Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Dec 13 2004

MEETING AT `CHATHAM HOUSE’ CLUB
[December 13, 2004, 12:46:30]

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on December 13 held a meeting in
the `Chatham House’ Club in London, members of which are renowned
politicians, diplomats, media representatives, and famous European
publicists.

Chairman of the Club Lord Herd, who opened the meeting and expressed
gratitude for visiting the Club, welcomed President of Azerbaijan. He
reminded anniversary of death of the founder of the Azerbaijan State
Heydar Aliyev and expressed condolence on behalf of the meting
participants.

Addressing the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev spoke of
socio-political processes just after regaining independence, of the
hard and chaotic situation, political and economic crisis in the
Country in those years. As known, the nationwide leader of Azerbaijan
Heydar Aliyev just in those years has retuned to power on demand of
the people. Thus, thanks to his will, socio-political stability was
restored in Azerbaijan, the reforms have yielded fruits and currently
the Republic is dynamically developing.

President Ilham Aliyev dwelt on the role of Azerbaijan in the region
as well, reminded on large-scale regional economic projects being
realized in the country.

Head of the Azerbaijan State especially underlined that the major
impediment for safety and economic cooperation in the region is the
military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
successively continued negotiations on peaceful settlement of the
conflicts, President Aliyev said. But we shall not cede a sod our
lands, he added. The occupied lands should be immediately liberated.
Strengthening of efforts by the UN, the Council of Europe and other
international organizations would promote fair solution of the
problem. Certain external forces back the aggressive separatism in
the former soviet space. In these questions, the double standards
should be put an end and the existing conflicts should be settled in
the frame of international legal norms and principles, within
territorial integrity of states.

President of Azerbaijan in detail spoke of integration of the
Republic to the European structures. Head of the Azerbaijan State
said the nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev has founded external and
internal policy of Azerbaijan and this policy is successfully being
continued.

President Ilham Aliyev answered questions of the meeting
participants. Lord Herd expressed deep gratitude to President of
Azerbaijan for provided information.