Statement
by
Col.Gen. Safar Abiyev
Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan
I. Future of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Mr.Chairman,
Distinguished Colleagues,
The year 2002 is going to be marked as crucial in the history of the
Alliance as well as of the Partnership. Prague Summit is expected to inaugurate
the second round of the enlargement. Azerbaijan appreciates this development
as well as the fact that the Alliance will remain committed to the NATO
open door policy after its November summit.
NATO and Russia by setting up "NATO-Russia Council" have engaged
recently in a qualitatively new relationship. Welcoming this fact we hope
that it will contribute positively to strengthening of the overall Euro-Atlantic
security.
During the last ten years our Partnership proved to be a success story
and contributed significantly to promoting the commonly shared values
of the Euro-Atlantic community. But today it must adapt itself to the
new security realia that characterize the after-11 September world.
We do hope that as a result of the forthcoming transformations the profile
of the South Caucasus will get higher in the agenda of the Alliance, and
the strategic importance of this region will pave way to stronger engagement
of NATO in addressing the security problems of the region.
We expect from NATO to implement its important stabilization and modernization
function in our volatile and unstable region, the security of which has
been undermined by the outstanding "frozen" conflicts, large-scale
humanitarian catastrophe and continuing military occupation.
We are convinced that the Alliance should not choose "the one-size-fit-all"
approach to all the countries in the region but rather should equip itself
with individual programs of cooperation with each of its Partners, adjusting
those programs to meet the unique aspirations, capabilities and requirements
of each of them, thus strengthening the fundamental principles of self-differentiation
and inclusiveness.
Azerbaijan looks forward to elaborating such a bilateral intensified
program of cooperation with NATO and looks for the support of the Alliance
in this regard.
As a concrete tool to help implement this idea we fully support the proposal
put forward by the US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the recent Reykjavik
EAPC Foreign Ministerial to set up PfP cells in individual interested
Partner states using the existing model in Albania.
The model of setting up separate individual cells, as different from
regional ones, in all interested countries seems to be even more relevant
in the case of South Caucasus given its abovementioned well-known security
difficulties, including first of all the unresolved interstate conflict,
and therefore unfeasibility of engaging all three states in major regional
projects.
Azerbaijan is very much interested in having such a PfP cell in Baky
and is prepared to contribute actively to its success. Such NATO presence
in the country, besides being extremely useful in assisting us carry out
our intensive Azerbaijan-tailored bilateral cooperation program with the
Alliance, would coordinate efforts aimed at addressing the needs and requirements
of a particular partner and in the meantime raise the information awareness
about NATO in the country.
II. EAPC's role in the international fight against terrorism.
Topics, presented today for discussions, are of imperative actuality
and importance for providing global, regional and national security. No
doubt, that due to its scale, terrorism in all its forms and demonstrations
is one of the most dangerous and awful phenomenons of our time.
Nowadays, all EAPC countries are united by common threats and challenges
deriving from terrorism, proliferation of WMD and its components, illicit
trade of SALW and drugtrafficking.
It was after September 11 when the World began to speak loudly on the
threats international terrorism poses and consequences its underestimation
can lead to.
Republic of Azerbaijan, having part of its territory occupied by Armenia
and more than one million of its population as refugees living in intolerable
conditions, has repeatedly suffered from bitter results of terrorism.
Unfortunately, the World community hasn't reacted in due time and hasn't
expressed its opinion to the brutal acts of international terrorism, conducted
by Armenian separatists against the Republic of Azerbaijan. Therefor,
it stimulates acts of terror to be repeated in other regions of world.
Armenia changed occupied Azerbaijani territories into the transfer point
of weapons to terrorist organizations and regimes, supporting terrorism;
created conditions for the activity of camps on training for warriors
of international terrorist organizations. It concentrated a big number
of out-of-check weapons and military equipment. Republic of Armenia also
uses these uncontrolled territories for drug production and their transit
to Europe and other regions of the World.
Azerbaijan will never accept occupation of any part of its territory.
The patience of Azerbaijani people is not infinite. Hence, our claim is
to withdraw Armenian troops from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan
without any preliminary conditions. It is to be known that high time for
each one to know - to prolong time required to solve this conflict can
lead to re-new combat operations.
Armenian terrorists, officially inspired by Armenian force structures,
carried out 32 terrorist acts during last 10 years killing as a result
more than 2 thousand innocent people.
Having joined many conventions, agreements and protocols on fight against
this phenomenon, Republic of Azerbaijan has always shown its firm position
towards both terrorism and all its demonstrations.
Having such a bitter experience, Azerbaijan was one of the first States,
which supported US in its fight against international terrorism, declaring
readiness to contribute into this struggle.
The Republic of Azerbaijan has immediately stated about its decisive
support to the fight against international terrorism and allowed Coalition
forces to use its airspace with the aim of providing a practical assistance
for anti-terrorist operations and is ready to cooperate in other fields
of this sphere, if needed. Moreover, there is a planning on sending peacekeeping
unit of Azerbaijani Armed Forces to International Security Assistance
Forces.
It has become absolutely evident today, that combating international
terrorism and successful fight against all its demonstrations is possible
only with decisive and unanimous efforts.
At the same time, lack of timely and adequate response from the World
community to the constant violations of International law and to the practice
of double standards, acts of aggression, occupation and ethnic cleansings,
pave the way for flourishing terrorism and is an obstacle for the concentration
of joint efforts for timely detection and elimination of its sources.
It becomes evident that in the regions where States fully and unconditionally
respect each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability
of borders and refrain from using force, cooperation in the fight against
terrorism leads to essential results.
Today EAPC and PFP contain all capabilities for further development
of practical activity in combating terrorism.
In this context let me to express full support provided by Azerbaijan
for the Initiative of developing the Partnership Action Plan on terrorism.
Consultations, joint assessment of threats and risks, development of
new and effective "instruments" of interaction between military
and civilian security structures will allow noticeably strengthen cooperation
in this field and to widen interoperability with international organizations.
Differentiate approach to the needs of partner countries, all-aspect-understanding
of their security problems create conditions for EAPC and PFP to establish
such interaction mechanisms, which will meet partners' interests, having
certain potential and readiness to contribute into development of cooperation
with NATO in this sphere. Partners located in the strategically important
regions and in the middle of the anti-terrorist activity, should be first
to be considered to this end.
At present time, several partner-countries, actively participating in
multinational operations and in peacekeeping, are already modernizing
and adapting the Partnership to closer and more focused interaction with
NATO, therefore certain support of these countries by EAPC to this direction
is required.
Republic of Azerbaijan speaks in favor of open, close and constructive
cooperation in the fight against international terrorism; consolidation
of joint efforts on timely detection and elimination of fireplaces of
aggressive separatism and extremism and in favor of strengthening stability,
security and preserving peace in the whole Euro-Atlantic area.
Thank you for your attention.
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