Due to the increase of oil prices in the world markets, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) expects that the income will increase up to AZN 10bln against AZN 3.6bln forecasted earlier, in 2008, the SOFAZ Executive Director, Shahmar Movsumov, said to a press-conference dedicated to results of first quarter of 2008 on 17 April.
“Due to the increase of oil export, these incomes will come from its sale,” the Head of the Fund stated.

As a result the assets of the Oil Fund may reach AZN 9-10bln, against AZN 2.775bln ($3.336bln) as of 1 April.

The ban on the export of wheat, until the new harvest in September 2008, by Kazakhstan is not a problem for Azerbaijan who imports wheat from this country, said Sabir Valiyev on 16 April, the Head of Department for Production and Processing of Crops and State Control on Food Reserves of the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan.

President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiev will be on official visit to Kazakhstan from 17 to 18 April, the Kyrgyz Ambassador to Kazakstan Zhanysh Rustenbekov said to Trend Capital in Astana.

The final statement of the 22nd meeting of a working group in charge of drawing up the draft convention on the Caspian Sea legal regime, on Wednesday underlined the necessity of finalizing the convention as soon as possible.