

$45bn ‘Contract of the New Century’ signed with a BP-led Consortium


04 Politics and News

construction of TANAP. The Shah Deniz Consortium agreed to extend the terms of the Shah Deniz production-sharing agreement (PSA) up to 2048.

Speaking to Trend News, Andrej Tibold, Editor-in-Chief, Eurasia Energy Observer,

remarked: “Shah Deniz II has opened the door to the EU gas market. I think it is of historic importance for the EU’s Southern Gas Corridor strategy. Let’s hope that Shah Deniz II is only the beginning of a new and mutually beneficial era between the Caspian countries, including Azerbaijan,

and the EU market. With indigenous production in the EU falling, demand for gas will continue to rise. With Shah Deniz II having opened the door to the EU, other countries in the Caspian, such as Iran, may also start supplying through the Southern Gas Corridor in the foreseeable future.”

The European Commission welcomed finalisation of the investment decision on extracting gas from the Shah Deniz II gas field in Azerbaijan, signed on 16 December. This will supply up to 10bcm per year from the end of 2019. All decisions taken to date, including the selection of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) as the pipeline to bring gas to Europe, were conditional on this final investment decision.

José Manuel Barroso, President, EU Commission acknowledged: “Today’s decision by the Shah Deniz Consortium is a strategic door-opener for stronger European energy security. Building on the Joint Declaration signed by myself with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in January 2011, this important step will give the EU direct access to gas from the Caspian basin. This is a major milestone for the diversification of our energy supplies, to the benefit of European consumers and businesses.”

Günther Oettinger, EU Energy Commissioner, commented: “This

decision to open the Southern Gas Corridor is a real breakthrough. Through its further enlargement, the corridor will have the potential to meet up to 20 per cent of the EU’s gas needs in the long-term.”

In June 2013, the Shah Deniz Consortium, which holds the license to extract the gas from the gas field, selected TAP to bring gas from the Turkish border via Greece and Albania to Italy.

Two days after the signing, a reception took place in Brussels, attended by representatives from the Shah Deniz Consortium, including Al Cook, Vice-President, Shah Deniz Development, BP and Elshad Nassirov, Vice-President for Investment and Marketing, SOCAR.

Roman Huna, Head, TEAS Belgium, said: “The whole process shows (i) how important the role of the European Union is in this regard, and (ii) that the European long-term strategies should always be taken into consideration. Azerbaijan is closer to Europe than ever.”

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS e-mail: [email protected]

The assembled signatories for the momentous FID agreement (Photo: Azerbaijani Presidential Administration)

Azerbaijan’s secularism model discussed in FranceTEAS and the Institut de Découverte et d’Étude du Monde Musulman (IDEMM) have organised a symposium entitled Secular pilgrimages: France/Azerbaijan – models for the world, or unique examples?, chaired by Thierry Mariani, MP for French Nationals from Abroad and the President of the France–Azerbaijan Friendship Group in the French National Assembly.

The symposium was held in the prestigious setting of the Palais Bourbon and attended by some leading experts, including Jean-Louis Bianco, President of the Observatoire National de la Laïcité; Jean Baubérot, Historian, Sociologist and Founder of the Sociology of Secularism; Tareq Oubrou, Head of the Bordeaux Mosque and Director of IDEMM; Jean-Pierre Allali, Member of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France; and Nigar Huseynova, Counsellor, Political Affairs, Azerbaijani Embassy in France. Around 100 diplomats, academics, historians, opinion-

makers and civil society representatives were delegates at the symposium, all of which were interested in discussing the concept of secularism and the future of cohabitation between different religious communities in France and elsewhere around the world.

The symposium was divided into two roundtables, one focusing on the state of secularism in France and elsewhere, and the other examining the Azerbaijani approach to secularism. Ghaleb Bencheikh, a famous philosopher, theologian and anchor of the weekly show Islam on French

public television, moderated both sessions. This also examined the theoretical and historical background of secularism, and helped highlight the differences and similarities between secularism in France and Azerbaijan.

The roundtable came in the wake of an event in June when TEAS and IDEMM hosted a symposium in Bordeaux entitled Islam and Secularism: shared stakes — the Azerbaijani experience and its reflection in France, attended by more than 150 delegates, including many political and religious leaders.

Around 100 delegates attended this thought-provoking exploration of Azerbaijan’s secularism


05Politics and News

Going kosher in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev meets Israeli President Shimon Peres at the Presidential Palace in Baku (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom)

The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) has extended the contract of Berti Vogts, manager of the Azerbaijani national team and former German football player. Now aged 67 years, Mr Vogts will continue managing the National Team until the European Championship qualifying games in 2016.

Mr Vogts was initially appointed in April 2008, and has currently been reappointed for three successive two-year contracts, making him the national team’s longest-serving manager, to date. He has led the team through varying fortunes, including losses to second-string sides that have forced him to face major criticism. Despite this, in October 2013, Azerbaijan achieved its best ever FIFA World Rankings record by reaching 88th place.

The Azerbaijani National Team has achieved recent success in the FIFA World Rankings, steered by Berti Vogts

Baku will soon open its inaugural kosher restaurant, following the allocation of a plot of land to house a Jewish Cultural Centre. The Mountain Jews’ community, one of the three Jewish groups in Azerbaijan, will construct a three-story cultural centre

with an adjacent restaurant. Rabbi Shneor Segal, Chief Envoy to Azerbaijan of Chabad, the Jewish Orthodox movement, stated that there are currently no strictly kosher restaurants in Baku. The Religious Community of Mountain Jews in Baku

commented: “The opening of a new Cultural Centre will be a landmark event in the life of the Jewish communities in Baku.” Chabad has also announced plans to open a cultural centre in Baku by 2016. Baku is currently home to around 15,000 Jews.

