Ashgabat city hosted multilateral consultations on the development of a UN Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin (UN SPAS), Trend reports Dec. 19 with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

The event was held in accordance with the resolution of the UN General Assembly 73/297 dated May 28, 2019, as well as in accordance with the decisions of the Council of Heads of the Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) dated Aug. 24, 2018.

Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development has refuted the information disseminated by Armenian media about the possible sale of the Batumi Sea Port, “Trend.az” reports referring to “Georgia Online”.

“The information disseminated by the Armenian media is false”, the ministry said. “The Batumi Oil Terminal company rented the Batumi Sea Port for a period of 49 years with the right to manage it”.

There are interested circles in Armenia,  in buying the port of Batumi, which Georgia is preparing to sell for $ 600 million. This is reported by the Armenian newspaper “Jamanak Daily” (“Time”).

According to the newspaper, various circles in Armenia are trying to organize a fundraiser to buy the port. This would allow the unimpeded delivery of goods in the country.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources - Magzum Mirzagaliyev proposed that Kyrgyzstan resumes cooperation within the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), Trend reports with reference to the ministry.

Mirzagaliyev made the proposal within the framework of a working visit to Kyrgyzstan, during which he held a number of meetings.

Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a seminar on the role of the private sector in agriculture and the food sector has started in Baku, “Trend.az” reports.

The seminar is organized with the support of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası Sahibkarlar (İşəgötürənlər) Təşkilatları Milli Konfederasiyası - ASK) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The share of the private sector in Azerbaijan’s GDP has reached 84 percent, 76 percent of the employed population work in the private sector, President of Azerbaijan’s National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations Mammad Musayev said.

Musayev made the remark at an international conference on “Attracting private sector and ensuring investment activity in fulfilling sustainable development goals in the field of food and agriculture in Azerbaijan”, “Trend.az” reports from the event.

Turkey has deployed special-purpose military units, military advisers and military equipment to assist the Government of National Accord in Libya, “Trend.az” reports, referring to RIA - Novosti.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Ankara was ready to render any assistance to the Government of Libya's National Accord, including sending its troops there. Turkey does not consider Libyan National Army commander - Khalifa Haftar, being a legitimate leader.

The Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) countries will find it easier to occupy their niche in foreign markets if they work together, Alexander Subbotin said.

The Eurasian Union countries will jointly expand the lathe industry. This was stated by Alexander Subbotin, a member of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, responsible for industry and agricultural production, during a telecast at the Sputnik Armenia International Multimedia Center.

The implementation of the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP), Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) interconnector and Ionian-Adriatic pipeline (IAP) projects, that provide Azerbaijani gas to Europe, needs to be accelerated.

According to Trend.az, which refers to Greek media, the Greek Prime Minister - Kyriakos Mitsotakis said this on the sidelines of the fourth Thessaloniki summit.

Croatia expects to receive about 2.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year through the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP), which is to deliver Azerbaijani gas to Europe. This was stated to a reporter of Trend.az at the Croatian Ministry of Environment and Energy.