The analytical service of Turan Agency, determined 10 most important events of 2006. The list includes the first official visit of Ilham Aliyev to USA, activity start of Baku-Tbilisi-Jeykhan pipeline as well as closure of ANS broadcasting and expel of Azadlig party and several mass media outlets from the building at Khagani 33. (29-DEC-06)

Written by Shahla Ismailova/HRH Baku on the basis of information received from Turan IA; photo by Turan IA.
The chronology of the most important events in accordance with the conclusions of Turan Agency is as the following:

25 January – the Azerbaijani delegation managed to get the mandate approval with the big difficulty at the PACE session in Strasbourg. The reason for unwillingness of deputies to approve the mandate was the falsifications in the course of Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan in November 2005.

21 February – the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin arrived to Baku with the official visit.

16 March – the 2-nd Assembly of the World Azerbaijanis took place in Baku

25 April – the head of the country Ilham Aliyev left Azerbaijan for USA. It was the first official visit of Ilham Aliyev to USA in the capacity of the president.

19 June – the 33-rd session of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member-states of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) opened in Baku.

13 July – the ceremony of activation of BTJ pipeline took place in the Turkish city Jeykhan with participation of heads of the countries.

20 July – the sensational trial on the case of criminal group of Haji Mamedov started in the Court on Grave Crimes.

7 September – the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushenko arrived to Baku with the official visit.

7-14 November – in Brussels there was signed the Memorandum on Cooperation in Energy Sphere between Azerbaijan and EU and the Plan of Action EU-Azerbaijan in the framework of European Neighborhood.

24 November – the government of Azerbaijan shut down the ANS TV company and held a large operation on deportation of the Popular Front Party, Azadlig newspaper, Turan Info Agency and a number of other organizations and mass media outlets from their office at Khagani str.33. The event was preceded by a series of trials against journalists and mass media outlets, as a result of which several representatives of press were imprisoned.