Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 10 2009
Russia protests foreign intervention in resolving Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict: Foreign Minister Lavrov
10.03.09 12:00
Azerbaijan, Baku, March 10 /Trend News/
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks in an interview with
news agencies in Azerbaijan
Q: Mr. Lavrov, which issues will be discussed during the Baku talks?
A: My task – together with my Azerbaijani counterparts – is to
summarize the activities of the Declaration on Friendship and
Strategic Partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan dated July 3, 2008
and outline steps to implement regulations in the near future. During
my upcoming meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, I hope to
hear his thoughts about developing our relations.
I am tuned into talks with my counterpart Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov on key issues in our bilateral agenda, including
political, economic and humanitarian cooperation.
Obviously, foreign political talks will be comprehensive. Russia and
Azerbaijan, as neighboring countries and active regional players, have
many topics to discuss. These are Caspian issues, including defining
the Caspian’s legal status, creating a multilateral mechanism to
ensure security in the region and furthering economic cooperation. In
this respect, we may make rapid progress.
We intend to discuss the initiatives of several countries to
strengthen stability in the South Caucasus.
We will surely have comprehensive talks on resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We will be glad to hear the thoughts of our
Azerbaijani partners about Russia’s future steps as an OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair to assist Azerbaijan and Armenia to end this frozen
conflict.
And there is also our international agenda. We will see what can be
done to further coordinate the activities of our foreign ministries in
the UN and other international organizations.
Q: Are Russia’s and Azerbaijan’s stances on regional policy close,
such as resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? How can the Moscow
declaration contribute to solving this territorial conflict?
A: Russia’s and Azerbaijan’s views on the situation in the South
Caucasus and ways to guaranteeing peace and stability in the region
were fixed in the declaration on friendship. Both our countries have
concerns about existing obstacles preventing regional governments from
developing steadily.
Firstly, this relates to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russia’s
position has been expressed repeatedly, including by President
Dimitriy Medvedev. I believe it is well known.
Again, I repeat that we protest foreign intervention. The primary
responsibility to resolve the issue falls on Azerbaijanis and
Armenians. Russia is prepared to support a compromise agreement to
satisfy all parties. A viable solution is one that will return
stability to the South Caucasus.
Now let us touch upon the declaration signed on Nov. 2, 2008 by
Medvedev, Aliyev and Sargsyan and how it can contribute to resolving
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I must say this document has great
significance as the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders unambiguously
confirmed their intention and readiness to continue bilateral talks to
resolve the conflict.
It is no accident that the results of the trilateral meeting received
support at the session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers in
Helsinki in December 2008. Moreover, the three OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen – Russia, the U.S. and France – later made complementary
proposals.
The fact that the presidents’ last meeting took place recently in
Zurich less than three months after the signing of the Moscow
declaration testifies to the document’s ability to resolve the
conflict.
Q: The Azerbaijani parliament voiced anxiety regarding the creation of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) armed forces. What
is the goal of these forces?
A: As far as I understand, this question is linked to the decision to
establish the CSTO collective urgent response forces, which was passed
at an irregular CSTO session. I want to say straight off that any
apprehension in this regard is groundless.
For instance, contrary to NATO urgent response forces, the CSTO forces
will only be active in member-countries. The decision to use these
forces was adopted unilaterally by their presidents.
Key functions of the CSTO forces will be to repulse military
aggression, hold special operations to combat international terrorism
and forcible extremism, transnational organized crime, narcotics
trafficking and handle natural calamities. To fulfill these tasks, the
forces will include mobile military units, special interior ministry
divisions and security forces.
Q: Despite Russia’s denying an alleged arms delivery to Armenia in
2008, Azerbaijan continues to raise the issue at a high level. The
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the question is still open and
parliament continues to make harsh statements in this regard. How
could this impact bilateral relations? Can Azerbaijan make Russia
investigate the issue again and in more detail?
A: We have answered this question repeatedly. Russia has never sold
arms or ammunition to Armenia from the Gumri Base No. 102, as
Azerbaijani media reported on Jan. 8.
I do not think there is a need for an additional investigation because
all the statements made by Russia via diplomatic channels are based on
facts and leave no doubt about the decision made by our military
leadership.
We understand Azerbaijan’s careful approach towards the issue given
the difficult relations between Baku and Yerevan. At the same time, we
are convinced that Russia and Azerbaijan have enough reserves of
mutual confidence to prevent such falsifications from hindering us
from expanding our strategic partnership.
Q: What steps are being taken to consolidate the efforts of CIS
countries to combat the negative consequences of the global financial
crisis?