Joining together to fight corruptionAzerbaijan has become a member of the Assembly of Parties for the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), according to the Azerbaijani Taxation Ministry. This decision was taken during the second meeting of the Assembly, held in Bangkok. The session was attended by delegations from 29 countries, 11 observer states and various international organisations. Azerbaijan was represented by a delegation headed by Sahib Alakbarov, Azerbaijani Deputy Taxation Minister.

Mr Alakbarov said that the development of civil and public services and improvement of accessibility to these ranks amongst the most important anti-corruption measures. Mr Alakbarov went on to explain about the successful implementation of the Azerbaijani Service and Assessment Network (ASAN) service centres since 2012. These provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for 25 legal services, and have already played a major role in reducing corruption.

Internet penetration to reach 85 per centSpeaking in Baku during a conference focusing on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Virtual Space, Elmir Valizadeh, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) announced that internet penetration in the country has now reached the level of 70 per cent. He went on to state that the government supported further expansion of internet access, and broadband would become more widespread during 2014. Mr Valizadeh claimed that this would increase the level of internet penetration to 85 per cent.

Berti Vogts’ contract extended for two years Sumgayit hosts Paralympic Children’s Sports FestivalAzerbaijan’s first Paralympic Children’s Sports Festival has taken place at the Paralympic Sports Complex in Sumgayit, the third largest city in Azerbaijan. BP supported the Festival as part of its partnership with the Azerbaijan National Paralympic Committee.

The event followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Azerbaijani National Paralympic Committee and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in October 2013, aimed at forming and developing the children’s paralympic movement.


The Pera Museum, one of the leading cultural centres in Istanbul, in collaboration with TEAS Turkey, is organising a festival of eight Azerbaijani films, running from 24 January–2 February. Azerbaijan has a rich cinematic history, which began in 1898 with a documentary entitled The Oil Gush Fire in Bibiheybat, filmed by Alexandre Michon, the French entrepreneur, photographer and cameraman. He was closely connected to the Lumière brothers, the inventors of the Cinématographe.

This landmark festival will include the digitally restored and colourised version of Arshin mal alan (The Cloth Peddler) (Nikolai Leshenko, Reza Tahmasib, 1945), starring the renowned tenor Rashid Behbudov. This delightful film was based on Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s world-famous comic operetta of 1913, and features some outstanding melodies and amusing comic sequences. It was popular across the Soviet and Turkic-speaking world, and remade in 1965.

The remainder of the programme focuses on some of the country’s recent cinematic successes, including The Bat (Ayaz Salayev,

1995), a homage to silent cinema; Fortress (Shamil Najafzadeh, 2008), an intriguing story about how a crew filming a war film gradually become engulfed in a real war; Holy Animal (Yavar Rzayev, 2011), an allegorical tale of an adolescent shepherd in

a remote, challenging region of the country; and Steppe Man (Shamil Aliyev, 2012), Azerbaijan’s Official Submission for the Best Foreign Language Film in the 2014 Academy Awards. Go to http://bit.ly/azerifilm to see the full programme and book tickets.

06 Culture

The restored version of Arshin mal alan, starring Rashid Behbudov and Leila Bedirbeili, is set to delight future generations

Azerbaijani films old and new to be showcased in Istanbul

Shahin Novrasli is set to delight jazz fans in three of Europe’s jazz capitals

The 36-year-old Azerbaijani jazz pianist Shahin Novrasli is to give concerts in Munich, Paris and London during February. During his career, he has collaborated with some of Europe’s leading instrumentalists, including saxophonists Iain Ballamy and Tim Garland and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, and has appeared at numerous festivals,

including the Montreux Jazz Festival and Black Sea Jazz Festival in Sochi, Russia. However, he has never forgotten his Azerbaijani heritage and throughout his career has sought to develop his version of jazz-mugham, sometimes even vocally emulating the sound of a mugham singer in his performances.

Shahin Novrasli to go on European Tour

Amina Figarova teams up with Gilad AtzmonThe leading New York-resident Azerbaijani pianist Amina Figarova has teamed up with the Israeli–British multi-instrumentalist Gilad Atzmon for two barnstorming concerts in London during her European tour. Initially they duetted at Chelsea’s 606 Club, one of the city’s leading jazz venues, followed by an intimate house gig for the Jazz Direct organisation in north-west London.

Following this, Amina returned for a US tour, including a performance with members of her 1998 band at the Jazz Gallery in New York; teaming up with chanteuse Ann Hampton-Calloway at the NEA Jazz Masters’ Ceremony at Lincoln Centre in New York; and appearing with the Enrico Granafei Quartet at Trumpets, Montclair, New Jersey, where she will later renew her collaboration with Gilad. To see her full touring schedule, go to www.aminafigarova.com.

Amina Figarova in a pensive moment during her intimate performance for Jazz Direct

The tour dates are as follows:• 7 February: Jazz Club Unterfahrt, Munich http://bit.ly/novraslimunich• 8 February: Duc des Lombards, Paris http://bit.ly/novrasliduc• 13 February: Pizza Express Jazz Club, London http://bit.ly/novrasli• 14 February: The Front Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London (free concert) http://bit.ly/novrasliqeh


07Culture

TEAS France has organised a concert at the world-famous Duc des Lombards Club in the first arrondissement of Paris in the Les Halles district by the 24-year-old Azerbaijani pianist Isfar Sarabski – winner of the solo piano prize at the Montreux International Jazz Festival 2009. During the past three decades, the club has paid host to an array of visiting stars who perform alongside the best of French talent. The invited audience of around 70 guests included Jean-François Mancel, French Assembly Member for Oise and Gocha Javakhishvili, Council Minister, Georgian Embassy.

