AZERBAIJAN’S PRESIDENT ON RELATIONS WITH IRAN, KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 18 2004
BAKU, December 17 (RIA Novosti) – The dialogue between Azerbaijan and
Iran proves that normal relations are possible of the countries do
not interfere in each other’s affairs, Azerbaijan’s President Ilkham
Aliyev told journalists on Friday.
In his words, Azerbaijan does not interfere in Iran’s domestic
affairs. “We adhere to this principle and I am happy that Iranian-Azeri
relations are being created on this basis,” Mr. Aliyev said. The
two countries are building their relations on the basis of mutual
understanding and respect, therefore, “Iranian-Azeri dialogue has
been recently intensified,” the head of state stressed.
Speaking about Iran’s position on the Armenian-Azeri conflict, Ilkham
Aliyev said that “Iran had often claimed its support for Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and backed Azerbaijan in this conflict, including
within international organizations.”
According to the president, Iran’s relations with Armenia and other
states are the sovereign affairs of the Iranian side. However,
“we live in a very sensitive region”, therefore, such factors as the
violation of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity should be taken into
account in interstate relations in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan’s
leader said. In his opinion, “regional countries and international
organizations should express their clear-cut position on this issue”.
At all forums Ilkham Aliyev stresses that Armenia is the conflicting
side because Baku is conducting negotiations on the Nagorny Karabakh
settlement with Yerevan. “If Armenia claims that we should negotiate
with Nagorny Karabakh it should step aside, withdraw troops from Azeri
territories and stop allocating money to Nagorny Karabakh form its
budget. Then will shall settle the conflict by all means in a short
while,” Mr. Aliyev said at the session of the UN General Assembly
in New York in late November which focused on the situation on the
occupied Azeri lands on Baku’s initiative.
According to President Aliyev, “all discussions of the Armenian-Azeri
conflict in the UN, Council of Europe and other international
organizations aim to bring to public the occupationist nature of
Armenia and, accordingly, to play a role in the conflict settlement.”