AZERI, TURKISH LEADERS SEE EYE-TO-EYE ON ‘ALL ISSUES’
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 5 2006
Baku, April 4, AssA-Irada
Turkish-Azerbaijani relations can serve as an example for all
regional countries in terms of the spirit of friendship and fraternal
cooperation, the visiting Turkish President Ahmed Necdet Sezer said
in a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku
on Tuesday.
The Turkish president’s second two-day visit started with a private
meeting between the two leaders which was followed by negotiations
in an expanded format. In his remarks, President Aliyev pointed to
the developing collaboration in all areas and welcomed the presence
of political dialog between the two countries. He said the trade,
economic and cultural relations were also burgeoning.
Sezer, for his part, touched on commercial contacts between Baku
and Ankara. He said while in 2004 the turnover between Azerbaijan
and Turkey was $550 million, it reached $795 million last year,
with prospects of bringing the figure to one billion this year. The
Turkish leader said his country’s businessmen had invested $4.5bn in
Azerbaijan, of which $2.5bn was channeled into the non-oil economy.
He reaffirmed his country’s interest in energy cooperation with
Azerbaijan.
In a joint news briefing shortly after the meeting, the two
presidents said they had also discussed prospects for future
cooperation. President Aliyev said international relations and regional
collaboration were high on the agenda.
“Both countries are implementing global energy projects and the energy
avenues being explored and developed will soon open up tremendous
opportunities for the entire world,” Aliyev said. He added that
the two heads of state had also exchanged views on the strategic
Gars-Tbilisi-Baku railway project and indicated that Baku and Ankara
were united on all issues surrounding the initiative.
Sezer told journalists that all issues of interest had been covered
in the negotiations.
“We consider it necessary to keep on improving our relations in all
directions. Turkey supports all economic projects Azerbaijan has
embarked upon.”
He reiterated his country’s position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, saying Turkey will always stand by
Azerbaijan on the issue. Sezer also thanked Baku for its support on
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus issue.
President Aliyev said his country’s stance on the Garabagh dispute
remains unchanged.
“The conflict may be resolved strictly on the basis on international
law. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be restored and occupation
ended, while Azeri citizens ousted from their homes as a result of
Armenia’s policy of ethnic cleansing must return to their native land.”
Sezer invited President Aliyev to attend the ceremony of launching
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline in Turkey in May.
The parties signed no documents during the Turkish president’s visit.
Although local media reported prior to the visit that the two leaders
were to discuss Turkish-Armenian relations and the tensions between
the United States and Iran, no information concerning these issues
was provided during the news briefing.