In her introduction, Eliza Pieter, Head, TEAS France said: “This is an exceptional concert by one of the most talented young Azerbaijani pianists, Isfar Sarabski, who specialises in Azerbaijani jazz. This is his second concert at the Duc des Lombards club. Isfar has won numerous awards, including that at the Montreux Jazz Festival. He performs in a classic jazz style, mixed with mugham, the traditional music of his homeland.”

The programme by Isfar and the other members of his trio included his own funky variations on Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Ballet and the passionate Oblivion by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. However, Isfar’s own compositions dominated the programme, including the thoughtful Transit to New York, inspired by his extensive

touring schedule; the rhapsodic Dèja-Vu, where bassist Makar Novikov played in a mugham style on a bowed bass; and G-Man, his own composition, which provided opportunity for an exciting call-and-response sequence between Isfar and drummer Alexander Mashin. A standing ovation prompted Isfar and his musicians to play an encore of Agent, another exciting piece based around repeated riffs that enabled all three musicians to demonstrate their abilities.

Two days later, Isfar and his musicians gave another concert at the Azerbaijani Cultural Centre in Paris, organised by the Azerbaijani Embassy in France. This time the programme included one standard – an imaginative reworking of Michel Legrand’s melody to What are you doing the rest of your life? Tar player Shahriyar Imanov joined the trio for the two closing pieces, both of which were Sarabski compositions – Novruz and Edge.

Jazz has retained a longstanding popularity in Azerbaijan, not least due to the fact that its improvised nature has some similarities to Azerbaijani mugham. Isfar regularly performs in the Baku Jazz Centre, where concerts take place every evening, and at the Baku International Jazz Festival, which has hosted a range of international and Azerbaijani performers, including Billy Cobham, Joe Zawinul and Herbie Hancock.

The dexterity of leading jazz pianist Isfar Sarabski amazed Parisian jazz fans alongside Makar Novikov (bass) and Alexander Mashin (drums)

Jazzman Isfar Sarabski performs for an appreciative Parisian audience

Topchubashov celebrated at Azerbaijan HouseThe 150th anniversary of the birth of Alimardan Topchubashov, Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) (1918–20), has been commemorated during an event at Azerbaijan House in Shoreditch, London. This was the first time the date had been commemorated, following a decree by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Mr Topchubashov was the head of the delegation that met US President Woodrow Wilson and secured Azerbaijan’s recognition by the League of Nations in January 1920. The event featured speeches by Dr Ali Tekin Atalar and H.E. Fakhraddin Gurbanov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UK, who remarked: “Alimardan Topchubashov was the founding father of Azerbaijani diplomacy.” The speeches were followed by a documentary film about his life.

After reading law in St. Petersburg, Mr Topchubashov travelled

widely and embraced concepts of western democracy. He was actively involved in politics from 1897, where he tried to eliminate discrimination against Turks and Muslims under the Russian Tsar. Mr Topchubashov was also one of the founders of Ittifaq al-Muslimin, the first political party of Russian Muslims. He headed the party’s third conference, and became its bureau member and chief of its Law Commission. He later became the leader of the Party’s faction at the Russian State Duma.

During the life of the ADR, Mr Topchubashov became Ambassador to Armenia, Georgia and the Ottoman Empire, being posted in Istanbul. Then he was appointed as Foreign Affairs Minister, and at the second cabinet was elected as Speaker of the Milli Majlis in absentia, thereafter being sent to the Paris Peace Conference, where he headed the Azerbaijani delegation.


Personalities – Professor Kamal Abdulla08

Professor Kamal Abdulla, Rector, Baku Slavic University, ranks amongst the foremost living Azerbaijani academics. Having initially studied linguistics, he is the author of several novels, and has most recently penned a trilogy that take the medieval Book of Dada Gorgud as their point of departure. The first volume of these – The Incomplete Manuscript – has been translated into French, Turkish, Russian, Polish, Arabic, Portuguese, German and Kazakh, to date. This comprises Professor Abdulla’s imaginative description of a first, incomplete draft of this Turkic epic, which concerns an investigation to unmask a traitor amongst the Oghuz tribe. Alongside this is another tale, concerning Shah Ismayil Khatai, founder and poet-ruler of the Safavid state in the 16th century. TEAS organised the UK launch of the English translation at Waterstone’s flagship store in Piccadilly, London, in late 2013:

What is your position at Baku Slavic University?My primary role is to guide the development of Baku Slavic University, which was established in 2000 by former President Heydar Aliyev, currently attended by nearly 3000 students. As in many former Soviet republics, this followed a Russian model, and the main subject was initially Russian language and literature. President Aliyev broadened the very substance of the institution, and this resulted in the teaching of the Polish, Bulgarian, Belarusian, Czech, and Ukrainian languages. Its disciplines later developed beyond the scope of the Slavic world, and it now also additionally teaches the English, German, Greek, Turkish, French and Azerbaijani languages. An integral element of the courses taught at the university is to complement the language teaching with the associated culture and history of these countries.

Baku Slavic University has also established a secondary school, focusing on the humanities, and runs programmes for Master’s and Doctoral Candidates. Baku Slavic University incorporates cultural centres focusing on those languages and associated cultures being studied at the university. Likewise, reciprocal Azerbaijani cultural centres have been opened in Moscow, Minsk, Kiev, Poltava and Sofia, and more of these will be opened in the future. It is intended that such centres will propagate an interest in Azerbaijan amongst the students and teachers, and prompt them to visit and study at Baku Slavic University.

