ALEKPER MAMEDOV: AZERBAIJAN WILL ONLY GET CHANCE OF RECLAIMING TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ARMENIA THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF TIES WITH WEST AND ACCESSION TO NATO

Day.Az
April 3 2008
Azerbaijan

Ilya Faynzilberg’s interview with Alekper Mamedov

Azerbaijan must seek closer ties with NATO

[Correspondent] Alekper muallim [form of address], what do you think
about the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan
signed by Azerbaijan and NATO and the cooperation under the Partnership
for Peace programme?

[Mamedov] I am convinced that Azerbaijan will only get a chance of
reclaiming territories occupied by Armenia through the development
of ties with the West and accession to NATO. One can cite Turkey
as an example of the positive impact of accession to NATO in terms
of the army’s combat potential and the country’s influence on
the international stage. Moreover, by joining NATO Azerbaijan will
reiterate its aspiration to endorse Western values, to democratize the
country and to build a society where the protection of the rights of
every citizen, the freedom of speech and equal protection of the law
for everyone regardless of his or her position are sacred principles.

Unfortunately, we still have problems in these areas and it is too
early to speak of Azerbaijan’s accession to NATO. It is, however,
necessary to step up the work in this director because otherwise the
other two states of the South Caucasus could join the organization
before we do.

[Correspondent] Unfortunately, we have all witnessed Russia’s extremely
nervous and often aggressive reaction to Ukraine’s and Georgia’s rapid
advancement towards NATO membership. In your opinion, is it possible
that Russia will turn equally aggressive towards Azerbaijan when the
prospect of our country’s accession to NATO becomes more realistic?

Russia exerting pressure on former Soviet republics

[Mamedov] Such unfolding of events cannot be ruled out and is actually
quite likely. Russia has imperialist ambitions and has always hoped
to restore its influence in the entire post-Soviet area.

Naturally, Russia’s ambitions have become much bigger now that the
revenues from the export of energy resources have increased and the
country resorts to "gas blackmail" against Europe more and more often.

Moreover, the Russian leadership has endorsed the "ideology of a
besieged fortress" and this is the reason why NATO’s expansion to the
East is interpreted as a threat to Russia by the Kremlin. This view is
fundamentally wrong. At least the NATO Charter does not say anything
about the organization’s plans to take any kind of action against
Russia. On the other hand, the Charter says that all member-states
of NATO are obliged to aid a member-state whose territorial integrity
comes under threat.

This contradicts Russia’s plans as it intends to continue exerting
pressure on the former Soviet republics by enflaming ethnic and
international conflicts. We have witnessed these kinds of moves
by Russia in Nagornyy Karabakh, the Dniester region, South Ossetia
and Abkhazia. It is possible that Russia will attempt to capitalize
on the failure to resolve the Karabakh conflict to exert pressure
on Azerbaijan when the decision on our country’s accession to NATO
is made.

But we need to prepare for these kinds of provocations and to make a
final choice in favour of Western values in general and integration
with NATO in particular because Russia will never stop supporting
Armenia, which means that we should not expect Russia to promote a
fair settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Need for civil control over army

[Correspondent] As we know, establishment of institutions that
exercise democratic and civil control over the army is one of the
conditions for a country’s accession to NATO. What has Azerbaijan
done in this respect?

[Mamedov] It is true that establishment of institutions that carry out
democratic and civil control over the army is among the provisions
of the Individual Partnership Action Plan signed by Azerbaijan and
NATO. It has to be noted that the Defence Ministry has done its best
to obstruct the implementation of this provision of cooperation with
NATO in the past.

However, the calls voiced by our public and the work carried out by
the NATO leadership have led to some positive changes in this area.

Various options for the resolution of the problem are being put forward
at present. Specifically, the OSCE has drawn up a plan whereby the
local NGOs that are working on the army’s problems are to form an
association that would exercise civil control over the armed forces
"under the umbrella" of Milli Maclis. There is, however, a danger
that the Defence Ministry which, in my opinion, does not want real
professionals and truly independent military experts to exercise
control over the army could form a number of similar NGOs in order
to ensure that an individual loyal to the ministry is elected as the
coordinator of the organization.

This would exclude the possibility of establishing genuine control over
the army. There is also a risk that the NGOs working on the problems
of Azerbaijan’s integration with NATO will be primarily concerned
with obtaining the grants allocated for the civil control over the
army instead of concentrating on real efforts to resolve the problem.

I would therefore suggest that the OSCE undertake to act as a
coordinator of the dialogue between the truly independent NGOs that
work on military problems and the state bodies, helping them to do
their work and exercise civil control over the army. This is the only
way of ensuring that the problem is resolved in a manner that meets
the demands and interests of Azerbaijani public.