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UK ambassador: â€œUK is concerned that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved and is therefore a source of regional instabilityâ€ - INTERVIEW

UK ambassador: â€œUK is concerned that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved and is therefore a source of regional instabilityâ€ - <font color=red>INTERVIEW</font>

26 January 2012 08:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Habil Suleymanzadeh â€“ APA. APAâ€™s interview with UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Bateman

- Mr. Ambassador, what did you feel as you first got an offer to work in Azerbaijan as the UK ambassador? What was your first thought and reaction?

- I felt very privileged and proud to be chosen as British Ambassador to Azerbaijan, particularly at such an exciting time in its history and when bilateral relations are so close. I still feel that way, three months after arriving and look forward immensely over the course of my posting to getting to know this fascinating and increasingly important country and its people even better.

- 20 years ago the UK and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations. 20 years on, how do you find relations between the two nations? What are major achievements and probably missed opportunities?

- Azerbaijan is a friend and close strategic partner of the UK. We have a warm and wide ranging relationship. There have been a number of senior visits between Baku and London, including most recently Charles Hendry, the UK Minister of Energy and Climate Change. We hope there will be many more in the months and years ahead.

There is an equally close relationship at a commercial and people to people level. The UK is the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan and BPâ€™s partnership with Azerbaijan has been a huge success story for both parties. Azerbaijan is home or a regular destination for a large British business community. The UK welcomes many Azerbaijani students to our universities as well as tourists to our country.

I cannot think of any missed opportunities, but there is clearly always potential to do even better. So there is scope further to deepen and broaden the UKâ€™s relationship with Azerbaijan, both politically and commercially. I look forward to playing a part in this process during my time here. This year Azerbaijan has jointed the UK on the UN Security Council where there will be many opportunities for closer cooperation. Closer to home Baku will host the Eurovision song contest in May which will be a wonderful opportunity for Azerbaijanis to introduce their country to visitors â€“ of which we expect many to be British. And of course, for our part, we look forward to welcoming many Azerbaijani visitors and athletes to the London Olympics and Paralympics this summer.

- Recently the UK ambassadors in South Caucasus issued a joint statement on Olympic Truce in the Caucasus. How is important security of South Caucasus for the UK government?

- Azerbaijan is strategically important to Europe, not just the UK, as it holds the key to diversifying Europeâ€™s energy supply. The amount of British investment in Azerbaijan also makes security in the South Caucasus a priority for us. Along with its EU colleagues, the UK is concerned that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved and is therefore a source of regional instability. We are not Co-Chairs of the Minsk process. But we very much support their efforts to broker a solution acceptable to both sides and based on the principles of territorial integrity; self-determination; and non-use of force.

- Currently Azerbaijan and Armenia are holding critical talks over Karabakh future with predominantly Russian mediation. As we understand a main obstacle now is a legal status and future subordination of Karabakh. Do you see any model in international experience which might be an example for Karabakh resolution?
- Clearly, the status quo on Nagorno Karabagh is unacceptable and the UK is keen to see a peaceful resolution of the conflict as soon as possible. We therefore support all efforts to bring this conclusion about, including of course the recent meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia in Sochi.
I am sure there must be a number of models which might serve to help resolve the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. I think, however, it is up to those most closely involved in its resolution to decide on what would best serve peace and prosperity in the region.
- Currently the UK is a largest investor in Azerbaijan, mainly in oil sector. Azerbaijan has been trying to boost its non-oil sector as the country lacks of non-oil investments. How do you find a local business environment for non-oil investments? Do you see any possibilities for British companies?
We are naturally delighted that the UK is by far the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan (with over 50% of all FDI). So far the majority of that investment has been in the energy sector. If all goes to plan, there should be a great deal more.
But we are very much interested in developing our trade and investment relationship much more broadly. Our priority sectors for such activity in Azerbaijan beyond oil and gas include: construction services; financial services; design; education; and retail.
We believe that there are many promising business opportunities in construction, particularly in areas such as project management and architectural services. There are already success stories in project management, architecture and design â€“ for example, at Port Baku and the Baku White City projects, and the new International Airport terminal. And of course we are delighted to see so many London taxis plying the streets of Baku!
Another area of growing interest to UK firms is retail (both luxury and mid-range brands), with the appearance of familiar UK high street names such as Mothercare, Debenhams, Accessorize and Austin Reed. We are keen to see this trend grow.
- The Iranian issue remains a major source of international concerns. There are some concerns in Azerbaijan that possible military strike on Iran would affect Azerbaijan and have negative consequences (refugees etc) . How do see the Azerbaijani concerns?

- We fully understand that Azerbaijan has a delicate path to tread in its regional relationships. Azerbaijan has many people-to-people links with Iran, as well as a shared border which mean that the two countries must work together in many areas. Azerbaijanâ€™s concerns are understandable and UK is also keen to avoid any further escalation of tension in the region.