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Azerbaijanâ€™s President: Holding the session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly beyond the European Union is a brave decision

03 April 2012 14:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. â€œHolding the session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly beyond the European Union is a brave decision. This session demonstrates our partnership spirit,â€ Azerbaijanâ€™s President Ilham Aliyev said at the official opening ceremony of the second session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Baku, APA reports.

President said this event will further strengthen the partnership between the European institutions and Azerbaijan. Speaking about the achievements gained in the years of independence, reforms carried out in Azerbaijan, the Head of State said that the achieved rights and freedoms have already become the realities of modern Azerbaijan.

He said strong foundations of the statehood have been laid in Azerbaijan in the past 20 years. President underlined that thanks to the strong will of the people, economic, political reforms have been carried out in the country.
â€œIn the past 8 years economy has grown by 8 times, GDP by 300 times, the poverty level reduced, more than one million jobs have been created. Azerbaijan holds one of the first places in CIS for the foreign investments per capita. Favorable conditions have been created in the country for foreign investments. Great attention is paid to the development of non-oil sector in Azerbaijan, more than one thousand schools, a lot of medical centers, Olympic sport complexes have been built in the country,â€ he said.

â€œOur aim is to be a developed country and we will achieve it,â€ President Ilham Aliyev said and added that it will be achieved due to the existing clear political system, strong economy, stable social policy, favorable geographical position and other important factors.

The Head of State said that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the only problem of Azerbaijan. He noted that about 300 000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from Armenia, and more than 700 000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from Nagorno Karabakh and nearby regions, 20 percent of our lands were occupied by Armenia. â€œDespite the resolutions of the UN Security Council, European Parliament, the Council of Europe, OSCE and other international organizations, Armenia refuses to withdraw its forces from the occupied territories. Everything was ruined in the occupied territories, mosques and cemeteries were destroyed and all of these facts were described in the OSCE assessment missionâ€™s reports. Armenians killed 613 peaceful Azerbaijanis, including women and children, in Khojalyâ€. President Ilham Aliyev said that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored, Armenian armed forces must be withdrawn from the occupied territories, UN resolutions must be fulfilled, refugees and IDPs must return to their homeland.

The Head of State emphasized that there is a multinational society in Azerbaijan, but religious and ethnic conflicts have never happened in the country. Speaking about the large energy and transport projects proposed by Azerbaijan, President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is an important partner in the field of energy security today and this policy is formed in accordance with the national interests. â€œWe connected the Caspian Sea with Black Sea and Mediterranean via different oil and gas corridors and created opportunities for the neighbors to use this infrastructure. Azerbaijan is an important gas supplier in the world and reliable partner for Europe nowâ€.

The Head of State said Azerbaijan became an important partner at the international level and won strong support in the world. Azerbaijan was supported by 155 countries during the voting for UN Security Councilâ€™s non-permanent membership.

In the end, President of Azerbaijan wished successes in the sessionâ€™s work.