Foreign

Brussels – APA. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a meeting with the representatives of European Policy Center on the theme “Azerbaijan: an increasingly important partner for the EU” in Brussels on April 28, APA reports quoting AzerTAC state agency. Making a keynote speech at the meeting, head of the center Hans Martens said Azerbaijan’s relations with the European organizations and the European Union were extending successfully. He said Azerbaijan actively participated in the European Neighborhood Policy, was a reliable energy partner of the European Union and underlined Azerbaijan’s special role in the energy security of Europe.

President Ilham Aliyev briefed the participants about the economic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan and indicators of the economic growth.
“Share of private sector has increased in economy, there is favorable business environment, reforms are being carried out in the field of democratization and rule of law. Measures are taken in Azerbaijan to turn over oil revenues to human capital, much attention is paid to the implementation of transnational energy projects. It is not accidental that now Azerbaijan plays an important role in ensuring energy security of Europe. Successful economic policy is highly assessed by the international financial organizations. According to the World Bank’s report “Doing Business” Azerbaijan is the top reformer,” he said.

Ilham Aliyev said oil production was increasing in Azerbaijan and highly assessed the country’s transit opportunities.
“Azerbaijan’s attaches great importance to the regional cooperation. Despite this, there still are unsolved problems in the region. Armenia has been occupying a part of Azerbaijani territories for 20 years. Over 1 million Azerbaijanis have been displaced. Though international organizations adopted resolutions condemning this occupation, Armenia ignores these documents. Azerbaijan’s position is firm – the occupied territories should be emptied, IDPs should return to their native lands and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity should be restored,” he said.

The head of state said Armenia occupied not only Nagorny Karabakh, but seven nearby regions as well and destroyed infrastructure in those territories. Nagorny Karabakh is a historic land of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan will never give independence to Nagorny Karabakh, said President Ilham Aliyev. “The only solution to the conflict is the Armenia’s withdrawal from the occupied territories. Then Azerbaijan can give a highest status of self-determination to Nagorny Karabakh. There are no prospects for the invader’s policy”.

President Aliyev said Azerbaijan had large transit opportunities in the Caspian region and shared these opportunities with all its partners. The president said Azerbaijan followed the goal to become one of the most developed countries in the world. As a result of economic development more than 700 thousand new job places were created in recent years in the country, which improved welfare of the people and opened new financial opportunities for the country. “Recently Azerbaijan was a gas importer, but now our country became one of the main gas exporters. Azerbaijan is exporting its natural gas to Georgia, Turkey and to the EU market”.

President Ilham Aliyev said both Azerbaijan and EU would benefit from the cooperation within the framework of Eastern Partnership Program. Answering the question about the Turkey-Armenia relations, President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan doesn’t interfere in the policy of any country. “It is clear that Armenia-Turkey borders were closed because of occupation of Azerbaijani lands. This occupation is still continuing”.

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