Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
April 3, 2005
PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE DIMITRIJ RUPEL AND
ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION
[April 02, 2005, 19:57:57]
President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev met in private with OSCE
Chairman-In-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel
on April 2. Later, the Head of State received the accompanying delegation.
The President noted that Azerbaijan is successfully implementing reforms in
political, economic and other spheres, and taking active part in the global
projects being realized in the region. He pointed out that very good
opportunities had been created for the members of the delegation to
familiarize closer with the processes taking place in Azerbaijan.
Dwelling on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the
Azerbaijani leader stressed the problem was the greatest obstacle to
development, stability and security in the region. He repeated that the
Azerbaijan’s stance on this conflict was based only on such principles of
the international law as those of territorial integrity and inviolability of
borders. In this connection, President Ilham Aliyev mentioned the obvious
intensification of the related activities of the OSCE Minsk. He expressed
hope this visit would help the delegation to get more detailed picture of
the situation in the region.
OSCE Chairman-In-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Dimitrij
Rupel for his part expressed satisfaction with the exchange of views he had
had with President Ilham Aliyev.
He appreciated the prospects of the OSCE-supported work done in Azerbaijan,
and welcomed the President Ilham Aliyev’s recent decree on pardoning 114
prisoners.
The guest also expressed deep satisfaction with the Azerbaijani leader’s
views on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, processes of
democratization taking place in the country including elections, regional
development etc. he had expressed during their conversation.
A number of other issues of mutual interests were touched on during the
meeting.