ASIM MOLLAZADE: "THERE ARE NO GROUNDS TO DOUBT ABOUT THE RESTORATION OF THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF OUR COUNTRY"
Today.Az
olitics/47637.html
Sept 18 2008
Azerbaijan
Day.Az interview with Asim Mollazade, chairman of the Party of
Democratic Reforms and Milli Medjlis deputy.
– How would you comment on the results of President Ilham Aliyev’s
visit to Moscow?
– The visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Moscow showed
that our country, despite all difficulties in the South Caucasus
region, maintains normal political relations with Russia and develops
bilateral cultural and economic relations.
These actions of official Baku show that Azerbaijan conducts a correct
external policy, owing to which we have good strategic relations with
the United States, develop relations with the European community, play
and important role in ensuring energy security of the Western countries
and at the same time maintain good neighbor relations with Russia.
I am sure that Azerbaijani-Russian relations have all conditions for
further development, especially, in the economic sector.
– How would you comment on the announcement of several local experts
that Azerbaijan’s NATO membership can be the only protection from
Russia’s possible aggression?
– Today, Azerbaijan is developing relations with NATO, attaching great
importance to this cooperation. In particular, Azerbaijani army is
transforming and being brought in compliance with NATO standards. But,
at the same time, it should be reminded that NATO has not yet decided
about admission of Ukraine and Georgia, which I consider to be an
excessive delay.
On the whole, I do not see any problems in the development of good
neighbor relations with Russia for Azerbaijan, which continues the
policy of strategic cooperation with NATO. In this connection, it
should be reminded that Azerbaijan is also successfully developing
ties with the Middle Asian countries and Turkey. In conclusion, I want
to say that the multi-directional and balanced external policy of
Azerbaijan allows it to play significant role not only in the South
Caucasus region, but also position itself as an important player on
the world political arena, capable of finding contact points in the
relations with the United states, as well as Europe and Russia.
– Will this multi-directional and balanced external policy of
Azerbaijan promote return of the occupied lands of our country?
– I am sure that we are closer to the resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict more than ever, for both the NATO countries and
Russia are interested in its resolution.
– But resolutions differ, therefore, will all the lands of our country
be returned in the result of the resolution, you have mentioned?
– Naturally, it will, for there can be no other variant of the
resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, except for the
return of all the Azerbaijani lands, occupied by Armenia. The
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not a subject of talks, which
was reiterated by President of our country Ilham Aliyev during his
visit to Russia. Based on international law, Azerbaijan’s position
is supported by the world community, which means that there are no
grounds to doubt about the restoration of the territorial integrity
of our country.
– I want very much to believe in your optimistic
forecasts. Nevertheless, there is still an unsettled question: what
can make Armenia agree to return the occupied lands to Azerbaijan?
– This can be the real assessment of the situation in the South
Caucasus region. A fleet glance at the situation in all the three
countries of our region would be enough to realize that Armenia is
the most backward country in our region. By isolating itself from
all positive and perspective processes and projects, implemented in
our region, due to the existence of territorial claims to all the
South Caucasus countries and due to the occupation of Azerbaijani
territories, Armenia has driven itself to a poor economic state,
thus being deprived of the prospects of further development.
The number of politicians who are aware of the complexity of the
situation is growing in Armenia, which allows to state that Armenia
will have to adhere to international law, under which the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict can be settled only in the framework of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.