INTERNATIONAL BERTELSMANN FORUM 2006 COMMENCES IN BERLIN
[September 23, 2006, 14:16:09]
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 23 2006
The International Bertelsmann Forum 2006 commenced in Berlin on
September 22, AzerTAc’s personal correspondent reports from the
German capital.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived at the Federal Foreign
Office to join leading representatives from 20 counties gathered here
to discuss the future of the European continent.
The forum is dealing with a wide range of issues including the future
of the Balkan states and the Black Sea region, Eastern Europe, West’s
strategies in the Middle East, migration and integration within Europe
and others.
Werner Weidenfeld, member of the Executive Board of the Bertelsmann
Foundation made opening remarks.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU Commission President Manuel
Barroso, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Belgian Prime
Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany
gave keynote addresses.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the 1st session of the
forum held under the title The Balkans and the Black Sea – A Litmus
Test for Europe.
President Ilham Aliyev spoke of the legal, political and economic
reforms in Azerbaijan.
"Today, the South Caucasus region is of significant importance to
Europe, especially the delivery of the Caspian Sea energy resources
to the world markets. But the region’s Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is
a huge obstacle to ties between Europe and South Caucasus. Europe
should seek establishment of peace in the region through playing a
key role in settlement of this dispute", he said.
President Ilham Aliyev noted Azerbaijan today has become a significant
oil and gas producing country, adding it is ready to play the role
of a reliable partner in providing energy security in Europe.
Then President Ilham Aliyev, Romanian President Traian Basescu,
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, Montenegrin Prime Minister and
Armenian Foreign Minister had wide-ranging discussions.
President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan is actively involved in the
European new neighborhood policy.
"Integration into the West is one of the major priorities of
Azerbaijan’s foreign policy", he noted.
The Azerbaijani leader reiterated his country’s stance on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Romanian President Traian Basescu who supported Azerbaijan’s position
said the policy of protecting the rights of national minorities should
not infringe upon territorial integrity of a state.
"It is impossible for each national minority to establish its own
state, there is a practice of autonomy. Such conflicts should be
solved on the base of these principles", the Romanian leader noted.
President Ilham Aliyev said Armenia today is the only state that has
no national minorities in its territory, describing it as a monostate.
"Creation of two Armenian states is impossible, it doesn’t meet any
international legal standards and principles, including the European
standards as well as poses a huge threat to Europe’s future", he added.
The Azerbaijani leader also responded to a variety of questions
covering global energy problems, the country’s oil and gas policy,
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and other projects as well as international
problems.
The Forum’s first day ended with sessions entitled "Eastern Europe –
New Power, Old Order" and "From the Middle East to the Hindu Kush –
Collapse of Western Strategies?".
The International Bertelsmann Forum 2006 wraps up on September 23.
* * *
President Ilham Aliyev also attended the official reception given
in the Bertelsmann Foundation in honor of the participants of the
International Bertelsmann Forum 2006.
* * *
Later in the evening, President Ilham Aliyev addressed the "Challenge
Democracy" event, which also involved Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo
Djukanovic and former Polish leader Aleksander Kwasniewski.