Our international programmes include a decade-long international project looking at the Book of Dada Gorgud and the Nibelungen saga from Germany. A comparative study of Beowulf and other epic works is a potential direction of this project. A series of five large-scale conferences organised at Baku Slavic University and the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz is now partially complete. The two organised to date have focused on the comparative linguistic and literary characteristics of these works. The remaining conferences will further explore the commonalities between the various epic works, including their historical and cultural contexts. The final conference will focus on contemporary appreciation and understanding of these epics. Studies of these three epics, together with The Tale of Igor’s Campaign (Russia), The Song of Roland (France), and Greek mythological texts demonstrate that the national epics, despite now being considered to emanate from countries that are separate and far apart, have followed a common path, with the authors adopting a similar way of thinking.

Professor Abdulla discusses his work with two admirers

Professor Kamal Abdulla takes a break from signing copies of his The Incomplete Manuscript following the launch in London

Polymath at work – Professor Kamal Abdulla in conversation


Personalities – Professor Kamal Abdulla 09

Please explain the significance of the Book of Dada Gorgud in the history of Azerbaijani literatureThis epic marks the very beginning of Azerbaijani literature, language and analytical thinking, and operates as a form of moral constitution. The story shows how events can impact perceptions and attitudes, and who is regarded as your enemy or friend. It reflects on emotions, such as love in relation to mothers, and behaviour in extreme situations. The book operates as a moral lesson and a university of life. Unfortunately, some of the heroes have been idealised and become idols in Azerbaijani folklore, thereby losing their humanity.

Why did you decide to write The Incomplete Manuscript?The impetus to write this work has been in my heart and soul for many years. I studied the Book of Dada Gorgud as an undergraduate, and my subsequent Master’s and Doctorate theses were related to its linguistic characteristics. I have also written several books about ‘hidden’ Dada Gorgud, examining the mysteries of the saga. The main purpose of The Incomplete Manuscript is to reflect upon elements that have not previously been analysed. In my book, I am elucidating meanings that have not been outlined hitherto.

I felt it was necessary for me to consider the heroes of the epic from a previously unseen perspective, and to depict the implicit patterns of their personalities. I aimed to show that they are normal people with human foibles. Several Azerbaijani literary critics have claimed I sought to diminish the standing of these national heroes. However, I would argue that emphasising their humanity has served to enhance their greatness and grandeur.

Foreign critics have been very positive and appreciative of the book, particularly of the way in which characters and events from the Book of Dada Gorgud have been combined with a modern plot, in addition to a new story featuring Shah Ismayil. Many readers have said the book has prompted them to re-read the original Book of Dada Gorgud.

Was the book written to attract first-time readers to the Book of Dada Gorgud?Initially, I thought it would be impossible to adequately appreciate The Incomplete Manuscript without previously having read the Book of Dada Gorgud. For example, the book has been published in the Portuguese language, but I strongly suspect that no-one in Portugal has read the original book. In fact, Portuguese critics regarded The Incomplete Manuscript as a mythological detective story.

In fact, my book should be regarded as an integral work in its own right, and the reverse of my initial assessment may actually be true, as those who are conversant with the Book of Dada Gorgud may feel pressurised into readily understanding my work and it may be seen as a challenge. The Book of Dada Gorgud comprises 12 different books, and some critics have claimed that The Incomplete Manuscript could be regarded as the long-delayed 13th book.

The characters in the Shah Ismayil section of The Incomplete Manuscript are real personalities who actually existed at the same time of the imaginary heroes in the Book of Dada Gorgud. Some characters are only mentioned in passing in the original book, yet they are now depicted to the full extent. It is a fantasy on Dada Gorgud, contingent on the foundations of the original book.

Why did you decide to incorporate the character of Shah Ismayil in The Incomplete Manuscript?Shah Ismayil’s story in The Incomplete Manuscript has been separated from the rest of the book. This section serves to emphasise the complicated and intricate nature of this manuscript. I have been criticised for my description and characterisation of Shah Ismayil. In my book, he was killed in a battle, whereas the real character lived ten more years after this battle and ruled the country. People have questioned his inclusion, but my response is ‘why not Shah Ismayil?’ There is intertextuality, and real characters are inextricably interwoven with the mythological.

Where do the two sequels to The Incomplete Manuscript take the story?The two other parts of the trilogy are The Valley of the Soothsayers and No-one Left to Forget, both of which have also been translated by Anne Thompson. Valley of the Soothsayers also deals with the Book of Dada Gorgud. No-one Left to Forget is set in the contemporary period, and describes a manuscript found in a cave. It transpires that this is part of an epitaph, written by a husband to his dead wife, and that whilst

we may seek great historical scripts, we instead come across a small love letter.

I analogise the Book of Dada Gorgud as being the trunk of a big tree, which has many roots, each of which manifests itself as one of the volumes in my trilogy. The key concept of The Incomplete Manuscript is ‘do not create icons for your own consumption’; and for the Valley of the Soothsayers this is ‘do not live with hatred’. For No-one Left to Forget it is ‘do not live in one world, and do not be satisfied with one world’, as it examines the coexistence of parallel worlds.

Has the entire trilogy now been published in Azerbaijan?The trilogy of books was published in Azerbaijan from 2004–11. In addition to the Azerbaijani version, Valley of the Soothsayers has now been translated into Russian, Turkish, French and Japanese. No-one Left to Forget is currently being translated into Russian.

