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Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry makes report on outcomes of 2008

13 January 2009 16:12 (UTC +04:00)

In 2008, Azerbaijan successfully continued its line of foreign policy aimed at ensuring the countryâ€™s sustainable development and protection of the citizensâ€™ rights.
During 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan continued to carry out its consistent activity on the settlement of the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally-recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Upon the initiative of the Russian Federation, a trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia was held on November 2nd, which resulted in their signing of the Moscow Declaration. The document expresses the willingness of the sides to continue seeking ways for the settlement of the conflict based on norms and principles of international law and the decisions and documents approved within this framework. Both parties to the conflict as well as the Russian mediator agreed that reaching a peaceful settlement would create a basis for the economic cooperation between the parties.
Efforts continued to further consolidate the position of the international community on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and elimination of its consequences. On March 14th at the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a resolution submitted by Azerbaijan was adopted, which expressed the continued respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all the occupied territories, reaffirmed the inalienable right of the population expelled from these territories to return to their homes and stressed that no State should recognize as lawful the situation resulting from the occupation. It is important to point out the paragraph in the resolution that recognizes the necessity of providing secure and equal conditions of life for Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region with a view to create an effective democratic system of self-governance to be built up in the region within the Republic of Azerbaijan, which meets the OSCEâ€™s Lisbon principles concerning the framework of the future status of the region and security guarantees for all of its population.

Support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was also clearly expressed at the NATO Summit held in Bucharest on 2-4 April and at the Foreign Ministers Meeting of the North Atlantic Council held in Brussels on 2-3 December, where the necessity of settling the conflict based on these principles was emphasized.

A Joint declaration was adopted during the Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council held in Helsinki on 4-5 December, which took note of the constructive outcome of the November meeting of the three Presidents and called on the parties to the conflict to intensify negotiations in accordance with the provisions of the Moscow Declaration. In their statements at the meeting, the absolute majority of the OSCE Member-States have stressed the importance of compliance with the principle of territorial integrity.
Growth of the economic potential and socio-political stability created favorable conditions for further strengthening the countryâ€™s position both on the international arena and on the regional level, developing and deepening relations with other countries bilaterally as well as in multilateral framework, and collaborating effectively with international organizations.
Relations of integration with the European Union developed within the context of implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan and participation in such programs as Â«TwinningÂ» and Â«TAIEXÂ». The initiative on Eastern Partnership gave an additional impetus to the process of strengthening of Azerbaijanâ€™s partnership with and further integration into the European Union. The proposed initiative creates conditions for the deepening of trade and economic, political and humanitarian relations by concluding new association agreements, including on free-trade, and the so-called â€œmobility and security pactsâ€ allowing for the loosening of the visa system.
Azerbaijan successfully continued its cooperation with NATO in areas of regional and energy security, fight against terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illegal drug and human trafficking, border security, elimination of consequences of emergency situations, reforms in security and other areas. In March of 2008, the second document on the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) was adopted, launching the next cycle of IPAP implementation, which provides for deeper political dialogue with NATO, realization of reforms in the area of defense and security and cooperation in the sphere of science and public diplomacy.
Major efforts were concentrated on expanding and deepening cooperation within the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development â€“ GUAM. Within its chairmanship in GUAM, Azerbaijan organized a number of events, including international conferences â€œGUAM-Transitâ€ and â€œGUAM Development Strategyâ€ and continued to actively promote the strategy of development of the GUAM transport corridor at transregional and Eurasian dimensions.
In the context of the extended dialogue on energy, the Energy Summit was held in Baku on 14 November. As a result of the high-level meeting, a Declaration was adopted, which stressed the importance of continuing to pursue policies aimed at diversifying the oil and gas supply routes from the Caspian basin to the world and European markets. Participants of the Summit expressed their support for projects to create a multi-vector infrastructure for the transport and transit of Azerbaijani natural gas to regional and European markets so as to fully meet the needs of the participating States.
Issues related to the expansion of cooperation in the field of energy were also discussed at the international conference â€œOil and gas potential of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan: energy, economy, ecology. Strategic cooperationâ€ held in Baku on 8-9 November and at the trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan held in Turkmenbashi on 29 November.
In 2008, Azerbaijan continued to collaborate with the interested countries on the development of transport corridors â€œEast-Westâ€ and â€œNorth-Southâ€. In the framework of the implementation of the project on the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Turkish section of the railway was held in Kars on 24 July with the participation of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. Azerbaijan also actively participated in the work of the Working Group on the realization of the project on â€œNorth-Southâ€ transport corridor.
Special attention was devoted to ensuring better representation of Azerbaijan in elected structures of international organizations. In 2008, Azerbaijan was elected to the Advisory Committee of the Human Rights Council as well as to the Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council of the Universal Postal Union.
Azerbaijan participated more actively within the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and started preparations to assume chairmanship in the organization in 2009.
Concurrently, Azerbaijan continued to develop its bilateral diplomatic relations. Visits of President I.Aliyev during 2008 to Finland, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Romania, Georgia, Ukraine and Turkmenistan contributed to the expansion of bilateral partner relations and consolidation of the countryâ€™s positions on the international arena.
Moreover, in 2008 Azerbaijan successively expanded its diplomatic presence abroad, opening an embassy in Syria and an office in Afghanistan. On the other hand, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Hungary and the European Commission have established their diplomatic representations in Azerbaijan.