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Ziyafat Asgarov: NATO considers Azerbaijan an honest partner

06 April 2010 14:21 (UTC +04:00)

-NATOâ€™s event will be held in Baku in a few days. Can you give information about the event?

-The members of the Sub-Committee on NATO Partnerships of NATO Parliamentary Assembly are expected to visit Azerbaijan on April 11-15. The visit program is ready. As a rule such events are held in NATO PA member states and associate members. Decision has been passed to hold this event in Azerbaijan this time. The delegation will consist of 22 members. The list of the parliamentarians from Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Turkey and UK has been confirmed. The representatives of the international secretariat will also attend the event. They plan to hold meeting in the Azerbaijani parliament with the delegation to NATO PA. Moreover, they will hold meetings in the Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Industry and Energy, Ministry of National Security, will meet with head and advisors of OSCE Office in Baku. The aim of the meetings is to discuss the present state of the relations between Azerbaijan and NATO. The present state of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, negotiations will also be discussed. We will have broad opportunities to give information about the political, economic and military reforms carried out in Azerbaijan. Of course, we will focus attention to the present state of the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

-Does the delegation include parliamentarians from Armenia?

-No, it doesnâ€™t. The Sub-Committee is formed only from the NATO member states. As you know, Armenia is not NATO member.

-What can you say about the current level of NATO-Azerbaijan relations?

-Heads of NATO Parliamentary Assembly have stated several times that Azerbaijan is an honest partner. Both we and NATO leadership are satisfied with this partnership. As a sign of respect to Azerbaijan, former president of NATO PA Jose Lello will also visit Azerbaijan together with the delegation.

-Georgia and Ukraine had been holding discussions on NATO membership for a long time. But some days ago Ukraine refused the membership. What do you think about it?

-This is a domestic problem of Ukraine and it is not correct to comment on it. If Ukraine chose such position, in any case, it proves how correct is the Azerbaijan-NATO partnership.

-Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan said in one of his last interviews that the problem could be solved after Azerbaijan recognizes the independence of Nagorno Karabakhâ€¦

-The negotiations are going for 18 years and every time Azerbaijan states that the Nagorno Karabakh problem can be solved only within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. If Sargsyan has not understood that since 1992, I relate it with his low elementary vocational education. This man didnâ€™t get normal high education and he didnâ€™t understand so far that delay of the solution is related to the non-integrity of Azerbaijanâ€™s territory. I donâ€™t reprobate him because he is ill-fated person.

-There are frequently-voiced ideas that the negotiation process will return to the zero-stage.

-In any case, this problem must be solved within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and it will be so. The Minsk Group co-chairs were informed about our last position. The question is about the renewed version of the Madrid principles despite that Azerbaijan is against some points of this issue. But I think the Minsk Group also came to the concrete conclusion that the problem should be solved within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. At last they understood that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is an unavoidable principle and the conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law.

-You noted that there are some points in the Madrid principles not accepted by Azerbaijan. What is the question about?

-I wouldnâ€™t like announce them, but these points donâ€™t harm the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately the Minks Group doesnâ€™t call Armenia an invader so far.

-Does Azerbaijan think about increase of its troops in the international peacekeeping operations?

-We donâ€™t receive any request about that. If there is such request we can discuss it.

-How is the situation around the military doctrine of Azerbaijan?

-This document has not been sent to the parliament yet.