Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister addressed the 6th Democracy Forum held in Indonesia on November 7-8.

During his speech at the forum, Elmar Mammadyarov said that the world was still facing violations of fundamental norms and principles of international law.

"Today, Armenian occupation of our internationally recognized territories -Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 adjacent districts- continues to represent the major challenge to maintaining basic human rights in Azerbaijan, since it resulted in the forced displacement of a million Azerbaijani civilians and is still causing serious harm to the economic welfare, health, and education of our citizens," Mammadyarov said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

He said that four UN Security Council resolutions reaffirming respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and demanding the immediate, full, and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all the occupied territories still remained unfulfilled.

Mammadyarov said that, in this regard, it was critical that the international community continue to insist on the implementation of these UN Security Council resolutions with a view to facilitating a negotiated settlement of the conflict.

The Minister also said that Azerbaijan was an ancient civilization, yet a young democracy.

He said since regaining independence more than two decades ago, Azerbaijan had been building a free, democratic, and secular society in which everyone could enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms equally and fully, regardless of his or her racial, religious, or ethnic background.

"To this end, Azerbaijan continues to cooperate closely with the Council of Europe -the continent's main human rights watchdog- and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for the further development of domestic human-rights protection mechanisms and fostering democratic reforms," Mammadyarov said.

He said that in May 2014, Azerbaijan would assume the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and during its presidency it would encourage cooperation with regional organizations, including those representing other continents.

"In this regard, there is an opportunity for joint activities between the Council of Europe and the Bali Forum's implementing agency -the Institute of Peace and Democracy- in order to increase the effectiveness of efforts in the crosscutting areas , like the promotion of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue," Mammadyarov said.

He said Azerbaijan had always been a place of peaceful co-existence and tolerance between different ethnic groups and religions.

"As a bridge between East and West and an active member of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilizations, Azerbaijan contributes to the promotion of inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, which is one of the main priorities of its foreign policy," Mammadyarov said.

He also mentioned the World Intercultural Dialogue Forum and Baku International Humanitarian Forum organized regularly in Baku, bringing together the representatives of all continents to discuss the global challenges that the world faces today.

"As President Aliyev stated recently during his inaugural speech, promotion of tolerance and multiculturalism is both a modus vivendi and a priority for Azerbaijan's policy," Mammadyarov.

He said that Azerbaijan supported the initiative of holding the Democracy Forum as an effective platform.

The theme of this annual forum is 'Consolidating Democracy in Pluralistic Society'.

The Democracy Forum has been held since 2008 at Indonesia's initiative.

The purpose of the forum is the consolidation of international and regional cooperation through dialogue and exchange of experience in the sphere of peace and democracy.