Azeri president, German chancellor discuss economic ties, Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
25 Aug 04
[Presenter Qanira Atasova] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has
started official meetings in Germany. ANS correspondent in Germany
Qanira Pasayeva has the details. Hello, Qanira. What issues were
discussed during the president’s official meetings?
[Qanira Pasayeva over the phone] Hello, Qanira. President Aliyev met
Germany’s Federal President Horst Koehler. Then he met Federal
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. After this one-to-one meeting, the
parties signed two documents: an agreement on avoiding double taxation
and a contract on the purchase of Airbuses.
After that, President Aliyev and Chancellor Schroeder held a press
conference. Schroeder said that following an exchange of views with
the Azerbaijani president he had come to the conclusion that a
law-governed state has been established in Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani
president is trying to establish law and order in Azerbaijan, certain
progress has been made in this area and as a result of domestic
reforms, there is a steady growth, especially in the economy.
Schroeder said that they had also discussed political issues and said
that Germany, as in the past, supports Azerbaijan and has recognized
and will recognize and respect Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He
said that he was in favour of a peaceful solution to the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem. As a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, Germany will
try to make its contribution to the resolution of this problem. He
stated that both countries were interested in economic cooperation as
well and said that a contract had been signed on the purchase of four
Airbuses. It is not just an economic deal, it also has a political
meaning. It shows that Azerbaijan is interested in integration into
Europe.
He said that the Azerbaijani president had invited German companies to
work, especially in the area of the energy infrastructure. He said
that agreement had been reached to hold a conference in Berlin this
autumn or at the beginning of the next year, and German businessmen
will be informed of the business environment in Azerbaijan and
specific projects. After that, closer cooperation will be possible.
President Aliyev also said he was confident that relations between the
two countries would deepen after this visit. The president mainly
touched upon the Nagornyy Karabakh problem and said that Azerbaijan is
very satisfied with Germany’s position. Germany respects Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity.
There was a question by a German journalist about how he [the
Azerbaijani president] sees a political solution to the problem. He
said that the problem should be settled within the norms of
international law. It is important that Armenia should withdraw from
the territories it has occupied. He said that Armenians could live in
Nagornyy Karabakh, there are many ethnic minorities living in
Azerbaijan. Like these minorities, they can live in Azerbaijan. But
Azerbaijan will never allow any state to be established [on its
territory] on the pretext of self-determination. That is it, Qanira.
[Qanira Atasova] Thank you, Qanira. On the phone from Germany was
ANS’s special correspondent Qanira Pasayeva.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress