Press Review 02/14/2107

The value of international projects realized in Azerbaijan, the high prices and monopolization, the situation with the local banks, and the look at cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan are the leading topics of today's press.

The newspaper Azerbaijan writes of large international projects implemented by Azerbaijan, which confirms the leadership of the country, starting from BTC and ending with the international sea port in Alat. The author also relates to programs of regional development.

The website Azadliq.info writes about the speculation of banks with currency. During the day, banks earn $ 500 thousand due to the difference between the buying and selling rates of the dollar. The Central Bank and the Financial Markets Supervision House, rather than to intervene in the process, take an observation position.

Echo has published an article titled Monopoly and Cheap Manat: Price Increase in Azerbaijan to Continue. The main problem of Azerbaijan is the monopoly on the consumer market. In the domestic market there is no competitive environment. And where could it come from, if certain persons do not allow others into the market, hence the rise in prices? The volume of retail trade in Azerbaijan in 2016, according to the State Statistics Committee, amounted to 30.190 billion manat, of which the population spent AZN 15.077 billion, or 50% on food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.

Novoye Vremya has published an article entitled Baku and EU: Long Road in Dunes. Baku and Brussels continue negotiations on the strategic partnership. Exclusively technical issues were discussed at the talks on the new partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan in Brussels.

The negotiations are conducted on 3 blocks: political, security, and economic.

The EU proposes to hold parallel discussions on all the three blocks. However, Baku considers it important to discuss the first block and wants to start with it, said Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev. –0--