ALI HASANOV: "IF THERE WERE GUARANTEES, AZERBAIJAN WOULD BECOME MEMBER OF THE CSTO LONG AGO"
APA
Feb 12 2010
Azerbaijan
Baku – APA. "Naturally every government official is making statement
within the interests of own country. Of course, every statement is
responded adequately. Therefore we are not a side making choice in
this case", said Chief of Public-Policy Department of the Presidential
Administration Ali Hasanov in an interview to Vesti.az, APA reports.
Making comments on Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman’s
criticism against Turkey during his visit to Baku and some world media
reports about negative impact of this visit on Azerbaijani-Iranian
relations, Ali Hasanov said Azerbaijan was pursuing full independent
policy and was a leading country in the South Caucasus. "The issues
that whom does the Azerbaijani leader meet with and what they discuss,
have no relations to the interests of other countries. No country can
condemn or criticize Azerbaijan for this case. We are always stating
that we are far from the policy infringing the interests of other
countries. Azerbaijan is always pursuing the policy based on its
national interests and considering the common interest of its allies.
In this context, Azerbaijan continues to develop relations with
Israel. It doesn’t mean that we support all actions of Israel at
the international arena. I have to remind that Azerbaijan strongly
condemned the events in Gaza. We are always strongly criticizing the
actions against international law and humanism, but at the same time,
we support the Israel’s policy towards peace and stability all over
the world. I believe that Azerbaijan is pursuing right policy in
this context".
Answering the question how real is the opening of Azerbaijani embassy
in Israel after the Lieberman’s visit, Ali Hasanov said he couldn’t
gave exact time for the opening of the embassy. "But I can assure
you that Azerbaijan will open its embassy in Israel".
The official of the Presidential Administration also commented on
the experts’ opinion that Turkey will open the borders with Armenia
before the Azerbaijani territories are liberated.
"We are sure that Turkish leadership will keep its promise not to open
the borders with Armenia until the occupied Azerbaijani territories
are liberated. We are sure that Armenia’s policy on normalizing the
relations with Turkey will not be successful unless the Azerbaijani
territories are liberated and IDPs return to their native lands. The
opening of Turkey-Armenia border will not have any positive influence
on the atmosphere of cooperation in the South Caucasus unless the
occupation of Azerbaijani territories ends. In order to achieve
peace and progress in the South Caucasus there should not be closed
borders in the region. Otherwise, all the efforts aiming to improve
the situation will fail. Turkey understands it well, too," he said.
Ali Hasanov also took a stance on the views that for the solution
to Nagorno Karabakh conflict Azerbaijan should become member of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization.
"Who guarantees that Armenia will release the occupied territories
and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity will be restored if Azerbaijan
becomes member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization? No one
guarantees this. If there had been such a guarantee, Azerbaijan would
have become the member of this organization. Moreover, we can stand
together with Armenia – the country that has occupied our territories.
Why doesn’t anybody protest that an aggressor country has become
member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization? Why don’t they
exert pressure on the aggressor? Why should we stand together with
the aggressor state within the same bloc? What can unite Armenia and
Azerbaijan in the issue of the collective security? On the other hand,
the Collective Security Treaty Organization states that it does not
intend to interfere in the conflicts of the member states. A question
arises: "From whom does this organization try to defend Azerbaijan? No
one has answered this question yet," he said.