Aliyev unveils stance on Turkey-Armenia ties
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev discussed with
the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso energy,
reforms in Azerbaijan and Europe`s new regional cooperation program
during a visit to Brussels on Tuesday.
Although the parties told a news conference following the talks that discussions had focused on these three topics, replies to further questions revealed that the pressing issue of Turkey-Armenia rapprochement was tabled as well.
According to Barroso, President Aliyev stressed that this was an extremely sensitive issue for Azerbaijan. Barroso said the European Commission fully supports efforts by Ankara and Yerevan to draw closer. This, however, does not mean that the organization is taking no action to advance resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh dispute, saying it backs conflict settlement endeavors as well.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan had no intention to meddle in the affairs of sovereign states, including the relations between Turkey and Armenia.
"All I want to say is this. We also have the right to rebuild our policy due to the new realities in the region, and we will exercise that right."
The president noted that only a plain simple question has arisen: "will the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict be carried out simultaneously, and, if so, at what stage is this possible?"
Aliyev said this simple question required a very simple answer and he was still expecting that answer.
Turkey and Armenia have recently agreed a "road map" in an effort to mend ties that have been historically strained over Armenian policy of occupation against Azerbaijan, Turkey`s ally, and Armenian claims on the alleged World War I-era genocide.
While in Belgium, the Azerbaijani leader is due to meet with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Wednesday for talks on bilateral cooperation.
On the same day, he is expected to hold discussions with the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, according to the EU website. The two will discuss Azerbaijan`s development as well as EU-Azerbaijan relations, in particular, the summit on Eastern Partnership, a program on Europe`s closer cooperation with its ex-Soviet neighbors, which is due in Prague on May 7.
Although the parties told a news conference following the talks that discussions had focused on these three topics, replies to further questions revealed that the pressing issue of Turkey-Armenia rapprochement was tabled as well.
According to Barroso, President Aliyev stressed that this was an extremely sensitive issue for Azerbaijan. Barroso said the European Commission fully supports efforts by Ankara and Yerevan to draw closer. This, however, does not mean that the organization is taking no action to advance resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh dispute, saying it backs conflict settlement endeavors as well.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan had no intention to meddle in the affairs of sovereign states, including the relations between Turkey and Armenia.
"All I want to say is this. We also have the right to rebuild our policy due to the new realities in the region, and we will exercise that right."
The president noted that only a plain simple question has arisen: "will the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict be carried out simultaneously, and, if so, at what stage is this possible?"
Aliyev said this simple question required a very simple answer and he was still expecting that answer.
Turkey and Armenia have recently agreed a "road map" in an effort to mend ties that have been historically strained over Armenian policy of occupation against Azerbaijan, Turkey`s ally, and Armenian claims on the alleged World War I-era genocide.
While in Belgium, the Azerbaijani leader is due to meet with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Wednesday for talks on bilateral cooperation.
On the same day, he is expected to hold discussions with the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, according to the EU website. The two will discuss Azerbaijan`s development as well as EU-Azerbaijan relations, in particular, the summit on Eastern Partnership, a program on Europe`s closer cooperation with its ex-Soviet neighbors, which is due in Prague on May 7.
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