Are there any plans to produce TV or film adaptations of these books?I have written stage adaptations of the King and Poet and Shah Ismayil sections, and these and other plays have been performed in Georgia, Estonia and Azerbaijan. I have also received enquiries from Italy about the filming of The Incomplete Manuscript.

To order The Incomplete Manuscript, go to http://bit.ly/kamalabdulla.

Anne Thompson, English translator of The Incomplete Manuscript

Around 100 readers attended the book launch at Waterstone’s, Piccadilly


Aliyev–Sargsyan dialogue applauded in the US and UK

10 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations during their historic meeting in Vienna

The face-to-face meeting between Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian President Sargsyan has been warmly received in the US and the UK. James Warlick, US Co-Chair, OSCE Minsk Group, commented: “The good news is that they had constructive dialogue and that, during a 90-minute conversation, one-on-one, with no-one else present – for 90 minutes – they were able to talk to each other seriously about the issues. What came

out of that is that both sides believe that they can work with each other, and that there is a way forward.

“I know that they talked about the key issues towards finding a settlement. They said they respected each other’s positions, and that they believed that they could find a way to a settlement. Now, of course, this needs to be worked out, talked through, and that’s why

we hope that the Presidents will meet again to continue the conversation.”

Speaking in Baku at a press conference following the signing of the Shah Deniz II pipeline deal, William Hague, UK Foreign Minister, acknowledged the need for further dialogue between the sides. He said: “We encourage such meetings to take place on regular basis.”

The Azerbaijani government has constructed a complex of medium-rise residential buildings in Ganja to house the families of 1500 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are the ongoing victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. The construction, commissioned by the Social Development Fund for IDPs, was opened by Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs; Elmar Valiyev, Head, Ganja Executive Authority; and Agil Mammadov, Head, Kalbajar Executive Authority.

The 25ha. complex comprises 25 five-storey residential buildings

and social infrastructure facilities. Altogether, 1400 families from Kalbajar, and 100 families from the Aghdam, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Lachin, Shusha, Zangilan, Khojaly and Khojavand districts will be resettled. The project incorporates a 1200-seater school, 280-bed kindergarten, and 500-seat House of Culture, together with an administrative building for the Kalbajar local authorities, medical centre and automatic telephone exchange. Mr Hasanov commented earlier that similar buildings would be constructed in the Absheron, Imishli, Garadagh, Ismayilli, Balaken and Gabala regions. Altogether, 67 settlements and new private homes for 20,000 families were constructed during 2001–10.

1500 IDP families provided with accommodation in Ganja

France seeks resolutionH.E. Pascal Meunier, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan, has said: “Observers believe that new hope was fostered during the Vienna meeting by Azerbaijani Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, and they have indicated a wish to meet in the new year.

“Hopes are high for resolution of the conflict, but the problem should be approached with great care. France will not spare its efforts in supporting this positive development.”

New OSCE Chair Switzerland pledges to seek resolutionIncoming OSCE Chair Switzerland has voiced its preparedness to promote resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. Speaking to Trend News, Didier Burkhalter, Head, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Chairperson-in-Office, OSCE, said that his country would consider the options

for promoting dialogue and confidence-building between the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides. He cited his country’s active support to strengthen existing mediation schemes, such as that represented by the OSCE Minsk Group. Mr Burkhalter also said that Switzerland would aim to facilitate person-to-person contacts

and support civil society projects.

In addition, Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger has now taken up the post of Special OSCE Representative for the South Caucasus and will act as OSCE Co-Chair for the Geneva Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus.

18-year-old soldier killed by sniper’s bulletSarkhan Gasimov, an 18-year-old Azerbaijani soldier drafted from the Aghstafa region, has been killed near the ‘contact line’ between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces, near the Chayli village in the Terter region. His funeral took place on 28 December.


Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, has voiced his optimism regarding the potential for resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict during 2014. Both Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan have indicated their wish to build on the momentum of their meeting in Vienna in November 2013 and intensify the peace process.

Mr Kasprzyk claimed to have been privy to optimistic assessments from Azerbaijani and Armenian officials during the past few weeks. He stated that OSCE teams visited the ‘contact line’ on 17 occasions during 2013, and that local commanders, their superiors, and civilian authorities raised some serious concerns during these visits.

These include the risk to life posed to civilians and military personnel, both from ceasefire violations and mine-related incidents, and the psychological and economic impact on those living close to the ‘contact line.’

Mr Kasprzyk explained: “The ceasefire remains self-regulated –

the risks remain as serious as ever, and those living close to the ‘contact line’ will continue to suffer hardship until the ceasefire is strengthened.” He said that both the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and personal representatives have mandates to work with the parties to develop confidence-building and other measures. Mr Kasprzyk confirmed the Presidents have reaffirmed that one of these measures would be the development of humanitarian contacts between the two sides, expressing their readiness to pursue dialogue between the intelligentsia, academia, and civil society.

He explained: “Implementation of some confidence-building measures is more complicated than others, of course, but these measures can and – sooner or later – will help reduce tensions on the ‘contact line’ and the international border.” Mr Kasprzyk said this would reduce the risks faced by military personnel and those living close to the ‘contact line’, and “create a better atmosphere for the negotiations, allowing Presidents Aliyev and Sargsyan to make demonstrable progress towards a lasting political settlement.”

11Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

OSCE representative remains optimistic

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Ambassadors Igor Popov (Russian Federation), Jacques Fauré (France), and James Warlick (US), tasked with establishing a negotiated peace to the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, together with Andrzej Kasprzyk, travelled to the region during December to discuss recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

The Co-Chairs met Azerbaijani President Aliyev in Baku and Armenian President Sargsyan in Yerevan. They subsequently travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh to meet the unrecognised

authorities. Both Presidents discussed the outcome of their summit meeting in Vienna in November, and the subsequent meeting of their Foreign Ministers in Kyiv in early December. They expressed their resolve to continue building on these substantive talks.

The Co-Chairs noted that the recent violence on the border serves to undermine the prospects for peace. They encouraged the sides to refrain from further actions that could increase tensions, and to work to maintain an atmosphere conducive to progress at the negotiating table.

Minsk Group Co-Chairs visit the region

Marzuki Alie, Speaker, People’s Representative Council (Parliament), Indonesia, has commented on his country’s official position regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. He said that Indonesia supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, recognises the four outstanding UN Security Council resolutions, and supports the work of the OSCE Minsk Group.

He added that the People’s Representative Council would not grant permission to open its representative office in Armenia before resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict.

Indonesia: no Yerevan mission before conflict resolution

Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (far left) sits alongside the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair representatives during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Elmar Mammadyarov, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, in December 2013


12 Business News

WTO talks to resume in February

Coming at a pivotal time in the wake of signing the $45bn (£27.3bn) final investment decision (FID) between the BP-led Shah Deniz Consortium and the Azerbaijani government, TEAS cosponsored the European Energy Forum in London on 16 January. This was organised at King’s College by the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS) and the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange

(IBDE). Speakers included Prof. Dr. Friedbert Pflüger, Director of EUCERS, King’s College London; and Rudi Guraziu, Chief Executive, IBDE.

Papers were also delivered by Ambassadors of three countries directly relevant to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) – H.E. Fakhraddin Gurbanov, Azerbaijan Ambassador to the UK; H.E. Konstantinos Bikas, Greek Ambassador

to the UK; and H.E. Emil Brix, Austrian Ambassador to the UK, in addition to Jacqueline Minor, Head of the European Commission Representation to the UK. Commentators included Edward Lucas, Energy Editor, The Economist; John Baldwin, Group Political Advisor, BP; and Dr Ibrahim Palaz, Senior Fellow, Caspian Strategy Institute, Turkey. A full report will be published in TEAS Magazine, February 2014.

Mahmud Mammadguliyev (left) met Stefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, in December 2013 (Photo: The Council of the European Union)

The next round of negotiations regarding Azerbaijan’s ascendance to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will take place during the second half of February. Mahmud Mammadguliyev, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Chief Negotiator for Azerbaijan’s Accession to the WTO and for Azerbaijan’s Association Agreement with the EU, said the negotiations would start on 16 February and continue for a week.

The meeting with the WTO’s working group was scheduled for October–November 2013, but was subsequently postponed, due to the WTO focus on those countries that are in the final stages of accession. Mr Mammadguliyev said: “Everything is prepared from our side. All necessary documents have been submitted to the WTO secretariat.”

According to Mr Mammadguliyev, the

Azerbaijani side has sent responses to all questions addressed to the country following the previous working meeting that took place in Geneva in early June, in addition to multilateral negotiations in the agricultural sector. Azerbaijan’s accession to the WTO is expected to help increase the country’s non-oil exports, and negotiations are now in their tenth year. Work is currently underway to align Azerbaijani laws with WTO regulations.

Speaking at a meeting of the Caspian-European Integration Business Club (CEIBC), H.E. Richard Morningstar, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, commented: “The US supports the efforts of Azerbaijan on accession to the WTO.” He reflected that Washington recommends Azerbaijan to continue its work on simplifying bureaucratic procedures, improving the efficiency of government agencies, economic transparency, and greater

opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Ambassador Morningstar acknowledged that Azerbaijan had achieved a great deal in recent years, but recommended: “To continue this success, a major challenge for Azerbaijan is to develop the human factor. The Azerbaijani population is young and very talented. The educational system that is being reformed should create conditions for using these talents.”

At present, Azerbaijan is in the process of agreeing protocols with the US, Japan, Brazil, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Norway, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Switzerland, Honduras and the EU, and is currently finalising protocols with Moldova. Protocols have already been signed with Turkey, the Sultanate of Oman, the UAE, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.

TEAS co-sponsors European Energy Forum


13Business News

The Greek government has agreed to sell its natural gas grid operator to the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) in a €400m (£331.9m) deal designed to stimulate the faltering Greek privatisation programme. SOCAR was the only bidder for a 66 per cent stake in DESFA, following a tender held in June 2013.

Rovnag Abdullayev, President, SOCAR, said the acquisition would enable SOCAR to increase its footprint in South-East Europe. He signed the deal alongside Yannis Maniatis, Greek Energy Minister. Greece is struggling to meet the privatisation targets set in the terms of its international bailout. Its efforts have been impacted by a lack of investor interest, red tape in Greece and EU regulatory obstacles.

Greece sells natural gas operator to SOCAR

Rovnag Abdullayev, President, SOCAR (second from left) signed the deal alongside Yannis Maniatis, Greek Energy Minister

A contract has been awarded to the US-based KBR Hydrocarbons Group by BP Exploration to provide engineering and procurement support services for the Shah Deniz II project. KBR will supply engineering design and procurement support services for an offshore complex, comprising two bridge-linked fixed jacket platforms and an onshore gas processing facility. This facility includes two gas-processing trains, each with a capacity of 1.06m3 per hour and condensate processing facilities. These will be located adjacent to the existing Shah Deniz I facilities at the

Sangachal Terminal. The firm aims to start the work in January 2014, with the facility being commissioned by 2018.

