Azerbaijani Foreign Minister: Every Country Has Its Own Unique Path to Democracy
Azerbaijani diplomats were busy in 2005. Negotiations concerning Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution reached a "very high level," according to international mediators. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan signed an Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO, and became a part of the European Union's European Neighborhood Policy. Military cooperation with the United States also intensified with the announcement that two radar stations will be established on Azerbaijani territory with Washington's assistance. In an interview with EurasiaNet, Azerbaijan's foreign minister, Elmar Mamedyarov, assessed 2005 from a diplomatic perspective. The full text of his comments follows:
EurasiaNet: On December 2 in Kyiv a declaration on establishing a "Community of Democratic Choice" was signed by 15 countries, which aspire to NATO and EU membership. You were in Kyiv at that time. Why was Azerbaijan not part of this initiative?
Mamedyarov: Indeed, I represented Azerbaijan at the Kyiv forum. Commonality of interests of the nations which participated there was re-affirmed in the declaration, adopted by consensus, including the key interest in the area of democratization. I am, indeed, surprised by the reaction from certain media on Azerbaijan's presumed absence of interest in the idea. We are fully committed to further implementing the agenda of the democratic transformation of the country and are prepared to cooperate with our foreign partners in that direction.
EurasiaNet: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteurs have sharply criticized the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan and the crack-down on the opposition rally in Baku on November 26. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. They warned that PACE may not confirm the mandate of the new Azerbaijani delegation to the Assembly. What steps will Baku undertake to avoid such sanctions?
Mamedyarov: As you are aware, the elections results have been annulled in 10 constituencies and changed in two, two Constituency Election Commission chairpersons have been arrested, more than 10 Precinct Election Commission chairpersons are in custody, with about 30 election precinct cases having been referred to the office of the Prosecutor General. All these steps have been praised by our foreign partners in Europe, as well as by the United States and by a number of international organizations. The Government does not do that to keep the international observers happy, the main reason is that the people of Azerbaijan deserve that their votes are reflected fully and without distortion in the election outcome. It is an open secret that the ruling party [the Yeni Azerbaijan Party] got a lot of support among the people of Azerbaijan and all attempts to present the situation otherwise and de-legitimize the new parliament leads me to the conclusion that those who internationally voice the doubts most probably have not been following the situation in Azerbaijan closely enough, and lack clear and impartial vision of the internal political process in my country.
EurasiaNet: The last meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs took place on December 4 in Ljubljana (Slovenia). American co-chair Steven Mann said after the meeting that the negotiation process on a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has "deepened as never before and reached [a] very high level." What can you say about the status of the negotiation process? Are there realistic chances for the signing of a framework agreement between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2006?
Mamedyarov: Our position on the peace process is that of cautious optimism. The conflict-settlement related negotiations being such a sensitive issue, I would like to avoid setting deadlines or a timeframe for such an agreement. On the record I am re-iterating that finding a lasting solution to the problem, based on the norms and principles of international law, remains a supreme goal of the Azerbaijan diplomacy.
EurasiaNet: Azerbaijan did not support the United Nations' November 22 resolution on Uzbekistan, put forward by the European Union, which called on the Uzbek government to stop harassing witnesses to the events in Andijan. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. What was the reason for this? How does this decision not to vote for the resolution correspond with government officials' statements that Azerbaijan is committed to Euro-Atlantic integration?
Mamedyarov: Azerbaijan has always supported the international community's efforts aimed at strengthening democracy, protecting human rights and promoting rule-of-law in all countries. It remains one of the pillars of our commitment to the ideals of democracy. Yet, indeed, we did not support the EU-proposed draft resolution on Uzbekistan, proceeding from our firm belief that every country has its own unique path towards democracy and, in addition to that, realizing that the right to uphold stability and law is not only inalienable right, but also a vitally important duty of any government.
EurasiaNet: Local media have reported that the government plans to withdraw Azerbaijani troops from Iraq in 2006. Is this true? What is the near-term outlook for the Azerbaijani military presence in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, and in Iraq?
Mamedyarov: I can not confirm these reports. Azerbaijan supports international efforts aimed at bringing stability and security to the Iraqi people, with its peacekeeping contingent positioned at a dam, which provides water and electricity to a considerable portion of Iraq, just as we remain part of the Kosovo operation, the KFOR, and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. We believe that international presence can do good to many nations and regions that are experiencing turmoil [during a] transition period, as long as national agencies lack the capacity and experience necessary to uphold the stability without assistance from abroad.
EurasiaNet: Does the Azerbaijani government support the international community's efforts to monitor Iran's nuclear program? During Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki's recent visit to Baku, Azerbaijan's deputy foreign minister, Halaf Halafov, said that "these programs have a peaceful character and it is an Iranian internal issue." Do you share this opinion?
Mamedyarov: I have stated on many occasions our principled position vis-à-vis that issue. We consider that development of peaceful nuclear programs is a sovereign right of every nation that chooses to do so, provided that there is adequate international control over the programs, including over return of the spent nuclear fuel. In accordance with that, and based on the numerous statements of Tehran concerning the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear research program, we fully support the "troika" efforts to coordinate with the Iranian Government on that issue.
EurasiaNet: At what stage is Azerbaijani cooperation with the EU within the framework of the new neighborhood policy?
Mamedyarov: We have presented our Action Plan to the EU, re-affirming Azerbaijan's intention of joining the European Neighborhood Policy. In the coming days we expect the experts group from Brussels to visit Baku and discuss with us its implementation. It was confirmed to me by the European Commission during my recent trip to Brussels that there are no obstacles for Azerbaijan's participation in the program.
EurasiaNet: What is the importance of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) for cooperation with NATO that Azerbaijan signed in 2005? What measures will Azerbaijan undertake within the framework of IPAP over the next few years?
Mamedyarov: The IPAP is crucially important in terms of further integrating Azerbaijan into Euro-Atlantic structures. In March of 2006 we will host an official implementation assessment mission which will allow us to progress further along the partnership path, to continue our effective cooperation. The Azerbaijan leadership has always emphasized that we pursued a realistic policy of practical steps in terms of that interaction, and it will be so in the future.
EurasiaNet: US Ambassador Reno Harnish recently announced that US special radar systems would be placed on Azerbaijani territory for monitoring the transportation of weapons of mass destruction components on the Caspian Sea. Is there any legal basis for such cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan?
Mamedyarov: Indeed, this cooperation is based on the 1999-signed bilateral umbrella agreement on non-proliferation. Besides, it needs to be emphasized that the radar stations in both Khizi and Astara will be the property of the Republic of Azerbaijan and at all times operated by the Azerbaijani Government. US assistance to the Azerbaijan side is based on the desire to see the littoral states exercise effective control over the perimeter of their respective national sectors of the Caspian Sea.
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