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Elnur Aslanov: â€œAzerbaijanâ€™s geographical location requires the main attention to be paid to the relations with neighborsâ€

18 May 2012 16:29 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. â€œThe foreign policy of Azerbaijan, a country located in a sensitive geopolitical environment, is based on geography, geopolitics and geology. These three
factors enable us to explain the essence of Azerbaijanâ€™s foreign policy and identify its
prioritiesâ€, said Head of the political analysis and information department of the Presidential Administration Elnur Aslanov during his speech in the 2nd World Political Forum in Istanbul.

According to him, the countryâ€™s geographical location requires the main attention to be paid to the relations with neighbors. Aslanov touched Azerbaijani-Russian relations and said that these relations are of dynamic nature. Close cooperation in all areas attests to the strategic partnership between the two countries: â€œAs the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, Russia participates actively in settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflictâ€.

Aslanov also noted that Russiaâ€™s sale of $1 billion worth of weaponry to Armenia became the key destabilizing factor in the region: â€œThis effectively encouraged Armenia to stick to an unconstructive position in the peace processâ€.

Aslanov said that Azerbaijan attached special importance to the development of relations with its southern neighbor Iran: â€œIranâ€™s attempts to pursue its ideological policies, the organization of a broad religious propaganda and some harshly-worded statements by influential religious and public figures have brought about a misunderstanding in bilateral relations. Azerbaijan does not understand the origin of such claims capable of undermining stability in the regionâ€.

He said that Azerbaijan respected the territorial integrity of all countries and didnâ€™t interfere in their internal affairs: â€œBut the establishment of close cooperation between Iran and Armenia is taking place at a time when Armenian troops occupy Azerbaijani territories. This cooperation is more of economic nature as Iran supplies Armenia with gas and consumer goods. Although the military cooperation is not very extensive, the signing of certain military agreements with the aggressor state cannot but cause concern. Iran could use the opportunities it has to put pressure on Armenia and contribute to a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and the establishment of peace and security in the regionâ€.

â€œIt is also true that there were indications of double standards on the part of the West in some areas. Azerbaijan is a reliable energy partner of the West, is actively integrating into European institutions, sharing European values and contributing to international security. But the double standards on the part of Europeans are having an adverse impact on the establishment of peace in the region. The European Unionâ€™s double standards and the indecision of the OSCE in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are delaying the conflict settlementâ€.

Aslanov said that Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated its readiness to provide Nagorno-Karabakh with the highest status of autonomy within the framework of its territorial integrity: â€œâ€Different international experiences, including the northern Tirol, can be examined. There is no other option to resolve this issueâ€. He noted that the unsettlement of this conflict prevented the regionâ€™s development: â€œThe territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is under Armenian occupation, has become a â€œgray areaâ€ with favorable conditions for trafficking in arms and drugsâ€