AZERI, RUSSIAN SPEAKERS DISCUSS KARABAKH CONFLICT
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
28 Mar 07
Text of report by Azerbaijani private TV station ATV on 28 March
[Presenter] Sergey Mironov, chairman of the Russian Federation Council,
is visiting Baku. Milli Maclis [Azerbaijan’s parliament] Speaker Oqtay
Asadov received the guest. The main topics during their meeting were
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and strategic cooperation.
[Correspondent] The keys for resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
are in Baku and Yerevan. Despite mediation of the [OSCE] Minsk Group
and other international organizations, it is the sides themselves who
have to make principal decisions. For its part, Russia will support
these decisions, Sergey Mironov, chairman of the Russian Federation
Council, has said.
During the visit to Azerbaijan Mironov visited the grave of national
leader Heydar Aliyev and the Martyrs’ Avenue. Later, Mironov had
a meeting with Oqtay Asadov. They discussed the visit of Russian
President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan and the visit of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev to Russia, as well as the successful celebration
of 2005 as the year of Azerbaijan in Russia and the year of 2006 as
the year of Russia in Azerbaijan. Mironov said that relations between
Russia and Azerbaijan have been successful recently.
[Mironov speaking in Russia with Azeri voice-over] Russia is
Azerbaijan’s strategic ally. Bilateral trade is worth 1.5bn dollars.
Some 390 Russian companies operate in Azerbaijan and 171 of them are
joint ventures with 95 per cent of Russian capital.
Russia is also one of the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group which
tackles the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. I am sure that Russia will
do its best to help resolve the issue as soon as possible.
[Correspondent] Such meetings will boost relations between the two
countries’ parliaments, Mironov said. Russia is ready to render any
kind of help to resolve the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, he added.
[Mironov] It would be wrong and illogical to not bring up the Nagornyy
Karabakh issue, a wound that does not heal, while in Baku.
Certainly, this will be discussed during the meetings I will have.
The keys for resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict are in the
capitals of the two countries. Despite mediation by the Minsk Group
and other international organizations, it is the sides themselves
who have to make principal decisions. For its part, Russia will
support the decisions made by Armenia and Azerbaijan on resolving
the conflict. Should the sides need a guarantee from Russia, we are
ready to provide it. I should also note that it is unacceptable to
force any nation to live under pressure.
[Correspondent] Mironov also commented on the energy security
memorandum signed between Azerbaijan and the USA last week [on
22 March].
[Mironov] Each country acts in accordance with its national
interests. We understand and respect this. We hope that Russia’s
interests will also be protected by this memorandum. On our part,
we act in accordance with our own interests when taking any steps
and this is normal.
The Azerbaijani president visited Russia yesterday and had a meeting
with President Vladimir Putin. As far as I know, they discussed
various issues. As MPs we will strengthen the legal aspects of all
results of these talks.
[Correspondent] At the end of the meeting, the sides signed a
document on founding the Baku branch of the international institute
on developing democracy and parliamentarism in countries which are
members of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and on monitoring
the rights of citizens to vote. This will be the first branch of the
institute in a CIS country.
[Video showed the meeting, Mironov and Asadov signing documents]