Roy Oelking, President, KBR, commented: “KBR is delighted to continue its longstanding relationship with BP and its partners by taking this world-class energy project to the execution stage. This comes in the wake of KBR’s 20-year presence and successful track record in Azerbaijan, where it has collaborated with BP on both the Shah Deniz and Azeri–Chirag–Guneshli (ACG) fields.”

US-based KBR secures BP contract

The Hamburg-based TTS NMF GmbH has entered into an agreement to deliver two 85-tonne lattice-boom offshore cranes to Azerbaijan, with a total value of $8.9m (£5.4m), to be installed in July 2015. The

cranes have been optimised for use in the Caspian Sea’s harsh environment.

This follows the receipt of orders for two 70-tonne offshore lattice boom cranes in

2013. The agreement is with the Caspian Drilling Company in Baku, and they will be used on a semi-submersible drilling rig, to be built by the Caspian Shipyard Company in Baku.

TTS to deliver offshore cranes

Dutch-based Fugro and SOCAR have agreed to form a joint venture, to be known as SOCAR-FUGRO. The company will specialise in bathymetric, geophysical and geotechnical surveys, provision of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), diving services, and general offshore

and onshore positioning support. The new venture builds on an agreement signed in 1995 that established Azeri-Fugro, when the company started operating in the Caspian region. The company currently operates offices and workshops in Baku employing more than 50 permanent staff.

SOCAR goes Dutch

It has been projected that SOFAZ investments in 2014 will reach AZN27bn (£20.9bn), following a steady rise in investments from AZN19.4bn (£15bn) in 2011 to AZN25.2bn (£19.5bn) in 2014. This year, SOFAZ will invest in the accommodation and improvement of the social conditions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees; transfers to the state budget; reconstruction of the Samur–Absheron irrigation system; construction of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars

(BTK) railway; the State Programme on Education of Azerbaijani Youth in Foreign Countries from 2007–15; the broadband internet development project, which will facilitate web access for all regions; construction of the oil, gas and petrochemical complex in Sumgait; building the Azerbaijani section of the Star Refinery Construction Project in Turkey; and construction of Azerbaijan’s section of the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP).

SOFAZ investments to reach AZN27bn in 2014

Speaking during a review of 2013, Rovnag Abdullayev, President, SOCAR has announced that 43.5m tonnes of oil and 29.5bcm of gas were produced during the year. He also stated that SOCAR drilled wells totalling 138,500m, including 62 new wells.

He went on to predict that the level of Azerbaijani gasification would reach 99 per cent by 2015, and stressed that the gasification levels had already reached 90 per cent. There are currently over 1.6m gas customers in Azerbaijan, and more than 9000km of pipes have been laid to meet their demands.

2013 gas and oil production figures revealed


14 Business News

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has officially opened the first phase of the Tufan Alpine Skiing Summer and Winter Recreation Complex, located 4km from the city of Gabala. This initial tranche of work includes the construction of four cable lines and five of the proposed 10 ski slopes. It also features such tourist facilities as restaurants, a skiing school, a golf club, and a hotel, and is designed to accommodate up to 3,000 people a day. President Aliyev was also informed of the works to be undertaken during the second phase of construction. The complex will play a critical role in developing winter sports in Azerbaijan.

Samir Sharifov, Azerbaijani Finance Minister, has predicted that the country will enter the ranks of the top 50 countries, according to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), during the next five years. The comments were during a conference entitled Azerbaijan 2013–18: Towards New Targets. He commented: “In 2003, Azerbaijan ranked in 108th position, according to its GDP level, and 154th for GDP per capita. By 2012, it ranked in 69th and 78th place, respectively.”

He said that, during the past decade, Azerbaijani GDP has increased by 3.4 times, GDP in the non-oil sector expanded 2.7

times, and GDP per capita had tripled. Mr Sharifov continued: “As stated in the Azerbaijan 2020: Outlook for the Future programme, there are plans to double the per capita GDP.”

He continued: “Today the insurance market is one of the most dynamically developing spheres of the Azerbaijani economy, and considerable attention is being paid to this sector. Our aim is to turn insurance into an additional tool that will improve social support to the country’s population and help them prevent material losses.” During the January–November 2013 period, total insurance premiums amounted to $368.9m (£224m).

President Aliyev, a keen skier, tests out the new slope in Gabala

Skiing in Gabala

GDP to place Azerbaijan amongst the top 50

Under its Azerbaijan Multi-Bank Framework Financing Facility, which extends loans to partner banks in Azerbaijan for on-lending to individuals and private companies, the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing $9.4m (£5.7m) to Bank Respublika. This has wide national coverage and is the sixth-largest bank in Azerbaijan, in terms of assets. A credit line of $5.4m (£3.3m) will be used for on-lending to micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to finance investments and working capital for local businesses through medium- and long-term loans. This will help address the poor access to credit faced by enterprises in the real sector, and be a strategic priority for the EBRD in Azerbaijan.

Altogether, $1m (£607,091) of the loan will be provided by BP and its partners, aimed at supporting MSMEs along the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) oil and Baku–Tbilsi–Erzurum (BTE) gas pipelines, as part of the Sustainable Development Initiative Programme in Azerbaijan. Another credit line of $4m (£2.4m) will be used for mortgage lending to private individuals, enabling them to finance the purchase, renovation or construction of homes. Bank Respublika has been an active

partner of EBRD since 2004, and was the first Azerbaijani bank to receive an EBRD mortgage development financing loan in 2008.

