By R.Ravichandran
KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Azerbaijan will continue its independent, diversified, balanced and active foreign policy based on the national interests of the country and will defend its position in the international arena under the direct leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, said Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
He outlined Azerbaijan’s foreign policy priorities, as it includes the strengthening of the sovereignty and independence of the country, the elimination of the consequences of the military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, and the restoration of territorial integrity within internationally recognised borders.
Besides that, other priorities are the continuation of large-scale infrastructure projects implemented with the initiative and participation of Azerbaijan and the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation with all international actors, including states, associations and international organisations.
The minister stressed that today, Azerbaijan is the initiator and participant of large-scale projects promoting trans-regional cooperation and an influential state at the global and regional levels.
“The foreign policy achievements of our country, which is regarded as a reliable partner, are of course based on establishing balanced relations with neighbouring nations and other countries of the world, as well as implementing equal dialogue and cooperation based on mutual interests,” Mammadyarov said.
The Azerbaijan Foreign Minister said this in a reply in an exclusive interview with Bernama International News Service in conjunction with Azerbaijan’s 100 Years of Diplomatic Service. He was asked to comment on what is the focus and priorities of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, in the context of the fast-changing global geopolitics and order.
Commenting about the importance of the 100 years anniversary of the Diplomatic Service in Azerbaijan’s diplomacy and international relations history, the minister described 2019 as a remarkable milestone in the history of Azerbaijan’s diplomacy, where a century separates it from a time when the Azerbaijan People’s (Democratic) Republic (ADR) was taking its first steps in the international arena.
He recalled how, on July 9, 1919, the ADR Government adopted a temporary instruction on the secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which this date was taken as the basis for the establishment of the Day of employees of the Diplomatic Service of Azerbaijan, following a Decree of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on August 24, 2007.
“It was an incredibly hectic century which encompassed the collapse of former empires which perished in the fire of World War One, Azerbaijan’s state independence in the form of the first republic in the Muslim East, the loss of this independence, seven decades within the USSR, and the new historic achievement – the proclamation in 1991 of the Republic of Azerbaijan which, for almost three decades, has consistently strengthened its positions in the region and the world as a whole,” he said.
Mammadyarov said despite living at a junction where the interests of global superpowers converged and often overtly collided, the Azerbaijani people always showed a steadfast will to uphold its freedom, where this demonstrates a continuity of the traditions of statehood that is embedded in the national consciousness.
“Emphasising this, the Founding Father of the modern Azerbaijani State Heydar Aliyev said in an address to young people in 2001 – ‘Our greatest historic achievement is the acquisition of state independence’,” he recalled.
Asked how Azerbaijan is being viewed by the world today after it went through several important periods in its history, the minister pointed out that in essence, the past hundred years have become the annals of the formation and development of modern Azerbaijani statehood, and the Republic period of Azerbaijan’s history did not arise in a vacuum – it was organically prepared by all of its predecessors.
“Located at the crossroads of the Great Silk Road, Azerbaijan confirmed with its own example the accuracy of Napoleon’s saying that ‘Geography is destiny’. There was the rich historical ground on which the people of Azerbaijan began to transform into a new social and political community, a nation, in the 19th century. This process proceeded synchronously with many countries of Eastern Europe and led to the subsequent proclamation of a state that embodied the model of a parliamentary republic.
“The Act of Independence of Azerbaijan adopted by the National Council on May 28, 1918, already stated: “The Azerbaijani Democratic Republic guarantees within its borders civil and political rights to all its citizens irrespective of ethnic origin, religion, social status and gender”. The document also emphasised the desire to “establish good-neighbourly relations with all members of the international community, he said.
Mammadyarov noted that thanks to the ADR Government, its explanatory work and interaction with foreign countries, the ADR on January 11, 1920, was de-facto recognised by the Supreme Council of the Paris Peace Conference, but, unfortunately, the fall of the ADR under the onslaught of the 11th Red Army on April 28, 1920, interrupted the process of international recognition of Azerbaijan’s independence and prevented its logical conclusion – admission to the League of Nations.
The minister said that having restored its state independence in 1991 and becoming a fully-fledged member of the United Nations on March 2, 1992, just like at the beginning of the 20th century, Azerbaijan was faced with conflict with the Republic of Armenia.
“For almost three decades, Azerbaijan has been fighting for the restoration of its territorial integrity and the right of its internally displaced persons to return to their places of origin in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and adjacent administrative districts that are still under occupation,” he said.
Mammadyarov said that on the other hand, a balanced and multi-vector foreign policy pursued by Azerbaijan ensures consistent strengthening of its international authority and significance in the system of international relations.
“By developing mutually beneficial and equitable cooperation both in bilateral and multilateral formats, Azerbaijan follows the path of meeting the needs of national progress by promoting its external relations and partnership.”
The minister said Azerbaijan grants its transit opportunities for the implementation of logistical projects within the framework of the East-West, North-South and South-West corridors, while the development of the country’s rich energy potential also continues.
“Along with the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline, which has been a source of major revenue for many years, work on the Southern Gas Corridor is also in its final stages,” Mammadyarov explained.
He said Azerbaijan takes the most active part in the dialogue among Caspian littoral states, which led to the signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea in 2018 and created the conditions for the transformation of the Sea into a zone of peace, good neighbourliness and cooperation.
“All this has allowed us the opportunity to minimise the adverse impacts of crises, which undermined global economic growth”, he noted.
The minister stressed that the internal potential accumulated in this way is consistently converted into the successes of Azerbaijan in various international organisations and initiatives.
“In particular, after a non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2012-2013, Azerbaijan was elected by 176 votes as a member of the UN Economic and Social Council for 2017-2019. From 2019, Azerbaijan will assume the presidency in the Non-Aligned Movement, the world’s second-biggest international platform. The mere fact that a recent member of the Movement prepares to lead the organisation is highly indicative,” he said.
On the place and role of Azerbaijan in the system of international relations, the minister said that it should be noted that his country acts not only as an acceptor of signals transmitted from the main power centres but also as an active producer making a tangible contribution to the definition of the global agenda.
Mammadyarov said that in recent years, Baku has established itself as one of the leading platforms for promoting the values of the dialogue of cultures, religions and civilizations.
Launched at the initiative of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in 2008, the Baku Process has become an effective factor in promoting the highest values of humanism at the global level, he added.
The minister stressed Azerbaijani diplomacy can be rightfully proud of the tumultuous century-old road it has covered.
As President Ilham Aliyev said at the Global Baku Forum in 2018: “We demonstrate, first of all, to ourselves and also to the world that only during independence people can achieve success. Only when their destiny is in their hands, when they are masters of their fate, they can be successful. Today’s Azerbaijan is a good demonstration of that.”
— NNN-BERNAMA
