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Vladimir Dorokhin: Azerbaijan-Russia state border line with very few exceptions is the same administrative border line that once existed between RSFSR and Azerbaijan SSR â€“ INTERVIEW

15 September 2010 13:14 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanova â€“ APA. Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin gives interview to APA concerning the state border agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Russia

-Will the state border agreed between Azerbaijan and Russia differ from the border line that existed during the USSR?

-There were no state borders inside the USSR, there were administrative borders. Though border lines were marked in the maps, actually there was no border. After the collapse of the USSR the republics of the union agreed to base on those administrative borders while determining the state borders. This was the same between Russia and Azerbaijan. According to the agreement signed during Russian President Dmitry Medvedevâ€™s visit to Azerbaijan, the state border line with very few exceptions is the same administrative border line that once existed between RSFSR and Azerbaijan SSR.

-Before President Medvedevâ€™s visit Russian media wrote that the border will be transferred from the right bank (Azerbaijan) of the Samur River to the median line of the river and Samur hydrosystem will completely remain under the control of Azerbaijan. What changes actually happened?

-As you have said after the collapse of the USSR Samur hydrosystem remained under the â€œcomplete controlâ€ of Azerbaijan. But the Azerbaijani side managed its operation so that the interests of the water consumers in Russia, Dagestan were taken into consideration. Our countries never had serious problem concerning the water of the Samur. The agreement on the state border de jure strengthens the existing situation. Samur hydrosystem remains in the territory of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side offered Russia joint use of this hydrosystem. The Russian side obtained extra guarantee that its interests concerning the Samur River will be fully taken into consideration. This is the essence of the compromise that allowed to solve the most difficult problem in the process of the delimitation of the border between Russia and Azerbaijan.

-What does the agreement signed between Azerbaijani and Russian governments on the efficient use and protection of the trans-boundary Samur River envisage?

-The status of the Samur River has been determined as trans-boundary. This is an unambiguous international legal notion. There exists an international convention on the status of the rivers crossing the territories of several countries. According to that convention, the states must take into account one anotherâ€™s interests while solving all issues. Firstly, by signing the agreement on the Samur River Russia and Azerbaijan specified these international legal norms for themselves. Secondly, this agreement determines the mechanism of the joint use of the Samur hydrosystem in accordance with the interests of the water consumers of the two countries.

-How will the water of the Samur River be distributed?

-This is a question to the specialists. I can say that the agreement specifies the parameters of the joint use of the Samurâ€™s water resources. I am sure that this agreement will serve as a basis so that all the water-related issues are solved fairly, with the friendly consideration of the interests of each other as before.

-When will the construction of the new bridge on the Samur River start? Who will construct it?

-We would like it to start soon. Earlier, the construction was delayed because of the absence of the contract on the border line. It was not clear who is responsible for the bridge. Now that the sides have specified which facilities are under the jurisdiction of Russia and which under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan, there are no juridical obstacles to start the work.