A: After a CIS Presidential Council decision dated Oct. 21, 2008, a
meeting of CIS finance ministers was held in Moscow. Participants
exchanged their views. Anti-crisis issues were also the focus of a CIS
Presidential Council meeting on Nov. 14, 2008 in Kishinev.
During the meeting, participants discussed mutually integrating CIS
economies to minimize the negative consequences of the crisis. Most
CIS countries face problems with limited access to foreign funds. Work
in this regard continued at a CIS Economic Council session on Dec. 12,
2008.
Q: Will the $2-billion Russian-Azerbaijani bilateral trade change
during the crisis?
A: Goods turnover between our two countries hit $2.4 billion last
year. Goods turnover has doubled in the past three years. This
testifies to our sound basis for developing future economic
cooperation.
The structure of our goods turnover minimizes the potential negative
aspects of the crisis.
We must take the appropriate measures to change the structure of our
mutual trade. We plan to implement huge joint energy projects with
Azerbaijan, which are currently under development.
All interested organizations and enterprises must take active steps to
increase the efficiency of our economic cooperation. Our experts are
sure that Russia will remain a huge commodity supplier to
Azerbaijan. Russian entrepreneurs have voiced their readiness to
develop businesses in Azerbaijan. As a result, goods turnover between
Russia and Azerbaijan is predicted to remain at its 2008 level in
2009.
Q: Talks are ongoing about the Nabucco project. Could Azerbaijan’s
participation in the project negatively impact bilateral relations
between Baku and Moscow?
A: Azerbaijan’s decision to participate in energy projects is its
sovereign right. We respect this. That also goes for the Nabucco
pipeline.
Key criteria to select routes for oil-and-gas deliveries should be
cost efficiency, reliability and ecological security. We are against
excessive politicization.
Russia shares a common understanding of the need to diversify supply
routes to ensure European energy security. We implement alternative
gas pipeline projects following routes to various regions. First and
foremost, this concerns the North and South stream routes. The Blue
Stream route has been commissioned.
We support increasing Russian-Azerbaijani energy cooperation.
Q: If our youth begin to better understand each other, will it be
possible to resolve the Russian-Azerbaijani problems that have arisen
over the past 15-18 years? What role does the Russian language and
culture play in strengthening mutual understanding?
A: Welfare and prosperity depend on the efficiency of youth
policy. Youth differ given their active role in society, receptiveness
to innovation, mobility and ability to find a common language with
their foreign contemporaries.
Thus, 2009 was announced the Year of Youth in the CIS and
Russia. Various events will be held. I expect that youth from
Azerbaijan will play an active role in this process. I want to note
that the events will encourage intercultural dialogue, confirm
tolerance and basic spiritual and moral values.
Our youth have a great deal in common. We must promote bilateral
cooperation in our youth policies to create opportunities for joint
public activity. These projects should have a legal basis as
intergovernmental agreements.
Russia remains a key tool of human intercourse in the CIS and an
important element strengthening moral and cultural
communities. Although ethnic Russians comprise only two percent of the
population in Azerbaijan, Russia retains the position of a second
language in the country. Education in tens of schools and universities
is in Russian. We are grateful to the Azerbaijani authorities for
their efforts to maintain Russian-language information, education and
culture.
We feel that Azerbaijani youth crave Russian. Our task is to render
support to them in this respect. We carry out many projects, including
various contests in Russian, book exhibitions and literary evenings.
Developing cultural ties between our nations is important for
deepening mutual understanding between our youth. A range of actions
are scheduled such as an international cinematographic festival and
applied and folk arts exhibition.
Q: How do you see future Russian-Azerbaijani humanitarian cooperation?
A: Very positively. We have huge reserves to increase humanitarian
cooperation between our two countries in bilateral spheres such as
education, culture, science, health, sports, tourism, social and legal
defense and information.
While holding the Russia and Azerbaijan national years in 2005-2006,
we received a wealth of experience implementing joint measures in
various spheres of life in Russia and Azerbaijan. We hope these trends
will develop further.
We coordinate our relations in an international context under the
Russian-Azerbaijani program on humanitarian cooperation in 2007-2009.
We regard education and science as prospective spheres of
cooperation. The recently opened Lomonosov Moscow State University
Baku Branch, Baku Slavic University and other Russian schools could
become platforms for implementing joint projects in innovative
spheres, particularly nanotechnology. There is a good reason for this
– 2010 was announced the year of science and innovation in the CIS.
Interaction in the religious sphere will contribute to deepening
confidence and understanding between out two nations. We expect that
the fruitful cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and
Caucasus Muslims Board to continue.
We are interested in expanding the legal basis of our humanitarian
relations. Our agenda includes signing several bilateral agreements on
migration problems, establishing university affiliates and youth and
tourism cooperation.