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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000362 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2016 
TAGS: PGOV ECON ASEC KDEM PHUM PINR AJ
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S DECREE GIVES GREATER POWERS TO NEW 
MINISTRY OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS 
 
REF: A. BAKU 184 
 
     ¶B. 05 BAKU 1922 
     ¶C. BAKU 217 
 
Classified By: Amb. Reno Harnish for reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On February 27, President Aliyev issued a 
decree detailing the activities the new Ministry of Emergency 
Situations (MES) will undertake.  In addition to the broad 
responsibilities outlined by the decree establishing the 
Ministry (ref b), the new decree called for: creation of a 
militarized special guard service under the MES; permission 
for MES officials to undertake criminal investigations; 
creation of a hotline for the MES to respond to catastrophic 
emergencies; and transfer of responsibility for the ships and 
wharfs under the "Caspian Specialized Emergency and Rescue, 
LTD" to the MES.  In a separate decree, President Aliyev also 
transferred to the MES the responsibilities of the former 
State Agency for City Planning and Architecture and 
established a new State Committee for Urban Construction and 
Architecture.  This move likely signals stripping the "Old 
Guard" Baku mayor of his highly lucrative "urban planning" 
responsibilities and transferring that authority to Heydarov, 
a close friend of the President.  With these two new decrees, 
Heydarov seems to be emerging as one of the most powerful 
individuals in Azerbaijan.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BROAD EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) A February 27 presidential decree outlined in more 
detail the power and responsibilities of the new Ministry of 
Emergency Situations, headed by former Customs Chief 
Kemaladdin Heydarov (ref a).  The broad transfer of power to 
the new ministry appears to bring to fruition the predictions 
Heydarov made to Ambassador (ref c).  The appointment of 
troops to the Ministry came as a surprise to the general 
population, and some observers expressed concern that yet 
another ministry will be able to undertake criminal 
investigations, including searches.  Officially, the decree 
defines the responsibility of the troops as organizing 
security of enterprises, facilities, and other strategic 
objects which are vulnerable to catastrophes, disasters, 
fires, and terrorist attacks.  As previewed to the 
Ambassador, this language suggests the troops will take over 
not only civil defense operations, but also pipeline security 
and probably some counterterrorism responsibilities. 
However, we are not clear what the boundaries will be between 
the MES and other investigative bodies, such as the Ministry 
of National Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 
particularly as the MES now has a role in terrorist 
activities. 
 
¶3. (C) The "Caspian Specialized Emergency and Rescue, LTD", 
which was transferred to the MES in the same decree, 
previously was in charge of all security, search and rescue, 
and emergency operations for anything that moved on the 
Caspian Sea.  However, we have been told that the company was 
ineffectual in its mission, a mission that ordinarily would 
reside with the Azerbaijan Coast Guard.  Placing the search 
and rescue operations under the MES is logically consistent, 
but also could provide financial benefits for the new 
Minister.  With this additional mission, the MES will be able 
to purchase and build new ships, helicopters, cranes, and 
lifting equipment both for onshore and offshore operations. 
The fact that the Ministry will have interaction with 
commercial ships as well (including the right to inspect fish 
and caviar poaching boats) as part of its mandate will give 
the MES interaction with the State Border Service.  (Heydarov 
owns the Caspian Fish Company, which has the monopoly on the 
legal caviar industry; this arrangement could prove 
beneficial to his commercial interests). 
 
¶4.  (C) In our analysis, it appears that this new decree has 
given Minister Heydarov the authority to serve as the 
operational lead either during large-scale emergencies or 
when the fault lines between different agencies overlap in 
lesser operations.  Additionally, the "112" hotline appears 
to support the function of civil defense troops.  Azerbaijan 
has retained the Soviet system of a separate number for 
medical and police emergencies.  These numbers will remain in 
effect, and we believe the new 112 would be used for 
emergency rescue in the case of disasters and catastrophes. 
The Ministry could not be reached for further clarification. 
 
BAKU'S CONSTRUCTION EMERGENCY? 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (C) In a separate decree issued the same day, President 
Aliyev abolished the former State Agency for City Planning 
 
BAKU 00000362  002 OF 002 
 
 
and Architecture, assigned its responsibilities to the MES, 
and established a new State Committee for Urban Construction 
and Architecture (SCUCA).  The responsibilities for the new 
SCUCA have not yet been outlined, but we expect it will not 
be a powerful organization.  The former State Agency for City 
Planning and Architecture reported to the Baku mayor and was 
a lucrative source of income and power for the mayor during 
Baku's ongoing construction boom.  Recently the mayor and the 
committee have come under criticism for utter lack of zoning 
and planning, disregard for safety standards and 
infrastructure needs, and the high cost of bribes necessary 
to construct an apartment highrise.  For example, two 
landslides occurred in Baku last year as a result of 
construction on hillsides without the necessary ground 
support. 
 
¶6. (C) While most in Baku would qualify the city's urban 
planning as a disaster, it appears to be a leap of logic to 
put construction responsibilities under an emergency 
management organization.  This move probably will be 
justified under the reasoning that Azerbaijan is in an 
earthquake zone and as such, the construction of highrises 
needs to be controlled by scientists and emergency management 
specialists, not businessmen.  Politically, this move 
undercuts the "Old Guard" Baku mayor's power and transfers 
that power to a close contact of the President.  Given 
Heydarov's connection to the President and the gradual 
weakening of the mayor's hand, we expect that the new SCUCA 
under the mayor's office will simply be a figurehead and the 
true authority, and thus income, will be held by Heydarov. 
HARNISH