Azernews.Az

Friday March 29 2024

Baku hosting Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey conference

17 February 2014 18:58 (UTC+04:00)
Baku hosting Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey conference

By Jamila Babayeva

Baku hosted an international conference attended by officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

The conference named Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey: Trilateral Union and Future of Regional Policy" kicked off on February 17.

Organized by the Center for Strategic Studies under the Azerbaijani president, the conference focused on the current relations among the three countries, opportunities to make regional policies and mechanisms of responding to challenges.

The event was attended by officials from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia.

Addressing the conference, Chief of the Political Analysis and Information Provision Department of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Elnur Aslanov said as long as Armenia does not abandon its dirty policies, Azerbaijan will continue to keep it under blockade.

He said Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey have come a long way over the last ten years and have attracted the world public's attention with projects implemented for not only their benefits but also of other nations'.

"All three countries are currently implementing major geopolitical projects, and setting up new projects," Aslanov said.

He said, today these countries are outlining the new energy and transportation maps of Europe.

"The cooperation between these countries could become an example for many countries. But, unfortunately, there is a country that has a negative impact on this cooperation. This country is Armenia. As long as Armenia does not abandon its non-constructive and emotional politics, there will be obstacles hindering the establishment of friendship and brotherhood in the region," Aslanov stressed. "We want Armenia to abandon its dirty politics. As long as this does not happen, Azerbaijan will continue keeping this country under blockade conditions".

Aslanov went on saying that the Armenian leadership should understand that political backwardness and their country's regression can not bring success to the Armenian people.

He also stressed that the conference held in Baku will establish bases for future cooperation between the three countries.

"Azerbaijan wants Armenia to join these processes," he said. "The time will come when we will hold these conferences in Khojaly, which was turned into ruins by Armenia, as well as in the region's pearls - Shusha and Khankendi".

Aslanov also expressed concern that some regional players are seeking to open borders between Turkey and Armenia.

"Unfortunately, some Western foundations and organizations are seeking to open the borders between Turkey and Armenia. Unless the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is solved, the opening of the borders is out of question," Aslanov said.

Head of the Center for Strategic Studies Center under the President of Azerbaijan, Farhad Mammadov also said Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia as allied states should support the territorial integrity of each other not only in words but also in practice.

He said all three countries are interested in the settlement of conflicts, which are an obstacle to the restoration of peace and security in the region and hinder its development.

Mammadov added that the countries should also continue to support each other in international arena.

"The UN General Assembly voted to adopt a resolution on the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Georgia was among the countries which voted for its adoption. Meanwhile, during the vote on the situation of refugees and IDPs from Tskhinvali region of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Georgia (Georgia), Azerbaijan supported Georgia' stance."

He recommended paying attention to the position of Armenia on this resolution in the UN General Assembly and in other similar voting.

"This and other similarities show that despite Armenian leadership's claim that they are conducting neighborhood policy toward Georgia, the reality on the ground is different," Mammadov stressed.

Loading...
Latest See more