AZERBAIJAN BACKS PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO IRAN CRISIS – PRESIDENT

Turan news agency, Baku
26 Apr 06

Washington, 26 April: President Ilham Aliyev, who is paying an
official visit to the USA, has delivered a speech at the Foreign
Relations Council of the Carnegie Foundation.

A special correspondent of Turan reports that the former national
security adviser of the US president, Brent Scowcroft, said at the
opening of the meeting that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the
United States. At the same time, he said that Azerbaijan, which is
rich in natural reserves, has been subjected to aggression. “Armenia
has seized a considerable part of Azerbaijan,” Scowcroft said.

In turn, Aliyev pointed out that the Karabakh conflict can be settled
only on the basis of international law and Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity.

Aliyev confirmed Azerbaijan’s readiness to grant the highest degree of
autonomy to Nagornyy Karabakh on the basis of the model of autonomies
existing in Europe. In Aliyev’s opinion, Armenia must give up its
hostile policy against its dynamically developing neighbour. Aliyev
pointed out that Azerbaijan is trying to solve the problem in a
peaceful way. “But the patience of the Azerbaijani people might run
out,” he said.

Touching on the situation surrounding Iran, Aliyev pointed out that
Azerbaijan is in favour of settling the problem in a peaceful way. He
explained that Azerbaijan and Iran have an agreement not to use their
territories against each other.

Asked whether Azerbaijan might become a subject of rivalry between the
USA and Russia, Aliyev pointed out that if there is rivalry between
the USA and Russia, the territory of Azerbaijan cannot be a subject
of the dispute.