Itar-Tass, Russia
Dec 15 2004

Blair, Aliyev to negotiate UK servicemen transit via Azerbaijan

LONDON, December 15 (Itar-Tass) – British Prime Minister Tony Blair
and Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev have agreed to start talks on
future cooperation in British servicemen’s transit to Afghanistan via
Azerbaijan and back.

The leaders of the two countries also agreed to work out a programme
of Azerbaijani Armed Forces’ training in order to increase their
possibilities of contributing to peacekeeping operations.

Blair welcomed Azerbaijani Armed Forces’ efforts to maintain peace
and security in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, the British prime
minister’s secretariat told Itar-Tass on Wednesday in its comment on
the results of Tuesday’s talks between Blair and Aliyev.

Both sides adopted a joint communiqu· on the results of the talks.

Blair and Aliyev agreed to continue and strengthen bilateral
cooperation in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. They
lauded the development of relations with NATO’s Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council (EAPC) and the Partnership for Peace Programme,
according to a communiqu· signed on the results of Britain-Azerbaijan
talks.

The British prime minister and the Azerbaijani president said it is
important to increase the role of non-governmental and civilian
organisations in developing democracy, ensuring human rights and
humanitarian values. They also noted an important role of British
non-governmental organisations in Azerbaijan and other countries.

The leaders of the two countries agreed to work together in order to
settle the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh by peaceful means. They
supported the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to settle the conflict and
stressed the importance of maintaining the regime of ceasefire, which
was established in 1994.

The British prime minister and the Azerbaijani president said they
are ready to help the South Caucasus become a zone of peace,
stability, good-neighbourliness and prosperity in the expanding
Europe. Blair and Aliyev stressed the importance of Caspian countries
in global energy security and welcomed successful cooperation between
British and Azerbaijani companies in conserving natural resources.

The communiqu· says Azerbaijan is committed to strengthening
relations with the European Union and its readiness to cooperate
closely so that Azerbaijan’s involvement into European integration
facilitates multi-party democracy, the supremacy of law, human rights
and the development of the market economy.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress