NOVRUZ MAMEDOV: "ALL INITIATIVES FOR RESTORATION OF PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS ARE BOUND TO THE SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Today.Az
politics/47578.html
Sept 16 2008
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Novruz Mamedov, chief of department of external
relations of the presidential administration of Azerbaijan.

– President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has left to Moscow to attend
talks with his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev to be held
Tuesday. What can you say about this visit?

– This visit is conducted by invitation of the Russian President. I
think during this visit the sides will hold a wide exchange of views
around the bilateral relations and regional problems in the sense of
the recent events in the region. There is a need for that.

– Following the well-known events in Georgia, Turkey and other
countries started to propose different initiatives to strengthen
peace and stability in the South Caucasus. Can these initiatives
have a positive impact on the process of the resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict around Nagorno Karabakh?

– It is what we expect from all these initiatives and all these
proposals for restoration of peace, stability and security in the
South Caucasus that they can only be bound to the resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as nothing can be achieved without it. And
the head of our state uses all potential within the country and out
of its bounds for this purpose. Nothing is possible without it.

– Can the recent events in Georgia have any consequences for the
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

– Negative consequences of some events sometimes have a positive
and constructive influence on other issues. It is possible in this
sense. But it is difficult to say anything ahead of time.

– Azerbaijan’s neighbors in the South Caucasus differ with their
categorical unambiguity of their external political course. Thus,
President of Georgia is directly oriented towards the West, while
Armenia is leaning for Russia. Which dividends can Azerbaijan’s
multi-directional policy give to our country?

– I can say the only thing: small countries should not conduct such
a policy as it can lead to national disaster and be tragic. That is
all. We all know it well and, therefore, the concept of the external
political course, laid by President Heydar Aliyev, is the most
exemplary, wise and far-seeing nowadays.