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Bernard Snoy: We are ready to do new research on fires in the region, if Azerbaijani government invites â€“ EXCLUSIVE

Bernard Snoy: We are ready to do new research on fires in the region, if Azerbaijani government invites <font color=red>â€“ EXCLUSIVE </font>

03 December 2007 10:57 (UTC +04:00)

-What will be your main priorities in 2008?
- Spain will hand over OSCE chairmanship to Finland next year, we hope we will continue active work on preventing environmental problems, we will mainly focus on the issue on water management. In this respect, countries of OSCE region should extend cooperation and share expertise in this field. One of the important issues is to increase the peopleâ€™s knowledge in the environmental protection. We intend to hold special sessions and events for this purpose.
-What events does your office plan with regard to Azerbaijan next year?
- We are actively working in Azerbaijan. Several experts engaged in environmental issues have begun work in OSCE Office in Baku in 2007. We also continue studying the project on Kur-Araz basin water management and environmental situation of the Caspian Sea. The project on Kur-Araz basin will be completed late in 2008. One of our important conferences will be held in Ashgabat on March 6-7. Azerbaijan will be officially represented in the conference, we will discuss with Azerbaijan the issues on environmental security of the Caspian. In future we intend to cooperate with Azerbaijan on environmental issues more actively.
-You prepared a report on fires occurred in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan last year. You noted that natural factors caused fires, but not Armenians committed itâ€¦
-My mission ended year ago. When our mission functioned that time we were not aimed at making clear who is to blame for these fires. The momentum which worries us is to remove these fires, to learn causes and results of it exactly. The fires occurred in early June, but our mission visited region in October. Therefore it was very hard to define causes of fires accurately. We also held meetings with various senior officials regarding these issues.
-Have you got information about reiteration of analogical fires this year? Do you plan to visit region again?
-You are right. According to information I have the fires this year were not large as it was last year. If Azerbaijani government invites us again, we will visit the region again with great pleasure and do new research. But I think that it would be better if government observed our recommendations given at the end of the report. These recommendations will be helpful in the prevention of fires. /APA/