Azernews.Az

By Sevil Mikayilova

Azerbaijan has ensured and will continue to ensure its stability, security and development even under the most difficult conditions, Novruz Mammadov, the deputy head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, chief of the administration’s foreign relations department, said in an interview with AzerNews newspaper.

"Azerbaijan has chosen the right foreign policy," he said.

“We are on the right path and we have chosen the right foreign policy tactics and strategy," he added.

The top official stressed that Azerbaijan is a model state, noting that although it is indeed a small country, it has successfully sent a strong message to all countries within the global processes and international relations.

“Let’s build such cooperation and ties that would help and become a drive for the development of all," he said. "Azerbaijan has built its activity exactly on these principles, and it continues to work in this direction,” he said.

Mammadov also touched upon the relations between Azerbaijan and the EU.

“The Eastern Partnership summit has been recently held,” Mammadov recalled. “While it adopted the joint declaration, Azerbaijan clearly stated that if no fair position is demonstrated in this issue, if no correct assessment is given to this cooperation, and certain states are shown different approaches, then it will be impossible to reach the right results.”

“Therefore, we openly and specifically voiced our position,” said Mammadov.

Some circles are taking various actions to discredit Azerbaijan, to denigrate its image on the international arena and to hinder the country's current development, Mammadov further emphasized.

"Some circles in the world support this," Mammadov said. "The processes taking place on the eve of the first European Games are of peculiar character."

Mammadov was commenting on a discrediting campaign against Azerbaijan conducted by some international circles on the eve of the first European Games.

He said that today there are about 200 countries in the world, 193 of which are UN members.

"There are certain documents, statements, conventions, and agreements,” he said. “But sometimes actions happen to not coincide with the adopted documents. I would like to stress that while putting its own interests above everything, every country is trying to use them in cooperation with others. A stronger country mainly seeks to use its opportunities, rather than to comply with the norms and principles of international law."

Envy emerges towards those countries with intensive development and certain steps have been taken in order to intercept them, he said.

“The weaker the country and the less opportunities it has, the easier it is to manipulate that country,” said Mammadov. “Therefore, some large states would rather see other countries weak, racked by problem in order to keep them under their "umbrella", under the guise of offering a heling hand.”

From this point of view, Azerbaijan’s development today has led to much envy, the top official explained.

By using their opportunities, various circles have taken certain steps to discredit Azerbaijan, to tarnish its image on the international arena and to hinder its development, said Mammadov.

“For the first time in the world and in the history of mankind, we will hold the First European Games,” he said.

“We will hold these Games at the highest level. Heads of all states say they support us in this. But at the same time, their other resources are carrying out various campaigns,” he said.

Mammadov called the fact unpleasant.

He said the campaign against Azerbaijan is not only connected with the European Games.

“Azerbaijan always faces such a treatment,” he said. “I am not talking about all of them, but it was done during the Eurovision song contest as well. However, we held it at a high level at the time, and we will hold these sports games at a high level as well.”

“There have always been such envy and such intentions, this needs to be perceived as a reality, while ensuring strong unity with the people, our leadership has always worked toward Azerbaijan' success and prosperity,” said Mammadov. “I believe we have no problems here.”

“No matter how hard people will try, and no matter how zealous they are, we are moving forward and we will walk our own path,” he said.

The official also spoke about the long-standing Karabakh conflict.

"The emergence of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem on the eve of gaining independence by Azerbaijan is not a coincidence – it was created as part of a cunning plan by certain world circles to stunt the country's growth," Mammadov said.

Some circles in Russia also supported this process, he said. “Currently, there is a deep crisis in international relations and it is a crisis of justice.”

Mammadov said the crisis of justice means that the ongoing processes in the world are not viewed on the basis of the norms and principles of international law anymore.

“Although we live in the 21st century and compliance with these norms should be natural, no one does that,” said the top official.

“It may sound very harsh, but I’ll say that following the collapse of the USSR, processes on the international arena have been accompanied by attempts on the part of powerful states to regulate international relations by putting their own political, economic and geopolitical interests above that of others,” noted Mammadov, adding that it is often unsuccessful.

He said the foundation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was laid even before Azerbaijan became independent.

“There are certain centers, circles, which are now engaged in these issues,” he said. “At the time there were two main poles - the USSR and the West – a tense standoff was prevailing in about ten countries around the world.”

And today, Mammadov said, a similar situation is taking place in about 50 countries.

“These problems do not emerge by themselves,” he added. “We know very well how, where and why they have occurred.”

Mammadov also said that observing media reports we see that those countries are being constantly mentioned.

He went on to say that although Azerbaijan is engaged in a very complex conflict and it is still in a state of war, the country has ensured its stability and security, while securing many great successes, stressing it will continue to develop its statehood.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.