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JÃ¡n KubiÅ¡: â€œWe didnâ€™t support the UN resolution on Azerbaijan taking the stance in line with the position of OSCE Minsk Groupâ€ - EXCLUSIVE

JÃ¡n KubiÅ¡: â€œWe didnâ€™t support the UN resolution on Azerbaijan taking the stance in line with the position of OSCE Minsk Groupâ€ <font color=red>- EXCLUSIVE </font>

24 April 2008 16:22 (UTC +04:00)

Mr. JÃ¡n KubiÅ¡, Chairman of CE Committee of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovak Republic gave interview to APA

- How do you value the political, economical and cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia?
- Relations between Slovakia and Azerbaijan are friendly without any open questions. Slovak Republic is interested in balanced and mutually profitable co-operation with Azerbaijan, emphasizing the areas of trade and economy. We are also interested in intensifying the visits of the representatives of our countries which have been until now quite limited. Limited bilateral activities are reflected in the lack of exploiting the potential for bilateral economic co-operation which could be mutually beneficial due to the raw-material supplies of Azerbaijan and Slovak technologies. The main condition for bringing this effort into practice is to develop appropriate contractual basis between our countries. Besides the co-operation in the energy sector, Slovakia would appreciate Azerbaijan proposals for co-operation in other fields of economy in which Slovak businessmen could enter.
Slovak Republic supports Azerbaijan (together with the other South Caucasus countries) on the way to fulfillment of their European aspirations. Moreover, in November 2006 EU has signed Action Plans with the South Caucasus countries. Thus also Azerbaijan has been included into the European Neighborhood Policy Program. Slovakia believes that the mentioned mechanism of co-operation will significantly contribute to the Azerbaijanâ€™s aspirations. I would like to reassure the official representatives of the Republic of Azerbaijan that Slovakia is prepared to share its experience from the accession process to the EU.
- Why didnÂ´t Slovakia support Azerbaijan during the vote on a UN resolution on the â€œsituation on the occupied territories of Azerbaijanâ€? Will it anyhow influence the relationship between our countries?
- Slovakia recognizes and respects the right of all Member States to bring issues to the attention of the General Assembly for consideration, in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter.
Slovak Republic, coordinated its position with its partners from the European Union, took the stance in line with the position of the Minsk Group. Slovakia remains ready to support all steps which contribute to a peaceful resolution of this conflict.
Slovak Republic believes that the existing OSCE mechanisms should retain the lead in settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Slovakia fully supports the ongoing mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group towards a peaceful, just and lasting settlement.
- What is the main purpose of your visit? What do you think about the pre-electoral situation in the country?
- The aim of my visit is to discuss Slovak-Azerbaijan bilateral relations with the perspective of deepening co-operation between our countries. At the same time, from the point of view of my capacity as the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, I would like to use this opportunity for evaluating the co-operation of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the framework of international organizations â€“ Council of Europe, UN, and OSCE.
The Presidential elections to be held in October will be a very important moment in the political life of the country. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has recently adopted an action plan to assist the Azerbaijani authorities with the preparation of the elections. This action plan focuses on the coverage of the electoral campaign by the media, training activities for representatives of election administration as well as educational activities for the public.
A major prerequisite will be the adoption of a new electoral code in line with the relevant international standards, in good time before the elections. Progress has been made in this direction thanks to the assistance provided by the Council of Europe Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR. However, an important outstanding question concerns the composition of electoral commissions. I hope a solution that can be endorsed by all political forces will be found soon.
Beyond the adoption of a new electoral code, it will be important to secure its concrete implementation in a way that guarantees that the elections will be truly free and fair. I have in particular in mind the balanced and impartial coverage of all candidates by the media, in particular on television, and the possibility to hold rallies without hindrances.