Atletico Madird, 20 million euros and SOCAR

What these three have in common? For those who follow soccer games these days, you will know- Atletico Madrid, signed a "strategic agreement" with Azerbaijan to feature the ad. According to this article [SP] the soccer team will receive more than 20 million EUR. One of the parties involved in this contract is SOCAR.

Wonder if it is a coincidence that while apa.az reported the news, it "forgot" to mention the agreed amount but made sure to name all the signing parties including the "leadership of Baku". 

A Twitter user tweeted that its "cool stuff" and I would have agreed be it a different country and different circumstances but unfortunately is not nearly as cool as he thinks...

Yes, it is a PR, perhaps wonderful way to advertise a country but at what cost?

Idrak Abbasov- another journalist attacked and severaly beaten

Here is an image showing journalist Idrak Abbasov beaten today and who is currently hospitalized for his injuries. His attackers are free, probably looking for their new pray. 

Photo source

Ironically today was the day Idrak Abbasov received the Guardian journalism prize at the Index on Censorship free expression award.

The reason for his attack- simple and straightforward. He was doing something that wasn't pleasing to the employees and representatives of the State Oil Company (SOCAR). His attack is only one of the many and those to come in Azerbaijan, a country where democracy and freedom prospers on daily basis if you listen to some of the official statements.

This is a perfect example of prospering freedom in this case- anyone could basically beat up anyone- that is the notion and understanding of freedom...

***
OSCE just issued a statement regarding the beating. Read the full statement here.

SOCAR's new plans

According to an article on Trend, the State Oil Company otherwise known to many as SOCAR intends reconstruction work of some of the country's old gas pipelines, construction of new ones and even improving gas supply to the regions. These new plans are part of the State Program on Azerbaijan's socio- economic development for 2009- 2013.

Under the program, Azerigaz (SOCAR's Production Unit) is instructed to construct and reconstruct main gas pipelines, improve gas supplies to the regions, new settlements, and to rehabilitate and reconstruct facilities for electrochemical protection of main gas pipelines and the electricity sector.

Sounds awful lot to me, especially if its completion date is set for 2013, but who knows, perhaps with a stroke of a miracle, our far out villages will to see gas in their homes, stop using wood and coal for heating and Azerbaijani children will have heating in their village schools and things will start getting better?

Who knows... we shall see in few years...