PRESIDENTS SIGN RUSSIAN-AZERBAIJANI DECLARATION OF AMITY, PARTNERSHIP

Interfax News Agency
July 3 2008
Russia

Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev signed a
Russian-Azerbaijani declaration of amity and strategic partnership
in Baku on Thursday.

The declaration stipulates that the sides would strengthen and expand
military-technical cooperation.

The presidents called for the soonest completion of negotiations on the
delimitation of the Russian-Azerbaijani state border and the signing
of a border treaty. Moscow and Baku vowed to continue cooperation "in
the prevention of activities of organizations, groups and individuals
targeted against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia
and Azerbaijan."

They also pledged to prevent "the activity of agencies, organizations
and companies that could damage each other’s sovereign rights and
interests."

The declaration has a chapter devoted to security in the South Caucasus
and the Caspian region. Moscow and Baku said they would strengthen
cooperation in the interests of regional security.

The sides stressed the importance of the soonest settlement of the
Karabakh conflict on the basis of international laws and the provision
of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.

The declaration’s preamble "expresses concern over the unsettled
regional conflicts, which hamper the normal development of states
and their comprehensive cooperation."