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Ali Hasanov: â€œIf there were guarantees, Azerbaijan would become member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization long agoâ€

12 February 2010 14:04 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. â€œNaturally every government official is making statement within the interests of own country. Of course, every statement is responded adequately. Therefore we are not a side making choice in this caseâ€, said Chief of Public-Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov in an interview to Vesti.az, APA reports. Making comments on Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Liebermanâ€™s criticism against Turkey during his visit to Baku and some world media reports about negative impact of this visit on Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, Ali Hasanov said Azerbaijan was pursuing full independent policy and was a leading country in the South Caucasus. â€œThe issues that whom does the Azerbaijani leader meet with and what they discuss, have no relations to the interests of other countries. No country can condemn or criticize Azerbaijan for this case. We are always stating that we are far from the policy infringing the interests of other countries. Azerbaijan is always pursuing the policy based on its national interests and considering the common interest of its allies. In this context, Azerbaijan continues to develop relations with Israel. It doesnâ€™t mean that we support all actions of Israel at the international arena. I have to remind that Azerbaijan strongly condemned the events in Gaza. We are always strongly criticizing the actions against international law and humanism, but at the same time, we support the Israelâ€™s policy towards peace and stability all over the world. I believe that Azerbaijan is pursuing right policy in this contextâ€.

Answering the question how real is the opening of Azerbaijani embassy in Israel after the Liebermanâ€™s visit, Ali Hasanov said he couldnâ€™t gave exact time for the opening of the embassy. â€œBut I can assure you that Azerbaijan will open its embassy in Israelâ€.

The official of the Presidential Administration also commented on the expertsâ€™ opinion that Turkey will open the borders with Armenia before the Azerbaijani territories are liberated.
â€œWe are sure that Turkish leadership will keep its promise not to open the borders with Armenia until the occupied Azerbaijani territories are liberated. We are sure that Armeniaâ€™s policy on normalizing the relations with Turkey will not be successful unless the Azerbaijani territories are liberated and IDPs return to their native lands. The opening of Turkey-Armenia border will not have any positive influence on the atmosphere of cooperation in the South Caucasus unless the occupation of Azerbaijani territories ends. In order to achieve peace and progress in the South Caucasus there should not be closed borders in the region. Otherwise, all the efforts aiming to improve the situation will fail. Turkey understands it well, too,â€ he said.

Ali Hasanov also took a stance on the views that for the solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict Azerbaijan should become member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
â€œWho guarantees that Armenia will release the occupied territories and Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity will be restored if Azerbaijan becomes member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization? No one guarantees this. If there had been such a guarantee, Azerbaijan would have become the member of this organization. Moreover, we can stand together with Armenia â€“ the country that has occupied our territories. Why doesnâ€™t anybody protest that an aggressor country has become member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization? Why donâ€™t they exert pressure on the aggressor? Why should we stand together with the aggressor state within the same bloc? What can unite Armenia and Azerbaijan in the issue of the collective security? On the other hand, the Collective Security Treaty Organization states that it does not intend to interfere in the conflicts of the member states. A question arises: â€œFrom whom does this organization try to defend Azerbaijan? No one has answered this question yet,â€ he said.