AZERBAIJANI MP: MADRID PRINCIPLES ARE BUILT AGAINST AZERBAIJAN’S INTERESTS

AZG DAILY
27-01-2010

International

Day.Az interview with Azerbaijan’s former ambassador to Iran, member
of the Azerbaijani parliament Nasib Nasibli.

– For several months, we have heard that Iran is fully ready to open
its borders to all citizens of Azerbaijan without any visas. In your
opinion, what is behind this sudden "open-door policy"?

– I think it is not a surprise move. Iran has made such an attempt
not for the first time. Tehran has sought to change the visa regime
with Azerbaijan for decades. Now they announce that the visa-free
regime for Azerbaijanis will unilaterally enter into force in
February. What Iran actually wants? What is clear is that they need to
ensure a greater presence in Azerbaijan. They want greater political
integration with our people and deeper economic presence. They need
both. To put it mildly, they seek to expand their influence in the
neighboring country. Of course, everybody understands that Iran as a
state has a much greater potential as compared with Azerbaijan in all
respects. Therefore, Tehran sees Azerbaijan as a zone of its presence
and as available area of influence.

– Interestingly, Iran announced these intentions almost simultaneously
with the same actions of the Turkish Republic in respect to all its
neighbors. Can it be seen as Iran’s attempt to compete with a stronger
regional player – Turkey?

– I do not think that the real picture looks that way. Anyone after
careful reflection will recall that Turkey was trying to introduce
visa-free regime with many countries long time ago. First, Turkey
wanted to lift visa requirements with a predominantly Turkic-speaking
population. But in recent years, Turkey has persistently tried to
establish such a procedure with all the Turkic states. Is there then
a factor of a rivalry with Iran? Maybe. But I would not attribute the
entire current situation to this. The main point is that there are
two regional powers each of which wants to have a greater presence in
neighboring countries. This is not because of rivalry. Even without
Iran, Turkey would still seek to introduce visa-free regime with the
neighboring states and equally Iran would do the same without Turkey.

This situation cannot be attributed to pure competitive impulses.

Rather, the reason is the potential which allows these neighboring
states to think that it is possible to take, for example, our country
under control or, at least, to have influence on it.

– Is Azerbaijan able to take the response action to lift visa regime
with Iran?

– This is a very difficult question to which people from the Azerbaijan
Foreign Ministry or from some other bodies should answer. I think,
in any case, the Azerbaijani government is not inclined to take the
response step by introducing visa-free regime for the Iranians.

– How do you assess the OSCE Minsk Group efforts to resolve the
Karabakh conflict and co-chairs’ who visited the region and submitted
the updated Madrid principles?

– I think that serious work and true negotiations are underway at this
stage. I believe the Madrid principles are built against Azerbaijan’s
interests. I mean, of course, issues related to the referendum of
the Nagorno-Karabakh they have proposed. Without a referendum,
the Armenian side does not want to accept all other compromise
settlements. However, if Azerbaijan accepts this, then after some
time we will forever lose Nagorno-Karabakh.