Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 23 2007
Azerbaijan is Counting of EU Support for Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Settlement
Belgium, Brussels / corr. Trend R.Emilli / The Deputy Foreign
Minister of Azerbaijan, Araz Azimov, said at the press conference in
Brussels that Azerbaijan should become closer to a new stage of
relations with EU as partners and as partners integrated as a whole,
Trend Special Correspondent reports.
` Azerbaijan and other partner nations could build up mutually
effective and beneficial relations, probably serving the goal of
development and progress in the South Caucasus,’ he said. According
to him, within his visit to Brussels, he also reported on the
policies of Azerbaijan, regional concerns and risks. `We have
concluded a memorandum on energy partnership between the EU and
Azerbaijan in November last year. Today we are implementing this
memorandum which will take Azerbaijan to a better place in terms of
development of internal infrastructures as well as energy saving
policies and the search for alternative energy sources as well as to
develop democratic majors in energy market inside,’ Azimov said.
`Relations with neighboring countries and that is to be said that we
are concerned with the developments on the south. And we hope that
issues will be solved peacefully. We are concerned with the situation
in our conflict zone and we hope that we can count on the support of
the EU and for which I was pledged by the way, in terms of political
settlement. A settlement that will bring Azerbaijan and Armenia
together as one region of Karabakh within the territorially
integrally Azerbaijan provided with self rule states and making
outreach economically and culturally to international community.
Guarantees for that will be provided by international community
jointly including by EU. Azerbaijan is ready to contribute. There is
no war solution to the conflict. But probably Azerbaijan will
continue to stand of the principled position. Any territorial
secession will not be accepted. There is only one chance to build
peace. That is within the territorial framework of Azerbaijan. That
should clearly be explained and understood by the Armenian side. I
hope that there shall be pluralism in Armenia about solutions of the
conflict and I hope that at least a few people there will speak in
favour of peace with Azerbaijan and in favour of a settlement on the
basis of principles,’ Azimov said.