NEW AZERBAIJAN PARTY

Q: Azerbaijan is strengthening its positions in the system of international relations, and the country continues its successful activity in international organizations. How would you comment on this?

A: Azerbaijan has managed to assert itself in the world, in the international arena as a reliable partner, a reliable friend. The sympathy for Azerbaijan in international organizations is obvious, and this is no coincidence.

Azerbaijan is pursuing a pragmatic, flexible and offensive diplomacy. And the objectives and goals of our foreign policy, which was set by national leader Heydar Aliyev are clear. The foreign policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev is certainly yielding fruits. The core principle of this foreign policy is ensuring the national interests of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan enjoys great respect and influence in the world. Thanks to its rapid development Azerbaijan`s independence was immediately recognized by the international community. One of the factors conditioning this was Azerbaijan`s oil strategy. The national leader laid the foundations of Azerbaijan`s oil strategy. The country signed the Contract of the Century to attract foreign investments.The signing of the Contract of the Century played a tremendous and invaluable role in Azerbaijan`s development. The Contract ensured rapid development for Azerbaijan, which is today the leader in the South Caucasus region.

Our election to the world’s top structure, the UN Security Council, has been a tremendous diplomatic and political success for the young and independent state. In essence, it demonstrates the image of our country, it shows what a great road it has covered in a short period of time. The vast majority of the international community, 155 countries, supported our candidacy.

Q: Launched by national leader Heydar Aliyev the policy of Azerbaijan`s develop is successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan enjoys growing interest of the international community…

A: It is the fact that it is national leader Heydar Aliyev who is considered the man behind the statehood building in Azerbaijan, the country`s economic prosperity and socio-political stability.

The national leader-founded strategy of development is now being realized in front of the eyes of the current generation. Azerbaijan`s achievements today, the strengthening of the country`s independence is the continuation of the Heydar Aliyev path, and his idea of Azerbaijanism.

Time proved that there is no alternative to Heydar Aliyev policy and that the people`s supporting Ilham Aliyev is the most righteous step.

Thanks to the national leader`s policy Azerbaijan has achieved its progress and earned an excellent image on the international scene.

Baku has become an important meeting place for people of different civilizations, different nationalities, different views of the world.

Azerbaijan becomes one of the centers of tolerance and multiculturalism in the world. For many centuries, peoples and religious lived in peace in our country. Today, we preserve our traditions, roots and history and respect our cultural diversity.

Q: Occupation of our lands by Armenia is our major problem. What is your vision of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

A: Azerbaijan plays an important part in regional security and stability. At the same time, the biggest threat to the security of the region is posed by the policy of aggression pursued by Armenia, which keeps 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts, under occupation. Armenia has carried out a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijanis, as a result of which more than a million people have become refugees and internally displaced persons. Four UN Security Council resolutions demand an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories. Unfortunately, Armenia continues to flout them and the conflict remains unresolved. The conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The United Nations is no longer able to rule the world. So from this point of view the European Union is an excellent model. Azerbaijan is developing at a rapid pace. On the contrary, Armenia remains isolated from regional and international development processes. So Armenia`s fate in the region is under question.

Q: What can you say of the foreign relations of the MilliMajlis?

A: Azerbaijan has made considerable achievements in the field of diplomacy. We have diplomatic missions in nearly 100 countries around the world. And this demonstrates the country`s growing influence and prestige.

Like all government bodies the MilliMajlis also places a particular emphasis on the expansion of its foreign relations.

I think that interparliamentary ties positively impact the overall development of relations. The parliamentary committee on foreign relations and interparliamentary ties is actively working.