PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN

The President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Alirza Ogly Aliyev, at a press conference at Headquarters yesterday afternoon, said his country was involved in the process of building a democratic society, furthering its relations with the United States and developing its economy on market principles.

President Aliyev said he had been invited to the United States by President Bill Clinton. This was his first official visit to the United States as President of Azerbaijan, and he had also considered it "necessary" to visit United Nations Headquarters as well. However, the main purpose of his visit was to take new steps in the development of relations between the United States and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan achieved independence with the collapse of the former Soviet Union and was currently in the process of building a democratic, law-governed State, President Aliyev said. Democratic, multi-party elections were held in 1995, and the country's economy was being developed along market principles. Large-scale reforms, including a land privatization programme, were also under way, and were already achieving practical results.

Last year, Azerbaijan had achieved economic growth, President Aliyev said. Foreign trade had been liberalized, inflation had been completely stopped and 80 per cent of all agricultural products produced in Azerbaijan were made by the private sector. Gross national product (GNP) had already risen by 5 per cent during the first part of 1997, and agricultural and industrial production were increasing. The reforms would continue to be implemented.

The President said his country was a completely independent nation, whose main task was to preserve its independence. "Azerbaijan does not have any foreign troops on its territory, and no foreign country has military bases on its territory. Azerbaijan independently protects its own borders."

In 1988, the Republic of Armenia had begun a military aggression against his country, seeking to "separate the region of Nagorny-Karabakh of Azerbaijan and join it to Armenia", President Aliyev said. "That aggression turned into war. Hostilities were launched, blood was shed and many people were killed." As a result, 20 per cent of Azerbaijan was occupied by the armed forces of Armenia. More than 1 million Azeri citizens had been forcibly ousted and were currently living in temporary shelters in very difficult circumstances. A cease-fire agreement was signed in May of 1994, and there were currently no hostilities going on. His country was committed to the cease-fire.

"We are currently trying to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan", the President went on to say. The Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was

involved in the peace negotiations. Since the beginning of 1997, three countries -- the Russian Federation, France and the United States -- were co- chairing the Minsk Group.

President Aliyev said that three main principles concerning the Nagorny- Karabakh conflict had been adopted at the December 1996 OSCE summit at Lisbon. They were: the recognition of the territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia; high status of self-rule for Nagorny-Karabakh, within Azerbaijan; and security guarantees for the whole population of Nagorny-Karabakh. Azerbaijan had accepted those principles, which were supported by 53 of the 54 OSCE nations. Armenia was the only country that did not support them.

"We have good relations with the United States, but there are vast opportunities for further development of those relations", President Aliyev said. The President would be going to Washington, D.C., tomorrow for meetings at the White House, Congress, the State Department and the Pentagon. Among the issues to be discussed would be "the question of section 907, an unjust decision passed by Congress in February of 1992", which imposed a ban on his country. Those discussions were expected to open up a new stage in United States-Azerbaijani relations.

President Aliyev also discussed his meeting with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who he said had a very positive attitude with respect to Azerbaijan's problems, particularly its conflict with Armenia. The Secretary-General had said that the United Nations would support the activities of the Minsk Group.

Had his meeting with the Secretary-General included a discussion of United Nations peace-keeping in the region -- to which Russia was opposed -- and its possible impact on Azerbaijan's plans concerning a proposed oil pipeline? a correspondent asked. President Aliyev said his country had never demanded a United Nations peace-keeping force. However, a decision had been taken at the OSCE summit at Budapest on the creation of an OSCE peace-keeping force, which would be the one to ensure peace. It was clear that the Secretary-General supported that idea. Pipelines were not yet being constructed, and so it was too early to consider measures to protect them.

"I believe there will be no need for attracting peace-keeping forces", the President said. Every country had to take responsibility to protect the part of the pipeline that passed through its own territory.

A correspondent asked about an invitation to dinner that had been extended to the President by Jewish organizations. Might that not enhance the perception that he wanted Iran out of the loop on the proposed pipeline and favoured its passage through Georgia? President Aliyev said he had accepted the invitation with pleasure. There were Jews living in Azerbaijan, and like all minorities, they were equal citizens there. "We have never had anti- Semitism".

Azerbaijan Press Conference - 3 - 29 July 1997

The President went on to say that Azerbaijan had never opposed a pipeline passing through Iran. In any case, Azerbaijan was not constructing the pipeline; a consortium of foreign oil companies would undertake that task. His country would take a position once a decision was taken to construct the pipeline through a specific area.

Last week, an agreement was signed in Azerbaijan on the export of oil from Chechnya to the Russian port of Novorossijksk on the Black Sea, a correspondent said. Asked for his opinion about the proposed pipeline, which would go through Turkey, President Aliyev confirmed the signing of the agreement between Russia, Chechnya and Azerbaijan. That pipeline was already in place and an agreement had been needed for the oil to go through Chechnya. As for the main pipeline and its route through Turkey, he said: "I definitely want, by all means, for this pipeline to go through Turkey. I have made every effort for that, and I will continue to do my best to achieve that goal."

A correspondent said the President had consistently opposed the independence of Nagorny-Karabakh. Considering the recent history of Armenians in Azerbaijan, including several city pogroms and a nine-year blockade of Armenia, why should the Armenians of Nagorny-Karabakh believe the President's assurances of complete autonomy? And why would the Azeri Government not allow reciprocal passage of humanitarian relief to Nagorny-Karabakh when Armenia had already agreed to permit such a passage?

President Aliyev said that question was based on a very one-sided view of things. It was Armenia, not Azerbaijan, which had begun the conflict nine years ago. In 1988, Azeris and Armenians in Nagorny-Karabakh were living peacefully together. As a result of the aggression, 1 million Azerbaijanis had been evicted from their own homes and were refugees, while others had been evicted from seven administrative provinces. Tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis had lost their lives and the land had been devastated. Azerbaijan had not occupied "one inch" of Armenian territory.

"We need to look to the future", President Aliyev. "We have to live as neighbours. There should be peace." The President said he invited all Armenians living in the United States to support that goal.

Asked about oil contracts he would be signing with American companies during his visit, President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had six major contracts with multinational oil companies. Companies from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Japan were already participating in the development of Azerbaijan's oil resources. The question of new contracts would be answered over the next two days.

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