Neil McKain, Head of EBRD Resident Office, Baku, said: “SMEs are crucial for the sustainable development of the non-oil and gas economy in Azerbaijan. We are pleased that Bank Respublika will be the first financial institution to benefit from this new phase of co-operation with BP and its co-ventures under the Sustainable Development Initiative Programme, which will bring more financing to the MSME sector and improve access to finance.”

The EBRD invests in the enterprise, financial and infrastructure sectors to promote sustainable growth in Azerbaijan. To date, it has invested around $2bn (£1.2bn) in about 137 projects, over 90 per cent of which are in the private sector. Around 73 transactions with a total value of approximately $540m (£327.8m) have been signed with Azerbaijani financial institutions. In addition to partnering with Bank Respublika, the EBRD signed 12 other projects totalling $90.1m (£54.7m) during 2013, all in the private sector.

EBRD lends $9.4m to Bank Respublika

Bank Respublika ranks as the sixth largest bank in Azerbaijan


Personalities – Renzo Pognant 15

The Italian Felmay label followed in the wake of the Robi Droli independent label, which was established in 1987, focusing on traditional music from Italy and other European countries. Launched in 1995 by Beppe Greppi and Renzo Pognant, the remit of Felmay has subsequently expanded considerably. It is now the most active Italian world music label and its catalogue comprises more than 300 titles in the genres of world and folk music, contemporary music and modern jazz. Most recently it has released eight titles in the Traditional Music of Azerbaijan series. TEAS spoke to Renzo Pognant at home in Turin to find out more: Renzo Pognant, photographed in Baku

Felmay of Italy captures the multifaceted music of Azerbaijan

How did you initially become aware of the nature of Azerbaijani ashiq, mugham and folk music?Our label has actively promoted music from Asia and Eastern Europe for the last 15 years, and has released several CDs and DVDs representing traditions from this part of the world. My good friend Dr Giovanni de Zorzi, from Venice, introduced me to musicologist Dr Sanubar Baghirova from Baku a few years ago, and her advice and assistance have resulted in the production of several CDs featuring various forms of Azerbaijani music, collected under the common title of Traditional Music of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture has sponsored this project.

What does the Traditional Music of Azerbaijan series comprise?The series comprises two solo albums by the singer Gochag Askarov – Mugham (2011) and Sacred World of Azerbaijani Mugham (2013) – and another by the singer Nazaket Teymurova, entitled Mugham (2012), in addition to four collections of songs classified according to theme – Caravan of Mugham Melodies (2012); Poetry and Music of the Ashiqs (2013); Rhythms of Azerbaijani Dances (2013) and Azerbaijani Love Songs (2013). There is also a CD entitled Dialogues with the Tar (2013) by the great master Ramiz Guliyev. The series presents many aspects of both the vocal and instrumental folk and classical traditions of Azerbaijan, indicating the different regional styles.

Where are they recorded? Do the national instruments present any particular challenges for recording?All the CDs have been recorded in Azerbaijan, and mostly in Baku. I wasn’t present during the recording sessions. However, the final results do not indicate that there were problems in

recording any specific instruments. All the recordings sound excellent to me.

How are the CDs being promoted? Are they available in all countries?The CDs have been promoted through the conventional media and with the use of social networks. Promotional copies have been sent to broadcasters and magazines and have been reviewed, very positively, by the predominant world music magazines, particularly in France and the UK. The physical CDs are distributed in most Western countries, including European countries, the US and Japan, and in digital formats via such sites as iTunes and Amazon.

What has the response to the CD range been like, to date?Azerbaijani music remains comparatively unknown in Western countries, and the choice to present new and young artists, most of whom are unfamiliar to the average audience, has really been a challenge. I’m very happy that the attention we have been able to generate has been beyond my wildest dreams.

We have attracted reviews and airplay on the main national radio stations and in magazines, and some of the artists have been invited to perform in Europe at the World of Music and Dance (WOMAD) festivals, the BBC Radio 3 World Routes programme and the Darbar music series in Italy, where they have attracted a high level of appreciation.

In each instance, the music was presented using authentic traditional instrumentation, with no addition of bass, drums or keyboards. Often the single compositions are over 30 minutes in length, so they were not specifically tailored to fit the format of

modern media. Nevertheless, the power of the music won over the globalised uniformity that characterises much modern music.

To what extent do you select the artists and repertoire yourself?The Traditional Music of Azerbaijan series is a joint venture between Felmay Records, and an Azerbaijani team, led by Dr Baghirova. Each of the parties has contributed its specific knowledge to every element of the work. Dr Baghirova made the first selection of themes for the CD series. We collaborated to decide what, how and when to release the various recordings.

Have they received any radio airplay?We have received airplay in various European countries, Australia and the US. In Italy, we presented two concerts in Turin by Gochag Askarov in 2011 and Nazaket Teymurova in 2012, followed by two half-hour programmes on national radio (RAI Radio 3) dedicated to each of these concerts. The same happened in the UK on BBC Radio 3.

Which artistes are being featured in the forthcoming additions to the series? When will they be issued?At the present time, the series is complete, as all the CDs have been pressed. Last year, I visited Azerbaijan to attend the Space of Mugham festival, and have been enthused to present future CDs on other Azerbaijani national instruments, such as the balaban, kamancha and oud, performed by some of Azerbaijan’s leading exponents.

To see the full range of Felmay CDs in the Tradititional Music of Azerbaijan series, go to http://bit.ly/musicfromazerbaijan

Some of the titles in the Traditional Music of Azerbaijan series

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